Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape
Encyclopedia
Port Elizabeth is one of the largest cities in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, situated in the Eastern Cape Province, 770 km (478 mi) east of Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
. The city, often shortened to PE and nicknamed "The Friendly City" or "The Windy City", stretches for 16 km along Algoa Bay
Algoa Bay
Algoa Bay is a wide inlet along the South African east coast, some 425 miles east of the Cape of Good Hope. It is bounded in the west by Cape Recife and in the east by Cape Padrone. The bay is up to 436 m deep...
, and is one of the major seaports in South Africa. It is also referred to as Africa's Watersport Capital.
Port Elizabeth was founded as a town in 1820 to house British settlers
1820 Settlers
The 1820 Settlers were several groups or parties of white British colonists settled by the British government and the Cape authorities in the South African Eastern Cape in 1820....
as a way of strengthening the border region between the Cape Colony
Cape Colony
The Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652, with the founding of Cape Town. It was subsequently occupied by the British in 1795 when the Netherlands were occupied by revolutionary France, so that the French revolutionaries could not take...
and the Xhosa. It now forms part of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality which has a population of over 1.3 million.
History
The area around what is now called Algoa BayAlgoa Bay
Algoa Bay is a wide inlet along the South African east coast, some 425 miles east of the Cape of Good Hope. It is bounded in the west by Cape Recife and in the east by Cape Padrone. The bay is up to 436 m deep...
was first settled by hunting and gathering people ancestral to the San
Bushmen
The indigenous people of Southern Africa, whose territory spans most areas of South Africa, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Mozambique, Swaziland, Botswana, Namibia, and Angola, are variously referred to as Bushmen, San, Sho, Barwa, Kung, or Khwe...
at least 100,000 years ago. A little over 2,000 years ago, agriculturalist populations ancestral to the Xhosa migrated into the region from the north, eventually displacing or assimilating the region's indigenes.
The first Europeans to have visited the area were Portuguese explorers Bartholomew Dias, who landed on St Croix Island in Algoa Bay in 1488, and Vasco da Gama
Vasco da Gama
Vasco da Gama, 1st Count of Vidigueira was a Portuguese explorer, one of the most successful in the Age of Discovery and the commander of the first ships to sail directly from Europe to India...
who noted the nearby Bird Island in 1497. For centuries, the area was simply marked on navigation charts as "a landing place with fresh water".
One of the Portuguese's main goals in the Indian Ocean was to take over the lucrative trade of Arab and Afro-Arabian merchants who plied routes between the East African coast and India. As they took over that trade they established trading with their colony in India, Goa. The name, "Algoa," meant, "to Goa," just as the port further north in present day Mozambique, "Delagoa," meant, "from Goa." Algoa reflected that it was the port from which ships left for Goa during the season when the winds were favorable, while Delagoa was the port in Africa from which they arrived from Goa in the season when the winds for the return trip were favorable.
The area was part of the Cape Colony
Cape Colony
The Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652, with the founding of Cape Town. It was subsequently occupied by the British in 1795 when the Netherlands were occupied by revolutionary France, so that the French revolutionaries could not take...
, which had a turbulent history
History of Cape Colony
The written history of Cape Colony South Africa began when Bartolomeu Dias, a Portuguese navigator, discovered the Cape of Good Hope in 1488. In 1497, Vasco da Gama sailed along the whole coast of South Africa on his way to India. The Portuguese, attracted by the riches of Asia, made no...
between its founding by the Dutch East India Company
Dutch East India Company
The Dutch East India Company was a chartered company established in 1602, when the States-General of the Netherlands granted it a 21-year monopoly to carry out colonial activities in Asia...
in 1652 and the formation of the Union of South Africa
Union of South Africa
The Union of South Africa is the historic predecessor to the present-day Republic of South Africa. It came into being on 31 May 1910 with the unification of the previously separate colonies of the Cape, Natal, Transvaal and the Orange Free State...
in 1910.
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
, a stone Fort was built, named Fort Frederick after the Duke of York
Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany
The Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany was a member of the Hanoverian and British Royal Family, the second eldest child, and second son, of King George III...
. This fort, built to protect against a possible landing of French troops, overlooked the site of what later became Port Elizabeth and is now a monument.
