Our Team
Anton du Toit
Owner
Anton has over thirty years of practical sailing and racing experience in various locations around the world. He grew up on boats, spending thirteen years cruising around the world with his family in their Sparkman Stephens Tartan 46 ft. sloop. From a young age he started designing boats and his yearning to learn more about boat design and architecture led him to study all available design material. Anton was especially inspired by the renowned yacht designers Sparkman & Stephens, Phil Rhodes, John Alden and Herreshoff. On returning to South Africa in 1990 he worked at prominent South African yacht designer Angelo Lavranos & Associates and at world-class yacht building facility Southern Wind Shipyard. He decided to go on his own in 2000, and with the business growing steadily, he now has a team of designers.
Charmaine du Toit
Anton's partner
She gave up her nursing career to join DTYD when her interest in the business became more than just a hobby. Having lived at the sea all her life, Charmaine is no stranger to boats. She also completed a Rio-Cape Town delivery with Anton in 1993.
Charmaine is responsible for all interior design work and manages the administrative side of the business.
Sean van Rensburg
GM & Senior Designer
Sean started sailing from an early age and now competes at the top end of the fleet in various classes in both dinghy and keel-boat sailing. He was awarded South African provincial colours in sailing. After completing his schooling, Sean obtained his Yacht Master Skippers Certificate and became a RYA and SAS sail and power instructor. He went on to complete his degree in Mechanical Engineering and worked in the oil and gas industry for three years. Sean joined Du Toit Yacht Design in February 2017 in order to combine his passion and interest for sailing and engineering.
Stefano Marcia
Designer
For Stefano, sailing has been a passion from a noticeably young age. Most notably, he spent two years sailing at the very top end of one design Laser sailing in South Africa and qualified for the Rio Olympic Games. After the Rio Olympics, Stef spend two years working for a mining company in quality control and project management – but the mining industry was not his passion and so he moved on to managing and coaching the South African Youth World’s programme and team while studying mechanical drafting before joining DTYD. Working for Du Toit Yacht design, Stef is in his element, combining the work he loves to do with his passion for yachts and sailing!
Neil Jacobs
Designer
Neil joined Du Toit Yacht Design in 2020. Neil studied multidisciplinary draughting and 3D modelling at Academy IDT in Cape Town. Before getting into yacht design, Neil worked in the Automation industry, working on PLCs and HMI interfaces at Gibson Tech for two years. Neil then joined Robertson and Caine for three years, where he was involved in the systems design for the Leopard 53 Power Catamaran and the Leopard 42. Neil is passionate about the expertise and craftsmanship that his work at Du Toit Yacht Design exposed him to He loves the complexity of yacht design and finding the best compromise between performance and comfort. Neil’s hobbies are Street Trials and surfing.
Ingo Ferreira
Designer
Ingo has had a lifelong fascination with design. After completing his Industrial Design Degree at the University of Johannesburg he started his career as a designer at Du Toit Yacht Design. From there he ventured into the outdoor leisure industry with an extensive list of caravan designs under his belt as well as building a few himself. Ingo has now gone full circle and is back at Du Toit Yacht Design to continue his passion for designing yachts.
Monique Brider
Designer
Monique joined Du Toit Yacht Design in 2023. She has a Bachelor’s degree and Honours in Interior Design at Vega School of Art in Pretoria. Following her academic pursuits, she gained invaluable experience as a personal assistant and interior designer before founding her own interior design business.
Driven by a passion for innovation and the allure of the yachting industry’s dynamic nature, Monique seamlessly transitioned into her role at DTYD. She thrives on pushing boundaries, crafting spaces that are as daring as they are functional and finding the perfect balance between form and function.
Monique finds inspiration and creativity in Cape Town’s vibrant culture and picturesque coastal landscapes.