Why Choose Us?

  • Longest running super yacht Steward/ess course in South Africa.
  • We have successfully trained almost 2 000 Steward/esses and Chief Steward/esses, most of whom found employment in the industry, some of our very first students are still actively working in the industry and have gone on to make a very successful yachting career for themselves.
  • We believe in quality, realistic, practical, relevant and professional training.
  • We believe in teaching our students what realistically and actually happens in the industry, rather than only focusing on the romantic and idyllic part of yachting.
  • Our training is conducted by Instructors with collectively over 30 years’ specialized super yachting industry Steward/ess experience (not sailing yachts, Cruise Ships or Catamarans, as those are vastly different industries).
  • We believe in simulating real-life situations and expect very high standards of presentation, behaviour, manners, performance of each student to prepare them for their careers on super yachts.
  • We attend the world’s largest Yacht Trade Show, the Monaco Boat Show, annually to keep up to date with new changes and regulations within the industry.
  • Some of our instructors still work actively in the industry, frequently returning to South Africa with the newest and most current information and passing it onto our students.
  • The SYSA Steward/ess course is recognized by captains and crew agents and other major role players in the industry as an innovative, professional, thorough, applicable, honest and trustworthy training facilitator who teaches our students real-life and practical, useful industry and career skills.
  • We were the first school in South Africa to pass the grueling audit from the GUEST programme and one of the first schools in the world to hold this super yacht training accreditation.  (SYSA has since decided to leave the programme).
  • Our classes are small to ensure that each student receives individual attention, guidance and assessment.
  • We assist our SYSA Steward/ess students after graduating at Super Yachting South Africa with CV writing, career advice, future progression training and general guidance and advice.
  • Isobel Odendaal’s Facebook group, Yacht Stewardess and Steward Tips, has been voted the most popular and useful group by yachting publications several times and has 12 500 Steward/esses in the group who ask for support, advice and guidance.
  • Isobel Odendaal is highly regarded as one of THE Steward/ess experts in the industry, and regularly forms part of a team of expert judges at the Monaco Boat Show’s Table Setting Competition, or on international yachting discussion panels, as well as authors many Steward/ess articles for yachting publications each year.