Indigenous and local knowledge holders and cultural heritage continues to be largely neglected in ocean governance, especially area-based management approaches such as marine spatial planning in South Africa – and more broadly along the African coast. This policy brief highlights six areas through which a more diverse range of knowledge holders can be better integrated into these processes in South Africa. The recommendations are a result of a collaborative effort between Indigenous and local coastal and marine knowledge holders who live and work in Algoa Bay, South Africa, together with civil society organisations and local, provincial, and national government authorities.