Gqeberha, also known as Port Elizabeth and colloquially referred to as P.E., is a seaport and coastal city in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.
Overview
| Country: | South Africa |
| Province: | Eastern Cape |
| Municipality: | Nelson Mandela Bay |
| Established: | 1820 |
| Total Area: | 251.03 km² (96.92 sq mi) |
| Nicknames: | “The Friendly city”, “The Windy city” |
| Population: | 967,677 (2020) |
| Population Density: | 3,854.8/km² (9,984.0/sq mi) |
| Time Zone: | UTC+2 (SAST) |
| Postal Code (street): | 6001 |
| PO Box: | 6000 |
| Area Code: | 041 |
Geography, history and attractions of Gqeberha
Gqeberha is located on the western portion of Algoa Bay along the southeastern coast of South Africa and lies 770 km east of Cape Town. Gqeberha is east of the Garden Route and faces the Indian Ocean.
Gqeberha is known as Baye in Sotho and iBhayi in Zulu and Xhosa.
Gqeberha is the seat of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, South Africa’s second-smallest metropolitan municipality by area
Gqeberha is the most populous city of the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. The city is the commercial, cultural, industrial, and educational hub of the Eastern Cape, with a host of shops, parks, theatres, restaurants and museums.
Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) is also an important South African motor industry centre, and one of the country’s major seaports.
Gqeberha was established under the name Port Elizabeth in 1820 as a British settlement around Fort Frederick (1799; the oldest British building in southern Africa) and was incorporated as a town in 1861.
The city was named by Sir Rufane Donkin, the acting governor (1820–21) of the Cape Colony. He named it after his deceased wife, Lady Elizabeth. Port Elizabeth became a city in 1913, after completion of the Kimberley Railroad (1873) spurred development of the port. The city was renamed Gqeberha in 2021.
Port Elizabeth, nicknamed “The Friendly city” or “The Windy city”, offers true freedom of choice.
Gqeberha is a favourite holiday destination boasting with a perfect combination of warm water and gorgeous stretches of white sandy beaches.
Known for its over 40 km coast that boast a multitude of Blue Flag Beaches with protected swimming areas, Gqeberha is an excellent beach lovers paradise.
Boat-based whale watching trips are operated from the Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha) harbour, where depending on the type of year will depend on the type of whale seen! Humpback, Southern Right and Bryde’s, are often spotted.
Centrally located to many national parks proudly offering the Big 7 of the animal kingdom (Buffalo, Elephant, Rhino, Lion, Leopard, Great White Shark, and Humpback Whale), Gqeberha) is a popular stop-over and stay for those travelling inland.
There is the Addo Elephant National Park, Seaview Game & Lion Park, Kagga Kamma Game Park and many more.
There are many historical and cultural representations worth seeing, from the South African Air Force Museum to the Donkin Reserve lighthouse. St George’s Park is iconic to Port Elizabeth and home to the St George’s cricket oval.
Visitors to Gqeberha will find Route 67 here, a collection of 67 pieces of art celebrating Nelson Mandela’s years of being devoted to public life. It is a mixture of visual arts with urban design and heritage. Nelson Mandela’s metal figure stands tall in the Donkin Reserve, symbolically leading the voting line of South Africans to the first democratic election.
The multi-purpose, multi-tiered Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium is an impressive legacy to the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and is also well worth a visit.
Racial makeup
According to the 2011 Census, 37.8% of the population in Gqeberha describes themselves as White, 30.6% as Black African, 27% as Coloured, 3.2% as Indian/Asian, and 1.4% as the remaining minority races.
Languages
According to the 2011 Census, the first language of 40.2% of the population is Afrikaans, while 33.2% speak English, 22.2% speak Xhosa, and 4.3% speak other languages.