SPECIAL FEATURE Quick facts: Capital: Bhisho
contains one of South Africa’s most important ecological areas, the Pondoland Centre of Plant Endemism. Mining is already pursued in some areas but plans for titanium mining on seaside dunes are being contested. A Wild Coast Spatial Development Initiative exists to plot further development. Forestry is a big employer.
Major cities: Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (Bhisho, East London and King William’s Town) and Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, (Port Elizabeth and Uitenhage) Languages: 78.8% isiXhosa, 10.6% Afrikaans, 5.6% English
Joe Gqabi District Municipality Towns: Aliwal North, Burgersdorp, Lady Grey, Rhodes, Barkly East, Ugie
Population: 6.9-million
Cattle and sheep farming make up 80% of land use, while commercial forestry is a big contributor to employment. There are large forestry plantations at Ugie and Mount Fletcher. Maize is grown along the Orange River and wheat in the foothills of the Drakensberg mountains. Tiffindell has been revived as a ski resort.
N12
Northern Cape
De Aar Colesburg
Aliwal North
Oviston
N1
Mount
Lady Grey
N6
R56
Molteno
Mount Ayliff
N2
Dordrecht
Lusikisiki
Elliot
Indwe
Mthatha R61
Beaufort West
R61
Somerset Pearston East N10
Willowmore Steytlerville Uniondale
Joubertina
N9
Knysna
N2
Kareedouw Plettenberg Bay
Adelaide
Cookhouse
Klipplaat Kirkwood
Paterson
Uitenhage Humansdorp
Tsomo
Sada
R63
Aberdeen
N9
Rietbron
Cradock
Graaff-Reinet
Queenstown
Tarkastad
N Butterworth
Stutterheim
Komga Bhisho N2
King William's Town Grahamstown
EAST LONDON Hamburg
N2 R72
Port Alfred
PORT ELIZABETH
Jeffreys Bay
11
Port St Johns
Coffee Bay
Cathcart Fort Beaufort
Kokstad
Port Edward R61 Maclear Mount Frere
Hofmeyr Three Sisters
Western Cape
Ixopo
R56
Fletcher
Barkly East
Jamestown
Steynsburg
Middelburg
Matatiele
R58
Burgersdorp N10
KwaZuluNatal
LESOTHO Zastron
Rouxville Bethulie
Hanover Victoria West
The province’s population of 6.9-million makes it the country’s third most populous province, with about 15% of the national population.
Free State
EASTERN CAPE PROVINCE Britstown
Share of total South African population: 12.7%
INDIAN OCEAN Motorway Main Road Railway
EASTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2018