East London, South Africa
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| East London | |
 |
|
| Nickname(s): Buffalo City | |
| Country | South Africa |
|---|---|
| Province | Eastern Cape Province |
| Municipality | |
| Founded | 1847 |
| Government | |
| - Type | City council |
| - Mayor | Zukisa Faku-Hobana succeeding Sakhumzi Caga succeeding Zintle Peter |
| Population | |
| - Total | 478,676 |
| Time zone | SAST (UTC) |
| Postal code | 5247 |
East London (Afrikaans: Oos-Londen, Xhosa: eMonti) is a city on the southeast coast of South Africa, situated in the Eastern Cape Province at 32.97°S and 27.87°E.[1]. The city is situated on the Indian Ocean coast, between the Buffalo River, and the Nahoon River, and is the country's only river port. East London today has a population of 250,000, with over 700,000 in the metropolitan area.
Contents |
[edit] History
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 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. In 1857 the British Government took pity on them and a cargo of 157 Irish girls arrived to help lift morale.
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 there 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 2000, East London became part of the municipality of Buffalo City, also consisting of King William's Town and Bhisho.
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.
[edit] Economy
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 former 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. The East London Airport, 10km from the city centre, has daily flights to all major South African cities.
[edit] Sports
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 wicket keeper 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.
Club rugby is popular in East London and South Africa as a whole, with the Border Bulldogs standing out as the Border region's premier club. Most national games in East London are played at the Basil Kenyon Stadium which holds around 15000 people. East London schools have produced many fine rugby players, including (in recent times) Andre Vos, Keith and Mark Andrews, Christiaan Scholtz, Brent Russell, Rory Kockott, Akona and Odwa Ndungane, Keegan Daniel. South African Flanker Solly Tybilika is currently playing for the Border Bulldogs.
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 motor cycle events in the area.
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 is also very popular, with numerous clubs available for training in aikido, judo, karate, tai 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.
[edit] Tourism
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.
The East Coast Resorts (up the coast toward Durban) are a fantastic collection of small villages with many people living there (only 20min to East London on the highway) but a very tranquil setting for a family holiday.
Resorts include: Yellowsands, Glen Eden, Gonubie, Queensbury Bay, Cintsa (now spelt "Chintsa") West and Cintsa East.
[edit] Attractions
- East London Aquarium
- East London Zoo
- East London Museum
- Inkwenkwezi Private Game Reserve
- Mpgongo Private Game Reserve
- University of Fort Hare
[edit] Demographics
The main languages spoken in East London are English, Xhosa and Afrikaans. The city is home to a large number of retirees, thanks to the mild climate and holiday atmosphere.
Municipal Demarcation Board statistics
The Municipal Demarcation Board provides extensive demographics about all urban areas, which include the following demographics about Buffalo City. These figures exclude people whose status is unknown:
- General
- Number of households: 160 454
- Black residents: 563 776
- Coloured residents: 38 391
- Indian residents: 4 692
- White residents: 70 520
- Male residents: 321 992
- Female residents: 360 023
- Age breakdown
- Under four: 61 234
- 5-19: 214 987
- 20-29: 127 841
- 30-49: 176 675
- 50-64: 59 934
- Over 65: 34 824
- Employment
- Employed: 160 156
- Unemployed: 101 349
- Occupation
- Senior management: 6 663
- Professional: 17 022
- Technical: 12 591
- Clerks: 12 604
- Service related: 14 484
- Skilled: 3 294
- Craft and trade: 21 715
- Plant machine: 12 279
- Elementary: 39 440
- Annual individual income ('000)
- None: 414 152
- R1 to 24: 114 706
- R23 to R60: 62 965
- R60 to RR120: 39 442
- R120 to R180: 30 351
- R180 to R300: 25 602
- R300 to R420: 14 744
- R420 to R540: 10 069
- R540 to R720: 8 274
- R720 to R960: 3 930
- R960 to R1,32m: 2 588
- R1,32m to R1,92m: 1 403
- R1,9m to R3,6m: 816
- Over R3,6m: 281
[edit] Geography and climate
 Weather averages 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) |
| Source: [1] 2009-02-20 | |||||||||||||
[edit] Governance
East London forms a constituent part of the Buffalo City Local Municipality and is the seat of that municipality.
[edit] Famous people
- Mark Verdon Boucher - International cricketer
- Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer - museum curator
- Joan Harrison - Swimmer and 1952 olympic champion
- Rory Kockott - Rugby union player
- Ian Scheckter - Racing driver
- Jody Scheckter - Racing driver
- Donald Woods - Author and anti-apartheid activist
[edit] References
- ^ "Climate data for East London, 1961-1990". South African weather service. http://www.weathersa.co.za/Climat/Climstats/EastLondonStats.jsp. Retrieved on 2009-02-20.
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This article includes a list of references, related reading or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Please improve this article by introducing more precise citations where appropriate. (October 2008) |
[edit] External links
- East London, Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Jobs in East London + Property for sale and local directory.
- Official website of Buffalo City
- Official website of the East London Industrial Zone
- A real estate agency's description of East London's history and amenities
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Municipalities and Communities of Amatole District Municipality, Eastern Cape District Seat: East London |
|---|---|
| Local municipalities |
Buffalo City • Mnquma • Mbhashe • Amahlathi • Nkonkobe • Ngqushwa • Great Kei • Nxuba |
| Cities and towns |
Cathcart • Stutterheim • Kei Road • East London • King William's Town • Mdantsane • Bhisho • Komga • Kei Mouth • Hagga-Hagga • Morgan's Bay • Chintsa • Dutywa • Willowvale • Elliotdale • Gcuwa • Nqamakwe • Centane • Peddie • Hamburg • Seymour • Fort Beaufort • Alice • Middledrift • Bedford • Adelaide • Hogsback |
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