| East London Oos-Londen eMonti |
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|---|---|
| East London Town Hall | |
| Nickname(s): Buffalo City | |
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East London
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Province | Eastern Cape |
| Metro municipality | Buffalo City |
| Founded | 1847 |
| Government | |
| • Type | City council |
| • Mayor | Zukisa Faku-Hobana |
| Population | |
| • Total | 478,676 |
| Time zone | SAST |
| Postal code | 5200–5499 |
East London (Afrikaans: Oos-Londen,[1] Xhosa: eMonti) is a city on the southeast coast of South Africa, situated at 32.97°S and 27.87°E[2] in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality of the Eastern Cape province. The city lies on the Indian Ocean coast, largely between the Buffalo River and the Nahoon River, and is the country's only river port. East London today has a population of over 400,000, with over 1.4 million in the metropolitan area.[3]
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The city formed around the only river port in South Africa and was originally known as Port Rex. This settlement on the West Bank was the nucleus of the town of East London, which is also known as Slummies, was later elevated to city status in 1914.
During the early to mid-1800 frontier wars between the British settlers and the local Xhosa inhabitants, East London served as a supply port to service the military headquarters at nearby King William’s Town, about thirty miles away. A British fort, Fort Glamorgan, was built on the West Bank in 1847, and annexed to the Cape Colony that same year. This fort was one of a series of forts the British built, that included Fort Murray, Fort White, Fort Hare and Fort Beaufort, in the border area that became known as British Kaffraria.
With later development of the port came the settlement of permanent residents, including German settlers, most of whom were bachelors. These settlers were responsible for the German names of a number of towns in the vicinity of East London such as Stutterheim and Berlin. Today, German surnames such as Gehring, Salzwedel and Peinke are still common in East London, but the descendants of the settlers rapidly became anglicised.
The existing port, in the mouth of the Buffalo River, adjoining the Indian Ocean, has been operating since 1870. The advent of the railway on the east bank in 1876 added momentum to ongoing development of the area into today’s thriving city of East London.
The unusual double-decker bridge over the Buffalo River was completed in 1935 and to this day, is the only bridge of its type in South Africa. Modern day attractions include the East London Museum housing the coelacanth, a prehistoric fish, thought to be extinct, discovered live at Chalumna Mouth near East London by fishermen in 1938, and numerous memorial statues. The city is well-known as a surfing mecca, and its beaches are among the best in the country.
In 1959, the Prince George Circuit race circuit opened; it hosted three Formula One South African Grand Prix races in the 1960s.
In 1961, areas on either side of East London were declared Bantu homelands. Ciskei to the west and Transkei to the East. East London finding herself almost surrounded, except to the north, became very unsettled during the Apartheid era. The editor of the local newspaper, the Daily Dispatch, was the late Donald Woods. This newspaper broke the story of the murder of Steve Biko, a Pan Africanist leader and author of the book I Write What I Like, at the hands of South African security police in Port Elizabeth, in September 1977. The story of Donald Woods was recorded in a Hollywood film called Cry Freedom. A prominent statue of Steve Biko now stands outside the East London City Hall.
The period of international sanctions which followed in the 1980s damaged the economy of East London's harbour. Enormous investment in recent years, by corporations such as Daimler Chrysler, has resulted in the harbour being developed to include a new car terminal.
In 2000, East London became part of the municipality of Buffalo City, also consisting of King William's Town and Bhisho.
East London is the second largest industrial centre in the province. The motor industry is the dominant employer. A major Daimler plant is located near the harbour, manufacturing Mercedes-Benz vehicles for the local market, as well as exporting to the United States. Other industries include clothing, textiles, pharmaceuticals and food processing.
From the 1960s until 1994, the apartheid government created tax and wage incentives to attract industries in the then black "independent states", including nearby Ciskei. Investment thus flowed into surrounding areas such as Fort Jackson and Dimbaza, leaving East London in relative isolation. The militant union activity of the time was not conducive to productivity or good labour relations. Infrastructure deteriorated and port activity wound down.
To encourage investment in East London, the East London Industrial Development Zone (IDZ) has been established on the West Bank, close to both the port and airport. 1500ha of land has been made available, and the site is one of four duty-free development areas in South Africa.
East London has good transport links with the rest of South Africa. The N2 highway connecting Cape Town and Durban bypasses the city, while the N6 highway joins East London with the inland city of Bloemfontein. East London Airport, 10 km from the city centre, has daily flights to all major South African cities.
Cricket is very popular around East London as with South Africa as a whole. A combined Border/Eastern Province cricket side known as the Warriors take part in the top provincial competition. The Proteas wicketkeeper Mark Boucher who currently holds the Test Record for most dismissals by a wicketkeeper is from East London. Buffalo Park Stadium in East London hosted a match from the ICC Cricket World Cup 2003 and 2 matches of the 2009 Indian Premier League.
