Jo Fensham

12/10/2026

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗝𝗼 𝗙𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗺 𝗬𝗮𝗰𝗵𝘁 𝗙𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻!

We are excited to share that entries for The Jo Fensham Yacht Furniture Design Prize 2026, in collaboration with the Cape Institute for Architecture, have now closed.

It has been inspiring to see the creativity and talent coming through, and now the exciting process of judging begins.

We cannot wait to see how this journey unfolds and to share more in the weeks ahead. Watch this space for updates.

To find out more about The Jo Fensham Yacht Furniture Design Prize, visit:
www.jofensham.com

01/10/2026

More great moments from our High Seas training - with a few of these photographs taken the day before Heritage Day, when some of our team arrived in their Heritage Day outfits too. 🇿🇦

You can see the energy and enjoyment in these photographs. It has been wonderful to watch our team embrace the training, grow in confidence and engage with new ways of thinking and solving problems.

Developed specifically for Jo Fensham Yacht Upholstery, High Seas is a bespoke training programme facilitated by Keith Struthers, Gabi and Sue from Keith Struthers Studios. The programme encourages creative, out-of-the-box thinking, looking at challenges from different perspectives, identifying knowledge gaps and strengthening the skills and confidence our team brings to their work every day.

There’s plenty of learning happening — and plenty of laughter along the way too.

teamdevelopment

24/09/2026

Happy Heritage Day, South Africa! 🇿🇦

Today we celebrate the cultures, traditions, stories and people that make our country so extraordinary.

At Jo Fensham Yacht Upholstery, our team brings together different backgrounds, skills and experiences every day - united by the craftsmanship and care that go into everything we create.

Here are a few more moments from our Heritage Day celebrations yesterday. Good food, traditional dress, plenty of laughter and, most importantly, a chance to celebrate the wonderful people behind Jo Fensham.

Happy Heritage Day from all of us!

23/09/2026

With so many beautiful photos from our Heritage Day celebrations, we couldn’t choose just a few - so we’ll be sharing some today and more tomorrow!

Ahead of Heritage Day tomorrow, the Jo Fensham Yacht Upholstery team celebrated today with a good old South African braai, traditional dress and plenty of colour, laughter and team spirit.

One particularly special moment was seeing our Managing Director, Tariq Fensham, in the beautiful dress handmade for her by Grace — a gift made with such care and one that Tariq absolutely loves.

We are incredibly fortunate to have a team made up of people with different stories, cultures and traditions — and days like today are a lovely reminder of just how much there is to celebrate.

More Heritage Day moments to come tomorrow! 🇿🇦

21/09/2026

𝟭𝟭𝟰 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗝𝗼 𝗙𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗺 𝗬𝗮𝗰𝗵𝘁 𝗙𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲!

We’re absolutely thrilled by the response to this inaugural competition in collaboration with Cape Institute of Architecture

In this reel, Tariq Fensham and Michael Borgström share their excitement at seeing 114 people registered to take part - far beyond what we initially anticipated.

With such a strong response from the design community, we cannot wait to see the creativity, thinking and talent that comes through in the final submissions.

Final entries close: Wednesday, 30 September 2026 at 12 noon.

Find out more at jofensham.com or cifa.org.za.

For competition enquiries, email [email protected].

14/09/2026

Crafted for the Balance 750

Performance, luxury and comfort come together aboard the Balance 750 - a 23.19 m high-performance luxury sailing catamaran, handcrafted in Cape Town.

Jo Fensham Yacht Upholstery is proud to have partnered with Balance | Luxury Performance Multihulls , producing the interior and exterior upholstery for this exceptional yacht.

From the beautifully finished saloon seating to the cockpit and exterior cushioning, every detail was created with comfort, durability and life at sea in mind.

Images courtesy of Balance | Luxury Performance Multihulls .

Find out more about our work:
www.jofensham.com
[email protected]
+27 21 785 5244

03/09/2026

A few moments from today’s SOURCED Trade Day, hosted by Linen Drawer in Cape Town.

Tariq Fensham, Owner and Managing Director of Jo Fensham Yacht Upholstery, had the pleasure of presenting “Anchored in Craft: Two Generations of Women Shaping Comfort in Yachts” — sharing the story of a woman-founded, family-led business built on craftsmanship, precision, innovation and more than four decades of specialist marine upholstery experience.

Tariq also took part in a panel discussion, contributing to the wider conversation around design, sourcing, craftsmanship and the value of specialist expertise.

It was a wonderful opportunity to connect with interior designers, architects, suppliers and hospitality professionals, and to share how comfort at sea is shaped through careful material selection, technical knowledge and uncompromising attention to detail.

Thank you to Linen Drawer for creating such a thoughtful day of sourcing, conversation and industry connection.

28/08/2026

Keeping a lot of balls in the air is part of what we do - sometimes literally. 😊

As part of our Seven Seas training, the Jo Fensham team stepped outside the workshop for a creative thinking exercise with Keith, Gabi and Sue from Keith Struthers Studios

This bespoke training series has been developed especially for our team to encourage out-of-the-box thinking, build confidence, strengthen problem-solving skills and open up fresh ways of approaching the work we do every day.

The energy has been fantastic - and judging by the smiles, the juggling was a hit too.

More to follow as the team continues the journey.

21/08/2026

The Leopard 53 Powercat Refresh from Leopard Catamarans is a beautiful evolution of Robertson & Caine’s flagship power catamaran — refined, spacious and designed for exceptional comfort on the water.

Jo Fensham has a long-standing relationship with Robertson & Caine, one that stretches back through decades of South African boatbuilding. As one of their longest-standing suppliers, it is a partnership we value deeply and are incredibly proud of.

For the Leopard 53 Powercat Refresh, Jo Fensham supplies the complete interior upholstery package, including saloon seating, interior cushions, cabin headboards, custom-shaped mattresses and bedding elements — all manufactured with the precision, consistency and durability required for world-class production yacht building.

An exquisite vessel, beautifully refreshed.

Find out more: https://jofensham.com/portfolio-item/leopard-53-powercat-refresh/

Images courtesy of .tv

Jo Fensham supplies the interior upholstery, saloon cushions, headboards, bunk fiddles and more for the refreshed Leopard 53 Powercat.

17/08/2026

A lovely feature by the Cape Chamber on how Jo Fensham Yacht Upholstery is taking specialist marine upholstery beyond the workshop — and beyond South Africa’s shores.

The article highlights our Jo Fensham Digital Service (JFDS), a proprietary digital scanning and remote manufacturing service that allows us to scan cushions, covers and soft furnishings on board, retain accurate digital pattern records, manufacture in Cape Town, and support yachts wherever they are in the world.

From a one-woman workshop founded by Jo Fensham in 1981 to a specialist team supporting leading boatbuilders and international yacht owners, this is a story about craftsmanship, technology, service, and the growing strength of Cape Town’s marine industry.

Thank you to the Cape Chamber for sharing our story.

Read the article below:

Tariq Fensham often goes the extra mile for clients of her popular upholstery business. But later this year she will go 5000 extra miles just to get cushion measurements, so that the cushions can be picked up when her client’s yacht passes Cape Town.