In 1804 the town of Uitenhage
Uitenhage
Uitenhage is a South African town with 275,185 inhabitants in the Eastern Cape Province. It is well known for the Volkswagen factory located there, which is the biggest car factory on the African continent. The town's name is pronounced by English speakers and in Afrikaans...
was founded along the Swartkops River, a short distance inland from its estuary at Algoa Bay. Uitenhage formed part of the district of Graaff-Reinet at that time. The city of Uitenhage was incorporated in the new Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality together with Port Elizabeth and the town of Despatch in 2001.
From 1814 to 1821 the Strandfontein farm, which later became the Summerstrand beach suburb of Port Elizabeth, was in possession of Piet Retief
Piet Retief
Pieter Mauritz Retief was a South African Boer leader. Settling in 1814 in the frontier region of the Cape Colony, he assumed command of punitive expeditions in response to raiding parties from the adjacent Xhosa territory...
, who later became a Voortrekker leader and was killed in 1837 by Zulu king Dingane
Dingane
Dingane kaSenzangakhona Zulu —commonly referred to as Dingane or Dingaan—was a Zulu chief who became king of the Zulu Kingdom in 1828...
during negotiations about land. An estimated 500 men, woman and children of his party were massacred. After Retief the Strandfontein farm was owned by Frederik Korsten after whom another suburb of Port Elizabeth is named today.
In 1820 a party of 4,000 British settlers
1820 Settlers
The 1820 Settlers were several groups or parties of white British colonists settled by the British government and the Cape authorities in the South African Eastern Cape in 1820....
arrived by sea, encouraged by the government of the Cape Colony
Cape Colony
The Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652, with the founding of Cape Town. It was subsequently occupied by the British in 1795 when the Netherlands were occupied by revolutionary France, so that the French revolutionaries could not take...
as a settlement would strengthen the border region between the Cape Colony
Cape Colony
The Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652, with the founding of Cape Town. It was subsequently occupied by the British in 1795 when the Netherlands were occupied by revolutionary France, so that the French revolutionaries could not take...
and the Xhosa people. At this time the seaport town was founded by Sir Rufane Shaw Donkin
Rufane Shaw Donkin
Sir Rufane Shaw Donkin GCH KCB , was a British army officer of the Napoleonic era and later Member of Parliament.-Family:Rufane Donkin came of a military family and was the eldest child...
, the Acting Governor of the Cape Colony
Cape Colony
The Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652, with the founding of Cape Town. It was subsequently occupied by the British in 1795 when the Netherlands were occupied by revolutionary France, so that the French revolutionaries could not take...
, who named it after his late wife, Elizabeth. The town expanded, building a diverse community comprising European, Cape Malay and other immigrants, and particularly rapidly so after 1873 when the railway to Kimberley
Kimberley, Northern Cape
Kimberley is a city in South Africa, and the capital of the Northern Cape. It is located near the confluence of the Vaal and Orange Rivers. The town has considerable historical significance due its diamond mining past and siege during the Second Boer War...
was built. The Apostolic Vicariate of Cape of Good Hope, Eastern District, was established in the city in 1847. In 1861 the town was granted the status of autonomous municipality.
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
, the port was an important transit point for soldiers, horses and materials headed to the front by railway. While the city itself did not see any conflict, many refugee
Refugee
A refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...
s from the war moved into the city. These included Boer women and children interned
Internment
Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people, commonly in large groups, without trial. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the meaning as: "The action of 'interning'; confinement within the limits of a country or place." Most modern usage is about individuals, and there is a distinction...
by the British in a concentration camp. Following that war, the Horse Memorial
Horse Memorial
The Horse Memorial is a provincial heritage site in Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa, in memory of the horses that served and died during the Second Boer War....
was erected to honour the tens of thousands of horses and mules that died during the conflict.
Apartheid era
The effects of the apartheid regime were not lost on Port Elizabeth. Forced relocation of the non-white population under the Group Areas ActGroup Areas Act
The Group Areas Act of 1950 was an act of parliament created under the apartheid government of South Africa on 27th April 1950. The act assigned racial groups to different residential and business sections in urban areas in a system of urban apartheid...
began in 1962, causing various townships to be built. The whole of the South End district, being a prime real estate location, was forcibly depopulated and flattened in 1965; relocations continued until 1975. In 1977 Steve Biko
Steve Biko
Stephen Biko was a noted anti-apartheid activist in South Africa in the 1960s and 1970s. A student leader, he later founded the Black Consciousness Movement which would empower and mobilize much of the urban black population. Since his death in police custody, he has been called a martyr of the...
