Marine Spatial Planning Act, 2018 (No. 16 of 2018).

This Act makes provision for marine spatial planning in South African waters (defined by this Act to include the internal waters, territorial sea, EEZ and the Continental Shelf). The Act sets out the principles and criteria for marine spatial planning and describes the marine spatial planning system. It requires the National Working Group, established by this Act, to develop marine spatial planning framework and the marine area or sector plans in accordance with this Act (involving stakeholders). The Act also establishes a Directors-General Committee on Marine Spatial Planning and a Ministerial Committee on Marine Spatial Planning. The Ministerial Committee comprises the Ministers responsible for defence, energy, environmental affairs, fisheries, mineral resources, planning monitoring and evaluation, public enterprises, science and technology, telecommunications, tourism, transport, rural development and land affairs.
The objects of the Act are to— (a) develop and implement a shared marine spatial planning system to manage a changing environment that can be accessed by all sectors and users of the ocean; (b) promote sustainable economic opportunities which contribute to the development of the South African ocean economy through coordinated and integrated planning; (c) conserve the ocean for present and future generations; (d) facilitate responsible use of the ocean.
The Ministerial Committee shall approve the Marine Spatial Planning Framework and marine plans. The marine area plans must be reviewed at least every five years. The Marine Spatial Planning Framework is a document which sets out the goals, objectives, principles and framework for the development of marine area plan. The Cabinet Minister responsible for environmental affairs shall have a coordinating role in marine spatial planning and may make Regulations for purposes of this Act.