The ‘blue economy’ and Operation Phakisa

This chapter looks at the recent hype about Africa’s ‘blue economy’ – that is, the exploration and exploitation of the continent’s waters for the purpose of economic prosperity and ‘development’ – and South Africa’s own version of the ‘blue economy’ – that is, Operation Phakisa. In the context of a tradition of corporatism between state, labour and capital, and a debate about the developmental nature of the post-apartheid state, insights from Operation Phakisa will be used to discuss the changing nature of the South African state.