, the black anti-apartheid activist, was interrogated and tortured by the security police in PE, before being transported to Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
where he died. Other notable deaths in the city during this time included the Cradock Four.
During the 1960s and 1970s the character of Port Elizabeth was changed and its face marred by two projects. The university was removed from the historical and picturesque old part of Port Elizabeth on a hill overlooking the city centre and harbour to a sandy area on the outskirts of town. The campus in town was completely inadequate. Since this removal, the old centre of Port Elizabeth has seen a slow decline. This decline was augmented by a second project, namely the building of a series of highways, viaducts and interchanges directly along the coast and over the roof of the central station thereby severing the old town from the station and harbour, destroying much of its history, integrity, allure and safety. The same system of highways also added to the damage already done by industries to the beautiful and fragile wetland area of the Swartkops estuary, one of Port Elizabeth's main natural assets.
Post apartheid
Since the multiracial elections of 1994, Port Elizabeth has faced the same problems as the rest of South Africa, including Urban DecayUrban decay
Urban decay is the process whereby a previously functioning city, or part of a city, falls into disrepair and decrepitude...
, HIV/AIDS and a surge in violent, often drug-related, crime. However, thanks to the booming tourism and real estate industries, development continues apace both in the city and nearby, for example in the new R20Billion Industrial Development Zone at Coega
Coega
The Coega Industrial Development Zone covering 110 km² of land , is situated in the Nelson Mandela Municipality, Eastern Cape province of South Africa in the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality near Port Elizabeth...
.
In 2001, the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality was formed as an administrative area covering Port Elizabeth, the neighbouring towns of Uitenhage
Uitenhage
Uitenhage is a South African town with 275,185 inhabitants in the Eastern Cape Province. It is well known for the Volkswagen factory located there, which is the biggest car factory on the African continent. The town's name is pronounced by English speakers and in Afrikaans...
and Despatch and the surrounding agricultural areas. The name was chosen to honour former President
President of South Africa
The President of the Republic of South Africa is the head of state and head of government under South Africa's Constitution. From 1961 to 1994, the head of state was called the State President....
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
. The combined metropolitan area has a population estimated at around 1.3 million as of 2006.
2010 FIFA World Cup
The Port Elizabeth harbour, waterfront and city centre were upgraded for the 2010 FIFA World Cup2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
, and are expected to rival the popular Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
waterfront. The city was one of the venues for World Cup games, and many more visitors are expected now that the tournament is long finished. To this end, there are calls for Port Elizabeth Airport
Port Elizabeth Airport
Port Elizabeth Airport , formerly H. F. Verwoerd Airport, is an airport situated in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, South Africa. The airport is owned and operated by the Airports Company South Africa which also operates nine other airports around South Africa....
to be upgraded, to ease the journey time and effort for tourists.
Trade and industry
Home of South Africa's motor vehicleČar
Čar is a village in the municipality of Bujanovac, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the town has a population of 296 people.-References:...
industry, Port Elizabeth boasts most vehicle assembly plants, General Motors, Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
, Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
, Continental Tyres and many more automotive companies. Most other industries in the NMMM are geared towards the motor vehicle industry, providing parts such as wiring harnesses, catalytic converter
Catalytic converter
A catalytic converter is a device used to convert toxic exhaust emissions from an internal combustion engine into non-toxic substances. Inside a catalytic converter, a catalyst stimulates a chemical reaction in which noxious byproducts of combustion are converted to less toxic substances by dint...
s, batteries
Battery (electricity)
An electrical battery is one or more electrochemical cells that convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy. Since the invention of the first battery in 1800 by Alessandro Volta and especially since the technically improved Daniell cell in 1836, batteries have become a common power...
and tyre
Tire
A tire or tyre is a ring-shaped covering that fits around a wheel rim to protect it and enable better vehicle performance by providing a flexible cushion that absorbs shock while keeping the wheel in close contact with the ground...
s to the vehicle manufacturer
Automaker
The automotive industry designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells motor vehicles, and is one of the world's most important economic sectors by revenue....
s.
