Captain (SA Navy) Mark Blaine is a retired combat officer of the South African Navy with close to forty years’ military experience and with command experience of various SA Navy warships. He spent more than four years as Defence Advisor to the South African High Commission in Kenya and completed his master’s degree in maritime security through Coventry University. In the period leading up to his retirement in January 2023, he lectured at the South African Military Academy. He is currently a researcher for the Security Institute for Governance and Leadership in Africa (SIGLA) of Stellenbosch University.