Southern Ropes has been at the forefront of rope manufacturing, trusted worldwide for strength, innovation, and reliability.
Founded in 1984 and based in Cape Town, South Africa, We’ve grown into one of the world’s leading producers of synthetic ropes and braided cords. From commercial marine and offshore operations to leisure sailing, mining, rope access, and rescue, our products are built to perform when it matters most.
Southern Ropes UK was established in 2006 with one mission: to supply ropes of exceptional quality to the UK market. We initially started by supplying rope packs to the dinghy market, but word spread fast and demand for our high performance ropes quickly extended beyond leisure marine to industrial sectors across the UK.
In 2008, our ropes played a role on the world stage powering Olympic gold medallist Paul Goodison to victory with a custom mainsheet designed in partnership with Southern Ropes. It was a proud moment that showcased the innovation and performance we’ve become known for.
From there, we expanded into specialist sectors. In 2010, our CE-certified LSK Static Rope was adopted across the rope access, rescue, and industrial safety markets offering certified strength, reliability, and durability.
We expanded our range with the introduction of lifebuoy cabinets and encapsulated rope holders, becoming one of the largest exporters of these precision safety products worldwide.
In 2012, we introduced Stealth Fibre®, our high performance UHMwPE yarn, engineered into Super 12 the ultra lightweight, high strength alternative to wire rope used in towing, lifting, winching, and mooring applications across multiple sectors.
Our ropes had found a new home in cricket, supplying cricket boundary ropes to the Utilia Bowl in Southampton. Today, you’ll find our ropes used on cricket grounds across the country, trusted for their strength and quality.
Growing demand and the need for greater capacity led us to relocate to larger premises on Highlands Road, giving us the space to hold more stock and better serve our customers.
continued expansion saw us acquire two additional warehouse units, allowing us to become one of the UK’s largest stockists of synthetic rope — a milestone that reflects our ongoing commitment to reliability, readiness, and growth.
Today, we operate over 25,000 square feet of warehouse space across the UK and EU, supporting fast, reliable supply to a broad customer base from marine operators and defence contractors to heavy industry, energy, arborist, and rope access professionals.
Our ropes are engineered using materials such as UHMwPE, Stealth Fibre®, Dyneema®, Technora®, and Vectran®. By combining these fibres with state-of-the-art German machinery and decades of expertise, we deliver ropes that are lighter, stronger, and safer than ever before.
We are positioned to serve customers across the globe from Australia and the US to Europe and beyond. Whether it’s a tailored mooring solution, a wire-rope replacement, or a bespoke industrial line, we ensure every rope is crafted with precision and tested for performance.
We’re a small, experienced team based in Fareham, known for our technical knowledge, approachable service, and ability to find practical solutions for our customer.
As part of the global Southern Ropes team, we combine international scale with hands on service. From custom rope packs to bulk supply and technical advice, everything we do is built on three things: quality, partnership, and trust. We’re always happy to help.
We’re proud to be accredited and recognised by leading global organisations, ensuring our ropes meet the highest safety, quality, and environmental standards
Our rope finder tool enables you to choose and get a quote on rope depending on usage, fibre and dimensions required.