Port Elizabeth is also a major seaport, with the most significant ore
Ore
An ore is a type of rock that contains minerals with important elements including metals. The ores are extracted through mining; these are then refined to extract the valuable element....
loading facilities in the southern hemisphere. As part of the ongoing development, a new Industrial Development Zone with expanded port facilities is being built at Coega
Coega
The Coega Industrial Development Zone covering 110 km² of land , is situated in the Nelson Mandela Municipality, Eastern Cape province of South Africa in the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality near Port Elizabeth...
.
Road
Port Elizabeth lies on the N2 roadN2 (South Africa)
The N2 is a National Route in South Africa; it is the main highway along the Indian Ocean coast of the country. The N2 starts in Cape Town in the Western Cape and runs through the cities of Port Elizabeth and East London in the Eastern Cape and Durban in KwaZulu-Natal to end at Ermelo in...
. To the west the road travels the picturesque Garden Route
Garden Route
The Garden Route is a popular stretch of the south-eastern coast of South Africa. It stretches from Heidelberg in the Western Cape to the Storms River which is crossed along the N2 coastal highway over the Paul Sauer Bridge in the extreme western reach of the neighbouring Eastern Cape...
to George and Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
; to the east, the road runs through the so-called Border Country through Grahamstown
Grahamstown
Grahamstown is a city in the Eastern Cape Province of the Republic of South Africa and is the seat of the Makana municipality. The population of greater Grahamstown, as of 2003, was 124,758. The population of the surrounding areas, including the actual city was 41,799 of which 77.4% were black,...
, to East London then on to Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
, finally terminating in Ermelo
Ermelo, Mpumalanga
Ermelo is the educational, industrial and commercial centre of the 7,750 km² Gert Sibande District Municipality in Mpumalanga province, Republic of South Africa. Mixed farming and anthracite, coal and torbanite mining take place here...
in Mpumalanga
Mpumalanga
Mpumalanga , is a province of South Africa. The name means east or literally "the place where the sun rises" in Swazi, Xhosa, Ndebele and Zulu. Mpumalanga lies in eastern South Africa, north of KwaZulu-Natal and bordering Swaziland and Mozambique. It constitutes 6.5% of South Africa's land area...
. Regional roads also connect PE with the Transkei
Transkei
The Transkei , officially the Republic of Transkei , was a Bantustan—an area set aside for members of a specific ethnicity—and nominal parliamentary democracy in the southeastern region of South Africa...
.
The city's main bus station is in Market Square. The public bus service is run by The Algoa Bus Company.
The city is in the process of building a bus rapid transport system which was intended for the 2010 FIFA world cup. This has been suspended due to mismanagement which lead to the project missing its May 2010 deadline. Calls for the project, which has left many parts of the city in a permanent state of construction have been made recently, and it is expected that the government will make a decision on the matter soon.
Railway
Port Elizabeth railway stationPort Elizabeth railway station
Port Elizabeth railway station is a railway station, located in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.Work commenced on connecting Port Elizabeth to the developing national railway network in 1873, resulting in the station complex being located in the historic central district, near the harbour...
is served by South Africa's rail network. Local commuter services are operated by Metrorail
Metrorail Eastern Cape
Metrorail Eastern Cape is the name given to the commuter rail services operated by Metrorail, a division of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa, in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa...
, while the Shosholoza Meyl
Shosholoza Meyl
Shosholoza Meyl is a division of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa that operates long-distance passenger rail services. It operates various train routes across South Africa, carrying approximately 4 million passengers annually...
long-distance passenger service links PE with Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
via Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein is the capital city of the Free State Province of South Africa; and, as the judicial capital of the nation, one of South Africa's three national capitals – the other two being Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Pretoria, the administrative capital.Bloemfontein is popularly and...
where it is possible to connect with other long-distance routes.
