This study reviews the development and conventional qualitative analysis of aquaculture in Africa, specifically by reviewing the aquaculture sector of key players (Egypt, Nigeria and Uganda) as a reference for South Africa; an aspiring key aquaculture player in Africa based on the launch of Operation Phakisa-South African version of the blue economy initiative. The key players were identified based on current annual production output and critical success factors, thus used as a benchmark for South Africa. Qualitative factors reviewed are critical success factors of the aquaculture sector of the selected countries that are widely germane to aquaculture development. These factors include production outputs (tons) and value ($); cultured species; prevalent aquaculture production systems; types of aquaculture, i.e., freshwater and mariculture; aquaculture development challenges related to fish seed, fish feed, land and water availability; aquaculture market and trade and provision of enabling environment through policies and frameworks. These factors were qualitatively reviewed and analyzed in ranking the aquaculture operations of the key players and South Africa to elucidate the critical success factors and challenges.

Africa’s contribution to world aquaculture production in 2018 is still insignificant (2,196,600 tons; ~ 2.7%) albeit significantly increasing with larger-scale investments in Egypt (1,561,457 tons), Nigeria (291,233 tons), and Uganda (103,737 tons) producing substantial quantities (91%) of the total fish production from the region. The quantitative SWOT technique and the multi-attribute decision-making method (MADM) were used to determine and compare aquaculture performance in production, technology, market, policies, and framework among Egypt, Nigeria, Uganda, and South Africa. Factors such as the adoption of new technologies used in the formulation and production of aquafeed (i.e., extruded feed and sinking feed), adoption of best farm management practices, commercialization of aquaculture, growing demand-supply gap due to high per capita consumption of fish, and government’s prioritization of aquaculture industry development through the creation of enabling environment for private sector participation were key strengths and opportunities identified among the leading players. The quantified SWOT shows Egypt exhibited aquaculture development strengths and opportunities; Nigeria has aquaculture development opportunities but weak in competitive strengths, while Uganda and South Africa both possess low, competitive strengths and being faced with threats. Capitalizing on the available opportunities and critical success factors of the leading aquaculture players in Africa, this analysis highlights strategic actions that could boost the development of aquaculture in South Africa. The quantified SWOT analysis was used to determine the competitive position of the aquaculture sectors of the compared countries and can be used as a basis for aquaculture policies and roadmaps.

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Durban Bay and Richards Bay Harbours are the largest and most economically active shipping harbours in South Africa supporting a diversity of ecosystems and biota of ecological importance. This study assessed and compared levels of metals in selected tissues of the sand bubbler crab ( Dotilla fenestrata ), water and sediments from anthropogenically impacted Durban and Richards Bay Harbours with those of Mlalazi estuary, a considered pristine site due to its sheltered catchments. Metal concentrations (Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn) were investigated using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES). Metals concentrations in crab tissues were as follows; exoskeleton > gill > digestive gland, metal concentrations in tissues followed the order Cu > Zn > Pb > Cd. Metal levels in crabs from Durban Harbour (Cd 0.42, Cu 83.8, Pb 2.43and Zn 6.4 μg/g) were significantly higher than Richards Bay (Cd 0.22, Cu 27.7, Pb 1.23 and Zn 9.54 μg/g) and Mlalazi estuary (Cd 0.17, Cu 18.7, Pb 3.53 and Zn 6.91 μg/g). Metal levels in sediments followed the order Zn > Cu > Pb > Cd. Mlalazi had significantly elevated metal levels in sediment (Cd 6.83, Cu 35.63, Pb 33.43 and Zn 56.27 μg/g) compared to Durban Harbour (Cd 2.73, Cu 16.07, Pb 12.20 and Zn 38.70 μg/g) and Richards Bay (Cd 3.10, Cu 16.00, Pb 11.43 and Zn 26.07 μg/g). Metal concentrations in water were Cu > Zn > Pb > Cd save Mlalazi estuary with significantly higher Zn levels. Mlalazi estuary, the considered pristine site had significantly elevated metal levels in the sediments and water compared with the impacted sites; however, had significantly lower metal levels in the crabs’ tissues due to lower metal bioavailability. Factors such as high natural metal concentrations, metal speciation, sediment grain and organic matter content could possibly account for high metal concentrations without corresponding bioaccumulation and magnification in crabs from Mlalazi estuary.

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