Cape Town Helicopters

Name

Cape Town Helicopters

Legal name

Cape Town Helicopters

Website

https://helicopterscapetown.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Helicopter Tourism and Aerial Sightseeing

NAICS

Other Nonscheduled Air Transportation (481219)

akta.pro primary industry

Scenic & Sightseeing Helicopter Tours (THABAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Helicopter Sightseeing & Scenic Tours (TLAFACAD), Helicopter Crew Change & Offshore Passenger Transfers (Oil & Gas / Wind) (TLAFACAH), On-Demand Helicopter Charter (Private/Corporate) (TLAFACAB), VIP/Executive Helicopter Transport (THABAGAH), Helicopter Airport Transfers & Ground-Connection Shuttles (TLAFACAE)

Keywords

• Helicopter scenic flights
• Aerial tourism services
• Wine estate transfers
• Offshore helicopter operations
• Helicopter charter services

Headquarters

HQ city

Cape Town

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Scenic Helicopter Flights: Per-person pricing for aerial sightseeing tours around Cape Town and the Peninsula. Prices range from R2,650 (City Hopper, 12 min) to R9,950 (Full Peninsula). Minimum 2 passengers required. Flights depart from V&A Waterfront heliport.
2. Wine Estate Helicopter Tours: Package tours combining helicopter flights to Cape Winelands estates with ground experiences (wine tasting, lunch, estate activities). Per-person pricing from R12,500 (Durbanville Hills) to R33,500 (Gabrielskloof). Includes flight time and 2.5-3 hours ground time.
3. Adventure Experiences: Premium experiential packages including heli-biking (R28,500), whale watching (quote on request), private Robben Island tours, fynbos mountain picnics (R25,000), West Coast mussels & oysters (R31,200), and more.
4. Gift Vouchers: Pre-paid electronic gift vouchers for any flight or experience offering. Sold directly through the website.
5. Helicopter Transfers & Charter: Point-to-point helicopter transfers from V&A Waterfront or Cape Town International Airport to wine estates, game reserves, and remote locations. Prices on request, tailored to customer needs.
6. Offshore Services: Offshore helicopter operations including crew changes (2 pilots + 8 pax), rescue medical service, hoist operations, ship-to-shore transfers, and salvage projects. Operated with Airbus AS365 Dauphin up to 100nm offshore.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cape Town Helicopters operates a fleet of Airbus helicopters (AS365 Dauphin, H120, H125, H130, H135) and Robinson R44 from the V&A Waterfront heliport, selling scenic aerial tours, wine estate transfers, adventure experiences (whale watching, shark cage diving, heli-biking, picnics), and certified Part 138 offshore helicopter services including crew changes, medical evacuations, and rescue hoist operations up to 100 nautical miles offshore.

Product overview

Cape Town Helicopters operates a comprehensive helicopter tourism and aviation services platform centered at the V&A Waterfront. The core offering consists of scenic helicopter flights ranging from 12-minute Hopper flights to Full Peninsula tours, complemented by Wineland Helicopter Flights to over 25 wine estates across Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Paarl, Constantia, and Walker Bay regions. The Experiences portfolio includes adventure activities such as Heli-Biking, whale watching, shark cage diving, and private Robben Island tours, alongside cultural experiences like !Khwa ttu and gourmet picnics at remote mountain locations. Offshore services include Part 138 certified crew changes, medical evacuations, and rescue operations using Airbus AS365 Dauphin aircraft. Fixed wing charter services are available through sister company Cape Town Aviation using Beechcraft King Air 200 aircraft. All services utilize an Airbus Helicopter fleet recognized for eco-friendly operations below 60 decibels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Scenic Helicopter Flights Aerial sightseeing tours departing from V&A Waterfront over Cape Town's iconic landmarks including Table Mountain, Twelve Apostles, Robben Island, and the Cape Peninsula. Priced per person from R2,650 to R9,950 with a minimum of two passengers.
• Winelands Helicopter Flights