The Apple Express narrow-gauge tourist train to Avontuur operated from the separate station in Humewood Road
Humewood Road railway station
Humewood Road railway station is a railway station located in Humewood, Port Elizabeth, South Africa.A separate station to the main Port Elizabeth railway station, built in 1899, it is the southern terminus of the narrow gauge Avontuur Railway, which at is the longest 2ft gauge railway in the world...
near King's Beach. It departed regularly for Thornhill Village via Van Stadens River bridge, the highest narrow-gauge rail bridge in the world. The Apple Express was launched to provide a service to transport fresh produce and wood from the farms along the line to Avontuur. The line was completed in 1914 and the train delivered produce directly from the farms to ships in the Port Elizabeth Harbour. Service has now ceased.
In preparation for the 2010 World Cup Soccer event the Humerail Station was extensively upgraded. Several disused narrow gauge goods wagons were scrapped and removed from the site, several buildings in the area have also been renovated and revamped.
Due to modern transport methods and containerisation and refrigerated containers and trucks the Apple Express and its services became redundant.
Air
Port Elizabeth AirportPort Elizabeth Airport
Port Elizabeth Airport , formerly H. F. Verwoerd Airport, is an airport situated in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, South Africa. The airport is owned and operated by the Airports Company South Africa which also operates nine other airports around South Africa....
(IATA airport code
IATA airport code
An IATA airport code, also known an IATA location identifier, IATA station code or simply a location identifier, is a three-letter code designating many airports around the world, defined by the International Air Transport Association...
PLZ, ICAO airport code
ICAO airport code
The ICAO airport code or location indicator is a four-character alphanumeric code designating each airport around the world. These codes are defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization, and published in ICAO Document 7910: Location Indicators.The ICAO codes are used by air traffic...
FAPE) serves the city for both passenger and cargo traffic. It is the fourth busiest airport in South Africa after Johannesburg International, Durban International and Cape Town International.
International visitors to the city must currently fly to either Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
or Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
and then take a domestic flight to Port Elizabeth. An upgrade to the terminal building, completed in 2004, created the necessary facilities to handle international flights although none are scheduled as yet.
The general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
sector is well represented in PE, with a number of facilities on-field able to provide aircraft charter and rental, handling, maintenance and training to commercial level. There are also a few smaller airfields in the vicinity. Port Elizabeth has one of the best flight schools in Africa.
Sea
Port Elizabeth has a harbour in Algoa Bay, and construction of a second seaport is underway. The newer international harbour at CoegaCoega
The Coega Industrial Development Zone covering 110 km² of land , is situated in the Nelson Mandela Municipality, Eastern Cape province of South Africa in the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality near Port Elizabeth...
will support an increase in the size of the city's industries and the addition of new industries.
Geography and climate
"The Windy City" has a subtropical climate with light rain throughout the year. Under the Koppen climate classificationKöppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
, Port Elizabeth has an oceanic climate
Oceanic climate
An oceanic climate, also called marine west coast climate, maritime climate, Cascadian climate and British climate for Köppen climate classification Cfb and subtropical highland for Köppen Cfb or Cwb, is a type of climate typically found along the west coasts at the middle latitudes of some of the...
. The area lies between the winter rainfall, Mediterranean climate zones of the Western Cape and the summer rainfall regions of eastern South Africa. Winters are cool but mild and summers are warm but considerably less humid and hot than more northerly parts of South Africa's east coast.
Sport
The city has a wealth of fine sporting facilities, catering for cricketCricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
, rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
, association football, field hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
and many other sports. Its coastal location also makes it a base for many watersports.
Port Elizabeth is the location of the St George's Park cricket ground, which holds test cricket
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
matches. St George's Park is also the oldest cricket ground in South Africa, and was the venue for the first Test match played outside of Australia or England, between South Africa and England on the 12 and 13 March 1889. The Warriors
Warriors cricket team
The Chevrolet Warriors is the name used by the combined Eastern Province and Border first class cricket teams in South Africa. The home venues of the Warriors are St George's Park, Port Elizabeth and Buffalo Park, East London....
, a top Cricket Team in South Africa, is based in Port Elizabeth.
The headquarters of the controversial Southern Spears
Southern Spears
The Southern Spears, were a South African rugby union franchise who were originally founded in 2005 and were intended to participate in the Super 14 from 2007 onwards; however, their proposed entry into the competition led to considerable controversy within the country's rugby establishment...
rugby franchise was in Port Elizabeth. The long-standing Eastern Province
Eastern Cape
The Eastern Cape is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are Port Elizabeth and East London. It was formed in 1994 out of the "independent" Xhosa homelands of Transkei and Ciskei, together with the eastern portion of the Cape Province...
