Water quality criteria reflecting the needs of the South African coastal zone are presented for beneficial uses encompassing maintenance of ecosystems, recreation, ocean migration, edible and non-edible resources, desalination, mineral exploitation, industrial purposes and miscellaneous uses. The following criteria are identified and applied to each beneficial use, as appropriate: aesthetics/physical hazards, conservative properties, nutrients, toxic inorganic and organic materials, microbiological parameters, tainting, and radioactivity. Keywords: Costal zones, Water quality, Report 94, SANSP.