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