Rugby Union, now commonly known as the Eastern Province Kings
Eastern Province Kings
The Eastern Province Kings are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup and Vodacom Cup tournaments and are governed by the Eastern Province Rugby Union...
, would form the basis of the Spears franchise together with East London's Border Bulldogs
Border Bulldogs
The Border Bulldogs are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. They are governed by the Border Rugby Union and are based in East London....
. The remnants of the Spears were later reconstituted into the Southern Kings
Southern Kings
The Southern Kings are a South African rugby union franchise. The franchise was formally announced at the opening of the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on 16 June 2009, in time to coincide with the 2009 British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa....
, also based in Port Elizabeth, which are now tentatively scheduled to join Super Rugby in 2013. The union, although still headquartered at EPRU Stadium, now play their home matches at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium
Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium
Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium is a 48,000-seater stadium in Port Elizabeth.The five-tier, R2 billion Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium was built overlooking the North End Lake, at the heart of the city. It is one of three coastal stadiums built in anticipation of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It regularly hosts...
, built for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
.
In December 2011, Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium will become the new home of the South Africa Sevens
South Africa Sevens
South Africa Sevens is an annual rugby sevens tournament held in South Africa each year. It is part of the IRB Sevens World Series.As of the 2010–11 series, 12 tournaments have been held in South Africa—one in Stellenbosch, two in Durban, and nine at the most recent location, George...
, the country's leg of the annual IRB Sevens World Series
IRB Sevens World Series
The IRB Sevens World Series, known officially as the HSBC Sevens World Series as of the 2010-11 season, through sponsorship from banking group HSBC, and also sometimes called the World Sevens Series, is a series of international rugby union sevens tournaments organised for the first time in the...
in rugby sevens
Rugby sevens
Rugby sevens, also known as seven-a-side or VIIs, is a variant of rugby union in which teams are made up of seven players, instead of the usual 15, with shorter matches. Rugby sevens is administered by the International Rugby Board , the body responsible for rugby union worldwide...
. The event had been held in George
George, Western Cape
George is a city with 203,253 inhabitants in South Africa's Western Cape province. The city is a popular holiday and conference centre and the administrative and commercial hub of the Garden Route.- Location :...
in the Western Cape
Western Cape
The Western Cape is a province in the south west of South Africa. The capital is Cape Town. Prior to 1994, the region that now forms the Western Cape was part of the much larger Cape Province...
from 2002 to 2010,
The city's main football club is Bay United. They have previously played in the Premier Soccer League
Premier Soccer League
Premier Soccer League is the trading name of the National Soccer League of South Africa. The top league is the ABSA Premiership, sponsored by ABSA...
, but currently play in the National First Division
National First Division
The National First Division is the second-highest league of South African club football after the Premier Soccer League . Both the NFD and PSL are organised by the National Soccer League.-For seasons in 2007-11:...
. They currently use the EPRU Stadium for their home games.
The Algoa Bay Yacht Club
Algoa Bay Yacht Club
The Algoa Bay Yacht Club is a yacht club in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Port Elizabeth forms part of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality....
operated out of Port Elizabeth harbour.
Tourism
Garden Route
The Garden Route is a popular stretch of the south-eastern coast of South Africa. It stretches from Heidelberg in the Western Cape to the Storms River which is crossed along the N2 coastal highway over the Paul Sauer Bridge in the extreme western reach of the neighbouring Eastern Cape...
along the Cape coast, the city is one of South Africa's major destinations for tourists, many of whom come simply to enjoy the many fine beaches in and near the city.
The area surrounding the CBD has a number of historic attractions, many of which are linked by the Donkin Heritage Trail. These include the Campanile (bell tower), built in 1923 to commemorate the arrival of the 1820 Settlers
1820 Settlers
The 1820 Settlers were several groups or parties of white British colonists settled by the British government and the Cape authorities in the South African Eastern Cape in 1820....
and offering a great viewpoint over the city; the city hall (1862); the Donkin Reserve park and monument; and the old stone Fort Frederick itself (1799). The CBD also boasts the towering Eastern Cape post office headquarters.
