The South African Navy Hydrographic Office
The South African Navy Hydrographic Office (SANHO) is the statutory national authority producing official paper charts, electronic navigational charts (ENCs), and nautical publications for South African and Namibian waters, serving commercial shipping, naval and defence customers, and recreational mariners through national chart agents and the IC-ENC international distributor network.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1955
- HeadquartersJohannesburg, South Africa
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
The South African Navy Hydrographic Office firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The South African Navy Hydrographic Office
- Legal name
- The South African Navy Hydrographic Office
- Website
- https://sanho.co.za
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1955
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The South African Navy Hydrographic Office (SANHO) is the statutory national authority producing official paper charts, electronic navigational charts (ENCs), and nautical publications for South African and Namibian waters, serving commercial shipping, naval and defence customers, and recreational mariners through national chart agents and the IC-ENC international distributor network.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The South African Navy Hydrographic Office industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Hydrographic Charting Services
- NAICS
- Navigational Services to Shipping (48833), Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883), Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services (54136)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Nautical Safety, Navigation Aids & Hydrographic Services (TLAHAFAE)
Keywords
Where The South African Navy Hydrographic Office is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Johannesburg
- HQ country
- South Africa
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices1 record
Markets served
The South African Navy Hydrographic Office business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Chart and Publication Sales: SANHO generates revenue through the sale of paper charts, ENCs, and nautical publications via a network of national and international chart agents. The products are available gratis from South African Agents and via the website, suggesting distribution through a network model.
- ENC Distribution through VARs: ENC products are distributed through International Centre for ENCs (IC-ENC) Value Added Resellers globally
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Monthly | Notices to Mariners - Free |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels3 records
The South African Navy Hydrographic Office product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The South African Navy Hydrographic Office (SANHO) is the national hydrographic authority for South Africa and Namibia, producing a folio of 109 paper nautical charts, 57 Electronic Navigational Charts (ENCs) organised across five IHO usage bands, and 9 nautical publications. It also provides maritime safety information services including monthly Notices to Mariners, NAVAREA VII long-range warnings, coastal navigational warnings broadcast on VHF/HF/Navtex, and predicted tidal information for 13 ports across South Africa and Namibia.
Product overview
The South African Navy Hydrographic Office (SANHO) operates as a national hydrographic authority producing a portfolio of 109 paper charts, 57 Electronic Navigational Charts (ENCs), and 9 nautical publications for South African and Namibian waters. The core product portfolio consists of paper nautical charts (ranging from 1:10,000,000-scale ocean charts to 1:12,000-scale harbour plans) and ENC products organised into four IHO-compliant usage bands (Overview, General, Coastal, Approaches, and Harbour). Supporting the chart products is a suite of nine nautical publications including the List of Lights and Radio Signals (HO-1), Tide Tables (HO-2), Chart Catalogue (HO-3), Symbols and Abbreviations (HO-6 INT 1), COLREGs (HO-15), and three Sailing Directions volumes (HO-21 through HO-23). Safety-critical maritime information products include monthly Notices to Mariners, the Cumulative List, Annual Summary, and real-time Coastal Navigational Warnings and NAVAREA VII long-range warnings covering the Indian Ocean SW Sector and South Atlantic Ocean NE and SE sectors. SANHO also contributes to the GEBCO Seabed 2030 initiative by collecting and processing crowdsourced bathymetry data.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Paper Nautical Charts A folio of 109 paper nautical charts covering South African and Namibian waters, ranging from small-scale ocean charts (e.g., SAN 1 at 1:10,000,000) to large-scale harbour plans (e.g., SAN 118 at 1:12,000). Chart types include standard navigational charts, yachting charts, small-craft charts, fishing plotting sheets, and informational charts. Designed for commercial and naval vessels requiring carriage-compliant paper charts under SOLAS.
- Electronic Navigational Charts (ENCs) A portfolio of 57 ENCs organised across four primary usage bands — General (ZA2N/ZA200 series), Coastal (ZA3N/ZA300 series), Approaches (ZA4N/ZA400 series), and Harbour (ZA5N/ZA500 series) — covering South African and Namibian waters in vector electronic chart format compliant with IHO S-57 standards. Distributed globally through IC-ENC Value Added Resellers.
