South Africa lies alongside the world's busiest sea lanes, with the South Atlantic acting as a critical maritime route for trade, supply chains, infrastructure, and regional security. The region has become an attractive area for resource extraction, while population growth and urbanisation are altering the ocean’s coastal environment. Strengthening South Africa’s blue economy requires safeguarding the South Atlantic through international cooperation. This research examines South Africa’s foreign policy priorities for strengthening its blue economy through maritime security in the South Atlantic. Using Christian Bueger’s ‘Maritime Security Matrix’ and Buzan and Waever’s ‘Regional Security Complex’ framework, it investigates the formation of pluralistic security communities through partnerships with Brazil, IBSA (India, Brazil, South Africa) Dialogue Forum, Zone of Peace and Cooperation of the South Atlantic (ZPCSA) and Southern African Development Community (SADC). Finally, it argues that transforming the South Atlantic from a regime complex into a mapped ‘Regional Security Complex’ enhances the growth of sustainable ocean governance and blue economy.