Other attractions include the gardens at St George's Park, the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum was opened on 22 June 1956 as the King George VI Art Gallery. It is located in St George's Park in Port Elizabeth South Africa...
(formerly known as the King George VI Art Gallery), the museum and oceanography room at Humewood, and the new Boardwalk waterfront complex.
The wider area surrounding PE also features a number of game viewing opportunities, including the famous Addo Elephant Park, 72 km to the north near the Zuurberg mountain range and National Park.
Port Elizabeth is known commonly as the watersports capital of South Africa and home of the Ironman of Africa. Algoa bay is home to scuba diving, game fishing charters, surfing, windsurfing, kiteboarding to name but a few. There are many cruises offered from the harbour from sunset cruises to view dolphins to whale watching tours. More tourism information available at www.nmbt.co.za.
Education
The Nelson Mandela Metropolitan UniversityNelson Mandela Metropolitan University
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University is a South African tertiary education institution with its main administration in the coastal city of Port Elizabeth. The merger creating the NMMU was realized in January 2005 but its history dates back to 1882 with the foundation of Port Elizabeth Art School...
(NMMU) was formed in 2005 by the amalgamation of the University of Port Elizabeth, Port Elizabeth Technikon, and the Port Elizabeth campus of Vista University
Vista University
Vista University, South Africa was established in 1981 by the apartheid government to ensure that urban black South Africans seeking tertiary education would be accommodated within the townships rather than on campuses reserved for other population groups ....
. It is the largest university in the Eastern and Southern Cape, with around 24,000 students in seven faculties spread over eight campuses.
The city has a number of top government-funded and private schools, including Alexander Road High School, Collegiate Girls' High School, Grey High School
Grey High School
Grey High School is an elite school for boys located in the city of Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Grey High School is not to be confused with Grey College in Bloemfontein, Free State.-History:...
, Pearson High School and Woodridge College
Woodridge College
Woodridge College is a private, co-educational school in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.Woodridge is situated near the small town of Thornhill, roughly half way between Jeffrey's Bay and Port Elizabeth...
.
Government
Port Elizabeth forms part of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, and serves as the seat for the surrounding Cacadu District MunicipalityCacadu District Municipality
Cacadu District Municipality is situated in the Western Portion of the Eastern Cape province, covering an area of 58 242 square kilometres. The area of the district municipality includes nine local municipalities and other portions collectively known as the District Management Areas . The seat of...
.
Port Elizabeth is a seat of the Eastern Cape High Court
Eastern Cape High Court
Eastern Cape High Court is the name of four divisions of the High Court of South Africa located in the Eastern Cape province. These are:* The Eastern Cape High Court, Grahamstown...
, as well as a Magistrate's Court. As a result of the presence of a High Court, several other related organs of state such as a Masters Office and a Director of Public Prosecutions are present in the city.
A few other Government (mostly provincial) departments maintain branches or other offices in Port Elizabeth.
Notable people
- Johan Botha – Cricketer
- Schalk BurgerSchalk BurgerSchalk Burger Jr. is a South African rugby union player. He plays the position of flanker in the Springbok rugby union team.-Father:...
– Rugby union player; 2004 IRB International Player of the YearIRB International Player of the YearIRB Player of the Year is an accolade awarded annually by the International Rugby Board. It is awarded to the player who is adjudged to have been the best performer in rugby union internationals in the preceding season IRB Player of the Year is an accolade awarded annually by the International... - Adrienne CampAdrienne CampAdie, or Adrienne Camp, née Liesching, is a singer and songwriter, mostly known as the lead singer of the Christian pop-rock band The Benjamin Gate before the group disbanded in 2003...
– Singer/songwriter - Thinus DelportThinus DelportThinus Delport is a South African rugby union player who played at wing or fullback for Worcester Warriors and South Africa.He started his career playing for the Lions from U21 level and he made his senior debut in 1997...
– Rugby union player - Danie GerberDanie GerberDanie Gerber is a former South African rugby union player, who played for South Africa between 1980 and 1992. Playing mainly at centre, he won only 24 caps for South Africa despite playing internationally for 12 years because of South Africa's sporting isolation caused by apartheid...
