The Eastern Cape is often referred to as a world in one province. The second largest of South Africa’s nine provinces, it offers everything from snow skiing to sunny beaches, game researches to a fascinating history. Located on the easternmost part of South Africa, an area of almost 170,000 square kilometres of the diverse landscape is divided into six district municipalities and two metropolitan municipalities. The provinces seat of government is in Bhisho, Buffalo City Metro. The province has a very strong and distinct culture and heritage, a rich history from the vibrant and timeless Xhosa traditions.
The Eastern Cape was one of the first areas settled by the Portuguese in 1488 and by the British in 1820. It was the site of many wars between the local Khoisan and Xhosa’s as well as the British, Dutch and Germans.
This rich cultural heritage has been preserved in some of the region’s smaller towns including Bathurst, Grahamstown and Cradock. Renowned as the birth province of globally recognised and respected liberation struggle icons like Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, Steve Biko, O.R. Tambo, Robert Sobukwe, Goven Mbeki and the list goes on.
These are people who not only created a lasting legacy for the Province but went on to change the course of history in South Africa. These facts and many other facts that are uniquely Eastern Cape assert this province as a Home of Legends.
Eastern Cape Provincial Government The Eastern Cape’s capital is Bhisho which lies 60km west of East London. The provincial government discharges its duties through 13 government departments and state owned enterprises. Eastern Cape is boasts two of the most successful Industrial Development Zones in South Africa, the East London and Coega IDZ’s. Both are ideally situated for exports to world markets.
The Eastern Cape economy is largely dependent on the automotive sector but has potential in areas such as chemical and petrochemicals, agriculture and agro-processing, capital goods, manufacturing, automotive and green industries. Education, Health, Rural development, land and agrarian reform, and food security are priorities of the provincial government, and the growth of the agriculture and agro-processing sector is strongly rooted in the Eastern Cape Provincial Growth and Development Programme (PGDP).
The PGDP earmarks primary production of food and food products, and the addition of value to primary production by processing, manufacturing and creative marketing of food products Major cities East London: Economic hub of Buffalo City Metropolitan area Port Elizabeth: Largest economic centre; part of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan area Bhisho: Seat of government
EC Population
The Eastern Cape is dominated by Xhosa speaking South Africans with Afrikaans and English speaking citizens constituting 11% and 6% of the population respectively. With a 6.6 million population, 13% of South African, the Eastern Cape is the 3rd most populous province in the country. It is the second largest province by land mass with 169, 580 square kilometres (13.9% of South Africa).
EC Population
The Eastern Cape is dominated by Xhosa speaking South Africans with Afrikaans and English speaking citizens constituting 11% and 6% of the population respectively. With a 6.6 million population, 13% of South African, the Eastern Cape is the 3rd most populous province in the country. It is the second largest province by land mass with 169, 580 square kilometres (13.9% of South Africa).
Economy
The Eastern Cape economy is characterised by the concentration of economic activity in urban nodes and the prominence of secondary and tertiary sectors. With 800km coastline and mesmerising inland has significant tourism appeal. It attracts 354,957 (2010) tourists to its shores. In 2010 domestic tourists reached a significant high of 4 million. The province lies equidistant from the major market centres of South Africa.
It is linked to those centres by a modern network of air, roads and railways. It lies between two of South Africa’s major economic hubs, the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces, which offers easy linkages to these nodes. It is also the only province to have three harbours – the Port of East London, Port Elizabeth and Ngqura.
The Port of Ngqura, the country’s only transhipment hub, allows for easy access to global markets for local investors The Eastern Cape’s gross domestic product contributions of 2.7% in 2011 gave it a ranking of 4th place out of the nine provinces. The manufacturing sector in the Eastern Cape is largely driven by the automotive subsector.
The automotive subsector accounts for 30% of manufacturing employment and 32% of manufacturing gross value added (GVA) in the province. Four large original equipment manufacturers, Volkswagen, Mercedes Benz, Ford and General Motors, are based in the Eastern Cape. The province produces half of South Africa’s passenger vehicles and generates 51% of the country’s motor exports.
The province is both the fourth largest exporter and importer of products, driven mostly by the automotive sector. In 2011, contributions to GDPR by government grew by 3.8% year-on-year (YoY), finance by 1.8% and 3.0% YoY and the manufacturing sector by 1.7% YoY. For most the most recent quarterly statistics on the economy, visit the Eastern Cape Socio-Economic Consultative Council (link to website).
Climate
The Eastern Cape is the only one of South Africa’s nine provinces to have all seven of its biomes or ecological zones, within its boundaries. This gives it a tremendous diversity of climates, allowing for a vast range of activities. The Eastern Cape also has more “sunshine” days than any other South African province – more than 300 out of 365 days are sunny.
Natural resources
The Eastern Cape is abundantly rich in natural resources, from grazing land to forests, marine life to rich farming soils, water to wilderness. The province’s climate allows for the production of a diverse range of crops such as pineapples, tea, tomatoes and chicory.
Pondoland, in the east of the province, holds some of the richest soils in the country. The province’s natural assets include a World Heritage Site in the Baviaanskloof Wilderness, which is part of the Cape Floral Kingdom, the Cacadu district and the world famous Addo Elephant National Park in the Sunday’s River Valley. Between 10% and 15% of land is set aside for provincial nature reserves while private parks comprise a further 15% of conservancies.
Tourism appeal
The Eastern Cape is a culmination of all the great holiday destinations in southern Africa. Stretching from Cape St Francis in the west to the Wild Coast in the east, the area boasts some of the best beaches in South Africa. Visitors find seven of South Africa’s ecological zones, as well as an unparalleled range of climates, landscapes and cultures. With miles of pristine beaches, secluded lagoons, rocky coves and cliffs, the Eastern Cape’s most important natural feature is its spectacular coastline and main tourist attraction. The Eastern Cape is also well-known for its sandy beaches which stretch for miles along the coast.
Today, the province boasts four of the 36 Blue Flag beaches in South Africa– Dolphin Beach in Jeffrey’s Bay, Kelly’s Beach in Port Alfred, Kariega in Kenton-on-Sea and the Humewood Beach in Port Elizabeth. The Blue Flag is a voluntary eco-label awarded to over 3,850 beaches and marinas in 46 countries across the globe.
Marine life is abundant along the Eastern Cape coast, and visitors often spot pods of dolphins playing just off the shoreline. Whales also pass through the area on their way up to the Western Cape coast to breed from September to December.
The malaria-free Eastern Cape is one of the few places in the world where visitors can get close to the Big 7 in real life. The Great White shark and seasonal Southern Right whale complete the Big 7 which also includes buffalo, elephant, leopard, lion and rhino. There are hundreds of game farms throughout the Eastern Cape which offer luxurious five star accommodation and Big 5 safaris.
The Eastern Cape’s natural diversity ranges from the evergreen Tsitsikamma Forest, with its renowned Otter Trail, to the rugged Baviaanskloof Wilderness Area, the southern slopes of the Drakensberg and the imposing Great Karoo. The Eastern Cape offers visitors every type of outdoor experience. The waves of the warm Indian Ocean beckon surfers, kite-boarders and sailors.
The vast open space and fresh air invite cyclists and runners to explore, while world renowned hiking trails are a hiker’s dream. Bridges and craggy mountain-tops wait in anticipation for the thrill-seeking bungee-jumpers. More details are available from the agency responsible for the province’s tourism project and nature reserves/parks (link to www.visiteasterncape.co.za ).