Recently, South Africa ranked as the third most biodiverse country in the world. Over 95,000 known species are living in the diverse biomes of the country, resulting in tourism, fishing, farming, and other related industries. The country has recognized the importance of its rich biodiversity by protecting designated areas.

This video is about the celebration of the 20 new Marine Protected Areas (MPA’s) in South Africa. Similar to the SANParks such as Kruger and Table Mountain National Park. Both the MPA’s and SANParks are specific areas protected through legal or other effective means to preserve the biodiversity in the area for the long term. In the video, you can see the importance of the ocean for people in terms of food, culture, and tourism.

Before 2019, there were 23 permanently protected MPA’s and one seasonal area. These 24 areas protected 0.4% of the South African Ocean. However, with the twenty new areas, it has increased to 5%. To meet the United Nations demands, South Africa wants to increase this percentage to 10% to preserve the beauty of these areas for future generations.