– Rugby union player - Rodney Howard-BrowneRodney Howard-BrowneRodney Howard-Browne is a charismatic Christian preacher and evangelist. He is pastor of The River at Tampa Bay, a church which he and his wife founded in 1996, and heads Revival Ministries International...
– CharismaticCharismatic movementThe term charismatic movement is used in varying senses to describe 20th century developments in various Christian denominations. It describes an ongoing international, cross-denominational/non-denominational Christian movement in which individual, historically mainstream congregations adopt...
Christian evangelist in the U.S. - Danny JordaanDanny JordaanDaniel Alexander "Danny" Jordaan is a South African sports administrator as well as a former lecturer, politician and anti-apartheid activist. He led South Africa's successful 2010 FIFA World Cup bid, the first successful one for Africa. He also led their unsuccessful bid four years earlier for...
– 2010 FIFA world cup organising committee boss - Len KilleenLen KilleenLen Killeen was a South African former rugby league footballer of the 1960s and 1970s.Killeen was born in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape. A goal-kicking three-quarter, he played in England for St Helens, with whom he won the Challenge Cup in 1966...
– Rugby union player - Zolani MaholaZolani MaholaZolani Mahola is the lead singer of the South African band Freshlyground.-Early life:She was born in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa where she grew up near the city of Port Elizabeth and went to school at Trinity High School...
– Actress and singer/songwriter with the band FreshlygroundFreshlygroundFreshlyground is a South African Afro-fusion band that formed in Cape Town in 2002. The band members variously hail from South Africa, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe... - Joe van NiekerkJoe van NiekerkJohann "Joe" van Niekerk is a South African rugby union player, who generally plays either as a flanker or number 8...
– Rugby union player - Wayne ParnellWayne ParnellWayne Dillon Parnell is a cricketer who plays Tests, One Day International and Twenty20 matches for South Africa. At domestic level he plays for the Warriors having previously represented Eastern Province, he has also played county cricket for Kent...
– Cricketer - Robin PetersonRobin PetersonRobin John Peterson is a South African cricketer who bowls left arm spin. He is also a more than capable batsman, with a first class batting average of 26.35 as of 6 November 2005. His first class bowling average is a modest 36.36, however, and in Test matches it stands at 50.37...
– Cricketer - Shawn PhillipsShawn PhillipsShawn Phillips is a folk-rock musician, primarily influential in the 1960s and 1970s.Phillips has recorded twenty albums and worked with musicians including Donovan, Paul Buckmaster, J. Peter Robinson, Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Bernie Taupin, and many others...
– Singer/songwriter - Graeme PollockGraeme PollockRobert Graeme Pollock, known as Graeme, is a former cricketer. He played in 23 Test matches for South Africa and represented Transvaal and Eastern Province at domestic level....
– Cricketer - Peter PollockPeter PollockPeter Maclean Pollock, has played a continuing role in the South Africa cricket team as a player, selector, and father of a future captain. He was voted a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1966...
– Cricketer - Shaun PollockShaun PollockShaun Maclean Pollock is a retired South African cricketer who is considered a bowling all-rounder. From 2000 to 2003 he was the captain of the South African cricket team, and also played for Africa XI, World XI, Dolphins and Warwickshire. He was also chosen as the Wisden Cricketer of the Year in...
– Cricketer - Ashwell PrinceAshwell PrinceAshwell Gavin Prince is a cricketer who plays Test and One Day International cricket for South Africa. A left-handed middle order batsman, he has a high-batted stance and is strong through the offside. He is noted for his gritty style of batting and also for being an athletic fielder in the covers...
– Cricketer - Mzwandile StickMzwandile StickMzwandile Wanky Stick is a South African rugby union player for the Eastern Province Kings in the Currie Cup First Division. He captained the South Africa sevens team during the 2008–09 IRB Sevens World Series, which saw the team win the series title for the first time. His favoured position is...
– Rugby union player; former captain of the national sevens teamSouth Africa national rugby union team (sevens)The South African national rugby union sevens team compete in the World Sevens Series, the Rugby World Cup Sevens and the Commonwealth Games.-Current squad:2011–12 IRB Sevens World Series 14-man squad :#Cecil Afrika... - Peter Church - Writer