Triathlon is a popular sport and in particular the world famous Ironman 70.3 South Africa event that takes place in January annually. Ironman 70.3 consists of 1.9km Swim, 90km Cycle and a 21.1lm Run. The event starts and finishes at Orient Beach
Club rugby is popular in East London. The provincial team, the Border Bulldogs, currently plays in the so-called First Division of the Currie Cup competition. Most national games in East London are played at the Buffalo City Stadium, which holds around 15000 people and was a host stadium during the 1995 Rugby World Cup. East London schools have produced many fine rugby players, including (in recent times) André Vos, Keith and Mark Andrews, Christiaan Scholtz, Brent Russell, Rory Kockott, Akona and Odwa Ndungane. South African flanker Solly Tybilika is currently playing for the Border Bulldogs.
Association football (soccer) is also very popular in the city. East London is home to Blackburn Rovers, a football club competing in the National First Division. The team plays at Buffalo City Stadium.
Motocross is also popular and many national events are held in the area surrounding East London, due to the terrain there and in Transkei. East London is home to the ELMCC (East London Motor Cycle Club), which organises most of the motorcycle events in the area.
East London is home of the Prince George Circuit (now renamed East London Grand Prix Circuit), a historic motor racing track that hosted the South African Grand Prix during the 1930s and 1960s. The circuit is run and managed by Border Motor Sport Club on a shoestring budget. South Africa's only Formula One World Drivers' Champion, Jody Scheckter, started his motor racing career with a Renault Gordini on this track.
Golf is another favoured pastime in and around East London. Some of the more popular golf clubs are the West Bank Golf Club, Alexander Golf Club, Gonubie Golf Club, Red Bishop Golf Course, Fish River Sun (a Gary Player-designed golf course), Bunkers Hill Driving Range and the East London Golf Club.
Martial arts are also very popular, with numerous clubs available for training in aikido, judo, karate, t'ai chi and many other forms of martial arts. The East London Aikido Club is taught by a 3rd dan local instructor who has trained under a number of international instructors in South Africa and overseas. Club members of the East London Aikido Club regularly represent their club at national aikido events. Fort Hare Karate and East London Goju Kai have also hosted many memorable events and training weekends.
Other sporting activities include boxing, motor racing, soccer, mountain biking, skydiving, athletics, horse riding and many water sports such as surfing, swimming, scuba diving, fishing, boating, yachting and windsurfing.
The Buffalo Road Running Club of East London has created two established events that have gained international recognition. They are the Old Mutual Buffalo 42,2 km marathon, which is held February/March each year, and South Africa's oldest 160 km extreme ultra marathon, the Washie, over a picturesque and undulating coastal route from Port Alfred to the city.
East London's tourism industry has grown greatly over the past few years. The City is being marketed as Buffalo City though, causing many to be confused. Apart from this obstacle local businesses are thriving, with a great deal of investment in the area, drawing visitors from around the world. East London is relatively small so there are only a few hotels, making a perfect gap in the market for bed & breakfasts to offer accommodation.
Resorts include: Yellowsands, Glen Eden, Gonubie, Queensbury Bay, Cintsa West and Cintsa East.
| East London | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Climate chart (explanation) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Climate data for East London | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 36 (97) |
37 (99) |
36 (97) |
36 (97) |
37 (99) |
32 (90) |
34 (93) |
38 (100) |
42 (108) |
39 (102) |
35 (95) |
38 (100) |
42 (108) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 26 (79) |
26 (79) |
25 (77) |
24 (75) |
23 (73) |
21 (70) |
21 (70) |
21 (70) |
21 (70) |
22 (72) |
23 (73) |
25 (77) |
23 (73) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 18 (64) |
19 (66) |
18 (64) |
15 (59) |
13 (55) |
11 (52) |
10 (50) |
11 (52) |
12 (54) |
14 (57) |
16 (61) |
17 (63) |
14 (57) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 12 (54) |
13 (55) |
10 (50) |
8 (46) |
5 (41) |
3 (37) |
3 (37) |
4 (39) |
5 (41) |
6 (43) |
9 (48) |
8 (46) |
3 (37) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 69 (2.72) |
92 (3.62) |
105 (4.13) |
83 (3.27) |
52 (2.05) |
40 (1.57) |
47 (1.85) |
78 (3.07) |
80 (3.15) |
102 (4.02) |
110 (4.33) |
63 (2.48) |
921 (36.26) |
| Avg. precipitation days | 13 | 12 | 13 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 121 |
| Source: South African Weather Service[4] | |||||||||||||
East London forms a constituent part of the Buffalo City Local Municipality and is the seat of that municipality.
| Municipalities and communities of Amathole District Municipality, Eastern Cape District seat: East London |
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|---|---|
| Local municipalities |
Mnquma • Mbhashe • Amahlathi • Nkonkobe • Ngqushwa • Great Kei • Nxuba |
| Cities and towns |
Adelaide • Alice • Bedford • Butterworth • Cathcart • Centane • Chintsa • Dutywa • Elliotdale • Fort Beaufort • Hagga-Hagga • Hamburg • Hogsback • Kei Mouth • Kei Road • Komga • Middledrift • Morgan's Bay • Nqamakwe • Peddie • Seymour • Stutterheim • Willowvale |
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