- HO-1 South African List of Lights and Radio Signals Annual publication covering fog signals, navigational aids on the coasts of Namibia and South Africa from Möwe Point to Ponta do Ouro, and radio services for navigation, communications, and weather bulletins.
- HO-2 South African Tide Tables Annual publication providing predicted tides, predicted hourly tides, sunrise/sunset times, and moonrise/moonset times for 13 ports including Walvis Bay, Lüderitz, Port Nolloth, Saldanha, Cape Town, Simon's Town, Hermanus, Mossel Bay, Knysna, Port Elizabeth, East London, Durban, and Richards Bay.
- HO-3 South African Chart Catalogue Annual catalogue and indexes of South African charts and other hydrographic publications, available in digital version only.
- HO-6 INT 1 Symbols and Abbreviations Reference document listing the symbols and abbreviations used on South African nautical charts, based on IHO INT 1 standards.
- HO-15 International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea 1972 COLREGs publication (2020 edition) containing the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea 1972.
- HO-21 South African Sailing Directions Vol I Sailing directions volume providing general maritime information for South African waters.
- HO-22 South African Sailing Directions Vol II Sailing directions covering Namibia and the Republic of South Africa from the Kunene River to Cape Agulhas.
- HO-23 South African Sailing Directions Vol III Sailing directions covering the Republic of South Africa from Cape Agulhas to Ponta do Ouro, including Prince Edward Islands, Antarctica, and Bouvetøya.
- South African Notices to Mariners Monthly publication providing updates to nautical charts and publications, divided into six sections covering explanatory notes, SAN notices, new charts/editions, publication corrections, radio navigational warnings, and corrections to the List of Lights and Radio Services. Available gratis from South African Agents and via the website.
- Cumulative List of South African Notices to Mariners Monthly-updated publication listing all available charts together with a complete cumulative list of all notice numbers affecting each chart, serving as an audit trail for chart updates.
- Annual Summary of SAN Notices to Mariners Annual publication containing annual statutory notices to mariners, published each January.
- Coastal Navigational Warnings Urgent and temporary navigational warnings broadcast on VHF, HF, and Navtex for waters up to approximately 150 nautical miles around South Africa and Namibia. Warnings include buoy deployments, diving operations, mooring buoys, gunnery exercises, and infrastructure outages.
- NAVAREA VII Navigational Warnings Long-range navigational warnings broadcast under the NAVAREA VII service, covering the Indian Ocean SW Sector and South Atlantic Ocean NE and SE sectors. Includes warnings for maritime exclusion zones, rig positions, seismic surveys, drilling operations, and drifting vessels.
- Seabed 2030 Data Contribution National custodian role for processing and distributing crowdsourced bathymetric datasets in support of the GEBCO Seabed 2030 initiative. SANHO has received 100 data loggers for deployment on Vessels of Opportunity.
Quantifiable outcome
- Supports safe navigation for all vessels in South African and Namibian waters
Companies that use The South African Navy Hydrographic Office
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The South African Navy Hydrographic Office technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
The South African Navy Hydrographic Office partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- International Hydrographic Organization (IHO)coreGlobal intergovernmental organization coordinating national hydrographic offices; SANHO participates as a member and NAVAREA VII Coordinator
- International Maritime Organization (IMO)coreUN specialized agency responsible for safety and security of shipping; SANHO supports SOLAS Convention requirements through its products and services
- IC-ENC (International Centre for ENCs)coreInternational organization for ENC data quality and distribution; SANHO ENC products distributed through IC-ENC Value Added Resellers globally
- Seabed 2030 / GEBCO / The Nippon FoundationcoreCollaborative initiative to map the world's ocean floor by 2030; SANHO supports GEBCO Seabed 2030 initiative; deployed 100 data loggers on Vessels of Opportunity for crowdsourced bathymetry; supports UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development
- South African Hydrographic SocietyminorProfessional society for hydrography professionals in South Africa
- OCIMS (National Oceans and Coastal Information Management Systems)minorNational system for ocean and coastal information management in South Africa
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The South African Navy Hydrographic Office competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- NOAA Office of Coast Survey: US national hydrographic authority producing nautical charts, ENCs, and related publications under NOAA. Comparable to SANHO in mandate (national chart authority), IHO participation, and NAVAREA coordination responsibilities.
