The South African coastline stretches for approximately 3 000km, running from the Namibian border on the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Mozambican border on the Indian Ocean in the east. It is known for its high biodiversity and complex marine environments – yet it “only” accounts for 316 000 jobs. Any job in this economy is a good one, but are we doing all we can to create employment opportunities for coastal communities? Our team of writers set out to explore South Africa’s blue economy and how we can make it work better for us – particularly in the face of stalled projects like Operation Phakisa, which aims to treble blue economy employment by 2033, but doesn’t look like getting close to achieving that goal. There’s hope, though, as we see from this issue’s stories spotlighting the people, technologies and innovations attempting to drive sustainable progress. From building towards thriving coastal communities, we explore the partnerships, programmes and collaborations attempting to shape a resilient ocean economy, showcasing how companies, non-governmental organisations and government initiatives are trying to work together to protect our seas while creating lasting impact and opportunity. Trevor Crighton EditorBrowse through the full magazine below (zoom in or go full screen for ease of reading):