Country information
Basic facts on marine waters
- Territorial sea (12 nm zone): out to 12 nautical miles
- Exclusive Economic Zone: EEZ (200 nautical miles or 370.4 kilometres)
Strategic documents related to MSP
- Marine Spatial Planning Act, Act No. 16 of 2018
- Marine Spatial Planning Framework
- National Data and Information Report for Marine Spatial Planning
- The Approach to a Spatial Management System for South Africa’s Marine Planning Areas
Technical resources related to MSP
- Marine Spatial Planning Viewer
- Marine Spatial Planning Decision Support tool (Currently limited to planning members)
- WIO Symphony MSP tool (Currently being developed and will be limited to planning members)
- South Africa (2022) – National Coastal and Marine Spatial Biodiversity Plan Technical report
- South Africa (2021) – National Data and Information Report for MSP, NDIR
- South Africa (2024) – Revised Draft Marine Biodiversity Sector Plan
- South Africa (2019) – National Biodiversity Assessment 2018 Vol 4 Marine
Relevant MSP projects
- The development of Marine Sector Plans 2022/23
- The development of Four Marine Area Plans (To start in April 2023)
- The Benguela Current Convention MSP Transboundary Project (Currently being undertaken until September 2022)
- Underway Draft Western Marine Area Plan
Current status of MSP
Name of the plan |
Southern Marine Area Plan (The drafting of the plan will commence in April 2023) |
|---|---|
Year of approval
|
N/A |
Size of planning area in km²
|
N/A |
Authority leading the MSP process
|
N/A |
Current status |
|
|---|---|
Pre-planning
|
Completed |
Assessments for planning
|
Underway |
Plan development
|
N/A |
Plan completion
|
N/A |
Plan approval
|
N/A |
Plan implementation
|
N/A |
Plan review
|
N/A |
Name of the plan |
Draft Western Marine Area Plan |
|---|---|
Year of approval
|
Under development |
Size of planning area in km²
|
N/A |
Authority leading the MSP process
|
National Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment |
Current status |
|
|---|---|
Pre-planning
|
Underway |
Assessments for planning
|
N/A |
Plan development
|
N/A |
Plan completion
|
N/A |
Plan approval
|
N/A |
Plan implementation
|
N/A |
Plan review
|
N/A |
Name of the plan |
Eastern Marine Area Plan (The drafting of the plan will commence in April 2025) |
|---|---|
Year of approval
|
N/A |
Size of planning area in km²
|
N/A |
Authority leading the MSP process
|
N/A |
Current status |
|
|---|---|
Pre-planning
|
N/A |
Assessments for planning
|
N/A |
Plan development
|
N/A |
Plan completion
|
N/A |
Plan approval
|
N/A |
Plan implementation
|
N/A |
Plan review
|
N/A |
Name of the plan |
Prince Edwards Island Area Plan (The drafting of the plan will commence in April 2026) |
|---|---|
Year of approval
|
N/A |
Size of planning area in km²
|
N/A |
Authority leading the MSP process
|
N/A |
Current status |
|
|---|---|
Pre-planning
|
N/A |
Assessments for planning
|
N/A |
Plan development
|
N/A |
Plan completion
|
N/A |
Plan approval
|
N/A |
Plan implementation
|
N/A |
Plan review
|
N/A |
National authority in charge of MSP |
National Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment |
Governmental funding |
Yes |
External funding |
N/A |
Public-Private funding |
N/A |
Total size of planning area |
All MAP will be limited to territorial waters (out to 12nautical miles) and the waters within its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) (12 to 200 nautical miles). The outer limit of the MSP areas is the seaward boundary of the EEZ (200 nautical miles or 370.4 kilometres), and the landward limit is the high-water mark |
Time required to complete the planning document |
Within 3 years |
Main issues that led to the adoption of MSP (drivers) |
Biodiversity conservation purpose and minimise conflict between the industries. • Unlocking the ocean economy • Engaging with the ocean • Ensuring healthy marine ecosystems • Contributing to good ocean governance |
Stakeholder engagement activities |
Workshops, roads, MSP National Working Groupm onthly engagements, |
Sectors included in planning |
The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, Department of Science and Innovation, Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Department of Defence, Department of Tourism, Department of Transport, Department of High Education, Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, Telecommunications and Postal sectors, Petroleum Agency South Africa, South African Maritime Safety Authority. |
Articulation between MSP and Integrated Coastal Zone Management (IZCM) |
The link between MSP and Integrated Coastal Zone Management is important and requires to be explicitly articulated. This is done in South Africa through different forums governance structures, MSP National Working Group, Working Group 7, Directors Generaland Ministerials Committee. IZCM and MSP have commonalities therefore, SA has to strengthen the two in the implementation MSP processes. |
Articulation between MSP and marine conservation (including the Kunming- Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework) |
N/A |
Articulation between MSP and sustainable blue economy |
One of the goals of MSP in South Africa is to unlock the ocean economy in a sustainable manner, this is done through promoting marine and ocean activities, such as boat-based whale watching, white shark cage diving, filming of marine species ect. |
Articulation between MSP and climate change (including the Paris Agreement) |
Encourage all sectors to consider the impact and mitigation of climate change in their activities. |
Plan approval process |
The Directors General Committee on Marine Spatial Planning and the Ministerial Committee on Marine Spatial Planning has the final authority over the implementation of Marine Spatial Planning in South Africa. The plan will be gazetted for public comments, the public are given 60 days to submit their comments, feedback are provided before the final plan is approved for implementation. |
Legal status of the plan (guiding or legally binding) |
Yes, it is legally binding. |
Plan review process |
The plan is reviewed every 5 years. |
Performance monitoring and evaluation |
Performance is reviewed through annual reporting to the Minister. |
Interactions with neighbouring countries in the context of MSP attending transboundary coherence approaches |
N/A |
Legal framework
- Marine Spatial Planning Act, 2018
- Marine Spatial Planning Act, Act no 16 of 2018 is in force
- Draft Western Marine Area Plan
Contact
Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment
Zintle Langa – Control Environmental Officer