Quantifiable outcome

• Flawless safety record maintained over 20+ years of operations
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• GMSRS / Medevac AfricacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 December 2025GMSRS / Medevac Africa is Cape Town Helicopters' primary medical and rescue service partner for offshore operations. Medevac Africa provides specialised medical evacuation and search and rescue (SAR) services by land, air, and sea across Southern Africa. They are licensed by the Department of Health and operate under formal agreements with the Department of Transport through SASAR, supporting both Aeronautical (ARCC) and Maritime (MRCC) Rescue Coordination Centres. Joint training exercises (day and night) have been conducted integrating medical crews with helicopter crews for hoist extractions and in-flight stabilisation.
• MTO Trails JonkershoekcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMTO Trails Jonkershoek provides Cape Town Helicopters with exclusive access to world-renowned mountain biking trail networks in the Jonkershoek valley, enclosed by the Hottentots Hollands Mountain Range. The partnership enables the heli-biking adventure experience. MTO Trails comprises 18 trails ranging from Green Beginner to Black Expert, totalling over 48km of single track and 74km of jeep track. Kyle Gifford, ex-professional mountain biker and head of Eco-Tourism at MTO Trails, leads guiding for the experience.
• Medivac AfricacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedivac Africa, a division of Global Medical Safety and Risk Solutions (GMSRS), provides specialised medical evacuation and search and rescue services supporting Cape Town Helicopters' offshore emergency aviation operations. They handle patient logistics and provide integrated medical crew during hoist extraction operations.
• Klein Goederust Wine EstateminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKlein Goederust is the first and only 100% black-owned wine farm in Franschhoek Valley, owned by entrepreneur Paul Siguqa. Cape Town Helicopters operates helicopter flights to the estate as part of its winelands tour portfolio.
• Inverroche GinminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInverroche Gin is the partner gin brand featured in the 'Gin and Tonic on the Mountain' experience at Baskloof Nature Reserve above Misty Cliffs.
• White DesertminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWhite Desert operates Antarctica expeditions departing from Cape Town. Cape Town Helicopters promotes White Desert's services to its customers interested in flying to Antarctica.
• Cape Town AviationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCape Town Helicopters and Cape Town Aviation operate a combined Approved Fixed Base Operator (FBO) and Maintenance Organisation (AMO) facility at Cape Town International Airport. Together they offer charter flights via Beechcraft King Air 200 and in-house aircraft maintenance services. Peter Hammond is Deputy CEO of both entities.
• Marine DynamicsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMarine Dynamics provides the shark cage diving boat experience for Cape Town Helicopters' shark cage diving tour, which departs from Gansbaai.
• Airbus HelicopterscoreTechnology or IntegrationAirbus Helicopters is the fleet provider for Cape Town Helicopters' entire modern helicopter fleet (AS365, H120, H125, H130, H135). The company has participated in joint roadshows with Airbus Helicopters (e.g., Durban & JHB roadshow) and holds fact sheets for each aircraft model. Airbus provides the Fenestron technology enabling operations in noise-sensitive nature reserve areas.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Blue Horizon Helicopters: South African helicopter tour operator running scenic and charter flights. Operates in the same domestic market as Cape Town Helicopters with overlapping scenic tourism and charter products, directly competing for the same premium tourist customer base in Cape Town and surrounds.
• West Coast Helicopters: South African helicopter operator providing scenic flights and charter services. Comparable to Cape Town Helicopters as a direct competitor in the Western Cape helicopter tourism segment with similar product offerings and customer profiles.
• Blue Hawaiian Helicopters: Largest helicopter tour company in Hawaii offering scenic flights over volcanic landscapes and coastlines. Comparable to Cape Town Helicopters as a premium scenic helicopter tourism operator with similar direct-to-consumer booking, package tours, and emphasis on safety record.
• Maverick Helicopters: Las Vegas-based helicopter tour operator running scenic flights, Grand Canyon tours, and charter services with a large modern fleet. Comparable to Cape Town Helicopters as a premium scenic helicopter tourism operator with similar safety-record branding, package pricing tiers, and direct-to-consumer booking model.
• NAC Helicopters: South African helicopter charter and tourism operator offering scenic flights, transfers, and utility aviation across the country. Closely comparable to Cape Town Helicopters in terms of scenic tourism offering, fleet composition, and direct-to-consumer booking model within the same domestic market.

Broad incumbents

• PHI Aviation: Global offshore helicopter transportation and aerial services provider. Comparable to Cape Town Helicopters' Part 138 offshore crew change, medevac and SAR offering as an established global operator in the same vertical.
• Bristow Group: Global publicly-traded offshore helicopter services provider serving oil & gas, search and rescue, and crew change markets. Directly comparable to Cape Town Helicopters' Part 138 offshore operations as a scaled, established incumbent competitor in the same offshore services category.
• CHC Helicopter: Global helicopter operator with significant offshore crew change, SAR, and medevac capability. Comparable to Cape Town Helicopters' Part 138 offshore business as the established global incumbent in the same offshore helicopter services category.

Regional players

• Sydney HeliTours: Australian helicopter tour operator offering scenic flights, harbour tours, and transfers. Comparable to Cape Town Helicopters in product mix (scenic, transfers, package experiences) but operates in a different geography; serves as a useful regional benchmark for tourism helicopter business models.

Emerging players

• Blade: Urban air mobility company offering helicopter transfers and scheduled flights in major cities, with expansion into eVTOL. Comparable to Cape Town Helicopters on the helicopter transfer / city-based aviation services side and represents a more capitalised, tech-forward competitor model that could eventually target premium tourism markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/helicopters_cpt
• Facebookfacebook.com/CapeTownHelicopters
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cape-town-helicopters

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cape Town Helicopters