Tunisia no longer confines itself to welcoming pleasure boaters along its coasts. It also manufactures some of the boats on which European customers sail.
In 2023, Tunisian exports of yachts and other recreational or sport craft reached nearly 338 million dinars, compared with only 25.1 million in 2015. In eight years, their value has thus been multiplied by more than thirteen.
This spectacular progression makes boatbuilding one of Tunisia’s least-known industrial successes. The sector comprises 16 companies, employs 1,751 people, and conducts most of its activity for export.
However, it is largely based on foreign-capital companies, notably French and Italian, which already have brands, clients, and distribution networks in Europe. Their success cannot automatically be reproduced by a new Tunisian investor lacking secured customers.
A professional profile published in April 2025 by the Agency for the Promotion of Industry and Innovation, APII, presents a particularly attractive scenario: an investment of 10 million dinars in a unit capable of producing up to 60 boats per year, with an internal rate of return of 29% and an estimated payback period of 4.4 years.
These projections raise a central question: is the construction of recreational boats truly an opportunity accessible to new investors, or is the advertised profitability dependent on commercial conditions that are difficult to meet?
Tunisie Numérique has examined the figures, the assumptions, and the main risks of this model.
The essential figures
Exports rose from 25.1 million dinars in 2015 to 337.7 million in 2023.
The sector comprises 16 industrial companies and 1,751 direct jobs.
Twelve companies have foreign capital and twelve operate under the fully export-oriented regime.
Nearly 87% of exports are destined for Europe.
France and Italy alone account for about 67% of overseas sales.
The studied project requires an investment of 10 million dinars and targets 29.7 million dinars in annual revenue at maturity.
From 25 to 338 MDT: a genuine industrial sector
