MarCOSouth is funded through the GMES and Africa programme and forms part of its Marine and Coastal Operations thematic area. The MarCOSouth project is strongly aligned to the South African National Oceans and Coastal Information Management System (OCIMS).

Through Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) and Africa, the Africa Marine and Coastal Operations projects will contribute to the implementation of the African Space Policy and Strategy (ASPS) through the application of world-leading satellite sensors, e.g. the European Sentinel series, with innovative and regionally optimized products.

Examples of ASPS objectives addressed are: developing indigenous infrastructure and capabilities that service an African market; provisioning regionally appropriate services and products; ensuring all levels of government are able to access data through a centralized portal.