KRI Canopus-936 docks in Cape Town, affirming Indonesia's maritime role
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Consul General of the Republic of Indonesia (KJRI) in Cape Town, South Africa, Tudiono, emphasised that the arrival of the Indonesian Navy’s (TNI AL) latest hydro-oceanographic survey vessel, KRI Canopus-936, in Cape Town reflects the close relations between the two countries.
“This visit reflects the depth of historical relations between Indonesia and South Africa,” said Consul General Tudiono in a press release from KJRI Cape Town in Jakarta on Thursday.
With the spirit of “Jalesveva Jayamahe, Di Laut Kita Jaya”, he said, Indonesia is once again affirming that the ocean is not a separator, but a connector of history, science, and a shared future.
KRI Canopus-936 anchored in Cape Town, South Africa, from 13-16 April after departing from Germany.
The vessel previously stopped in Las Palmas, Spain, and Lagos, Nigeria, and will continue its journey via Mauritius before it is scheduled to arrive in Indonesia on 8 May 2026.
This visit is a rare moment, considering that only two Indonesian warships have docked in Cape Town in the last three decades.
The presence of KRI Canopus-936 affirms Indonesia’s existence as a modern, sovereign maritime nation actively building global friendships.
As the world’s largest archipelagic state with 17,380 islands (according to data publications from the Geospatial Information Agency/BIG up to early 2026), Indonesia has a strong commitment to maintaining maritime stability and international cooperation.
Indonesia is also a pioneer of the archipelagic state concept recognised in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
More than just a technical stopover, the voyage of KRI Canopus-936 also carries profound historical meaning. The route taken revives shipping lanes from centuries ago, when VOC ships connected the Nusantara with Europe via Cape Town.
That history is inseparable from the story of Sheikh Yusuf al-Makassary, an Indonesian scholar and fighter who was exiled to Cape Town in 1694 and spread Islamic teachings, leaving a spiritual legacy that lives on in the Cape Malay Muslim community.
Sheikh Yusuf inspired great figures like Nelson Mandela, making him a symbol of struggle and humanity across generations, the press release stated.