- Australian Hydrographic Service (AHS): Royal Australian Navy-operated national hydrographic office producing paper charts and ENCs for Australian waters. Direct peer to SANHO in operating model (naval-hydrographic), single-country statutory mandate, and IHO membership role.
- Indian Naval Hydrographic Office (INHO): Indian Navy's national hydrographic office producing charts and publications for Indian Ocean waters. Shares the naval-hydrographic operating model and IHO membership status with SANHO; comparable in scope of regional NAVAREA responsibility.
- Norwegian Hydrographic Service (Kartverket): Norwegian Mapping Authority's hydrographic division producing charts and ENCs for Norwegian waters. Direct functional peer as a government-delivered national charting service with international distribution arrangements.
- Service Hydrographique et Océanographique de la Marine (SHOM): France's national hydrographic and oceanographic service under the French Navy. Direct peer in producing nautical charts, ENCs, and publications for French metropolitan and overseas waters; shares naval-hydrographic lineage and global distribution model.
- Canadian Hydrographic Service (CHS): Fisheries and Oceans Canada agency responsible for charting Canadian waters; produces paper charts, ENCs, and nautical publications under a federal government mandate. Functional peer to SANHO across products, statutory role, and IHO engagement.
- Japan Hydrographic and Oceanographic Department (JHOD): Japan Coast Guard's national hydrographic office producing nautical charts, ENCs, and publications for Japanese waters. Comparable naval/civil-producer hybrid structure with IHO-aligned products and regional NAVAREA responsibilities.
- Toitū Te Whenua LINZ — Hydrographic Service: New Zealand's national hydrographic authority producing charts and ENCs for New Zealand waters and the Southwest Pacific. Peer as a government-statutory national chart authority with a comparable small-country service footprint to SANHO.
- United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO): UK's national hydrographic office producing ADMIRALTY paper charts, ENCs, and nautical publications under statutory authority. Operates a fully commercialized retail model and is the closest functional analogue to SANHO in terms of product breadth, regulatory mandate, and global distribution.
Others
- IC-ENC (International Centre for ENCs): International ENC coordination body that validates and distributes national hydrographic offices' ENC products through Value Added Resellers. While not a competitor, IC-ENC is the central infrastructure that distributes SANHO's ENCs globally and a key ecosystem participant.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The South African Navy Hydrographic Office social profiles
Digital presenceThe South African Navy Hydrographic Office financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The South African Navy Hydrographic Office leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
The South African Navy Hydrographic Office funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The South African Navy Hydrographic Office M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The South African Navy Hydrographic Office
What does The South African Navy Hydrographic Office do?
The South African Navy Hydrographic Office (SANHO) is the national hydrographic authority for South Africa and Namibia, producing a folio of 109 paper nautical charts, 57 Electronic Navigational Charts (ENCs) organised across five IHO usage bands, and 9 nautical publications. It also provides maritime safety information services including monthly Notices to Mariners, NAVAREA VII long-range warnings, coastal navigational warnings broadcast on VHF/HF/Navtex, and predicted tidal information for 13 ports across South Africa and Namibia.
Is The South African Navy Hydrographic Office a public or private company?
The South African Navy Hydrographic Office is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was The South African Navy Hydrographic Office founded?
The South African Navy Hydrographic Office was founded in 1955. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The South African Navy Hydrographic Office based?
The South African Navy Hydrographic Office is headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, in the Africa region.
How does The South African Navy Hydrographic Office make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Chart and Publication Sales are the primary driver. The others are ENC Distribution through VARs.
Who are The South African Navy Hydrographic Office's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are NOAA Office of Coast Survey, Australian Hydrographic Service (AHS), Indian Naval Hydrographic Office (INHO), Norwegian Hydrographic Service (Kartverket), Service Hydrographique et Océanographique de la Marine (SHOM), Canadian Hydrographic Service (CHS), Japan Hydrographic and Oceanographic Department (JHOD), Toitū Te Whenua LINZ — Hydrographic Service and United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO). IC-ENC (International Centre for ENCs) is listed as an others.
Does The South African Navy Hydrographic Office have an API?
No public API is recorded for The South African Navy Hydrographic Office.
What industry is The South African Navy Hydrographic Office in?
The South African Navy Hydrographic Office's product category is Hydrographic Charting Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLAHAFAE, Nautical Safety, Navigation Aids & Hydrographic Services. Its NAICS code is 48833.