65-572: 33°12′02.2″S 26°37′06.8″E / 33.200611°S 26.618556°E / -33.200611; 26.618556 Ecca Pass , is situated in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa , on the regional road R67 , between Grahamstown and Fort Beaufort . It was the first pass built by Andrew Geddes Bain as part of the Queen's Road. Bain named the heights and the pass after the Ecca River,
130-619: A Fish River tributary, which is believed to mean "salty" or "brackish" in the local Khoikhoi language. Due to Bain's geological investigations here, the Ecca Group was named after the 225- to 270-million-year-old sedimentary blue shales and mudstones at the foot of the pass. Bain is honored by a monument at the summit of the pass. This Eastern Cape location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Eastern Cape The Eastern Cape ( Xhosa : iMpuma-Kapa ; Afrikaans : Oos-Kaap [ˈuəs.kɑːp] )
195-665: A "systemic failure in Eastern Cape education". The province is served by big medical centres such as Cecilia Makiwane Hospital which is a large, government-funded hospital near the city of East London that also serves as a tertiary teaching hospital. Frere Hospital is another large, provincial government-funded hospital near East London which also serves as a tertiary teaching hospital. These hospitals offer many specialty departments such as an ARV clinic for HIV/AIDS in adults and children. Both hospitals are affiliated with Lilitha Nursing College and Walter Sisulu University. While
260-417: A choice of both indigenous and imported talent. Every year for eleven days the town's population almost doubles, as over 50,000 people flock to the region for a feast of arts, crafts, music and entertainment. Jeffreys Bay is an area with wild coastline, which is backed by sub-tropical rainforest. The waters here are noted for having good waves for surfing. Aliwal North , lying on an agricultural plateau on
325-514: A desire for political independence. In 1853, the Cape Colony became a British Crown colony with representative government. In 1854, the Cape of Good Hope elected its first parliament , on the basis of the multi-racial Cape Qualified Franchise . Cape residents qualified as voters based on a universal minimum level of property ownership, regardless of race. Executive power remaining completely in
390-405: A lack of teachers leading to overcrowding; a lack of textbooks; a lack of basic facilities like toilets, electricity or water; and poor transport infrastructure which regularly absents and endangers learners. The problem is particularly acute in the former Transkei . By 2011, basic education had so deteriorated that the national Department of Basic Education intervened under section 100(1)(b) of
455-663: A number of bitter, genocidal conflicts between the colonists and the Khoe-speaking indigenes , followed by the Xhosa , both of which they perceived as unwanted competitors for prime farmland. VOC traders imported thousands of slaves to the Cape of Good Hope from the Dutch East Indies and other parts of Africa. By the end of the eighteenth century the Cape's population swelled to about 26,000 people of European descent and 30,000 slaves. In 1795, France occupied
520-621: A republic, albeit, temporarily outside the Commonwealth of Nations (1961–94). The British colony was preceded by an earlier corporate colony that became an original Dutch colony of the same name , which was established in 1652 by the Dutch East India Company (VOC) . The Cape was under VOC rule from 1652 to 1795 and under rule of the Napoleonic Batavia Republic from 1803 to 1806. The VOC lost
585-716: A sovereign state in 1931 by the Statute of Westminster . In 1961, it became the Republic of South Africa . Following the 1994 creation of the present-day South African provinces , the Cape Province was partitioned into the Eastern Cape , Northern Cape , and Western Cape , with smaller parts in North West province. An expedition of the VOC led by Jan van Riebeeck established a trading post and naval victualing station at
650-532: Is also known for its traditional Xhosa initiation schools, which perform coming-of-age ceremonies known as ulwaluko which involve circumcision. These ceremonies have been linked to numerous complications such as coma, illness and death. There have been numerous reports in South African newspapers investigating the poor practices which lead to the death of young men and boys during initiation rituals. In one case, an 18-year-old teenager named Yongama Boya
715-746: Is based in Bhisho , the provincial capital. The Eastern Cape Division of the High Court of South Africa is situated in Makhanda (Grahamstown), with local seats in Gqhebera (Port Elizabeth), East London, and Bhisho. Like South Africa's other provinces, the Eastern Cape has a parliamentary system of government, with the premier of the province elected by the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature . The premier then selects
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#1732773171635780-471: Is due to a number of conditions such as lack of healthcare resources, lack of means to access healthcare resources, high unemployment, and poverty. Illiteracy is also a problem in rural communities, which further limits positive health outcomes. HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis are also ongoing issues in the region. In 2017, the Eastern Cape had a TB incidence of 839/100,000 people, which was higher than South Africa's estimated prevalence of 737/100,000. Additionally,
845-478: Is highly varied. The west is dry with sparse rain during winter or summer, with frosty winters and hot summers. The area Tsitsikamma to Grahamstown receives more precipitation, which is also relatively evenly distributed and temperatures are mild. Further east, rainfall becomes more plentiful and humidity increases, becoming more subtropical along the coast with summer rainfall. The interior can become very cold in winter, with heavy snowfalls occasionally occurring in
910-521: Is largely arid Karoo , while the east is well-watered and green. The Eastern Cape offers a wide array of attractions, including 800 kilometres (500 mi) of untouched and pristine coastline along with beaches, and big-five game viewing in a malaria -free environment. The Addo Elephant National Park , situated 73 kilometres (45 mi) from Port Elizabeth , was proclaimed in 1931. Its 743 square kilometres (287 sq mi) offers sanctuary to 170 elephants, 400 Cape buffalo and 21 black rhino of
975-465: Is one of the nine provinces of South Africa . Its capital is Bhisho , and its largest city is Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth). Due to its climate and nineteenth-century towns, it is a common location for tourists. It is also known for being home to many anti-apartheid activists, including Nelson Mandela . The second largest province in the country (at 168,966 km ) after the Northern Cape , it
1040-464: Is slowly giving way to game farming on large scale. Eco-tourism is resulting in economic benefits, and there is lower risk needed to protect wild, native game against drought, and the natural elements. Habitat loss and poaching pose the greatest problems. The area around Stutterheim is being cultivated extensively with timber plantations. The basis of the province's fishing industry is squid , some recreational and commercial fishing for line fish,
1105-461: Is the second largest party and forms the official opposition . The results of the most recent provincial election in 2024 are as follows: The Eastern Cape Department of Education has been criticised for poor primary and secondary education resulting from dysfunction, special interests, and issues with the South Africa teachers union, SADTU . The province struggles with a lack of schools;
1170-628: The 1820 Settlers . They also began to introduce the first rudimentary rights for the Cape's Black African population and, in 1834, abolished slavery ; however, the government proved unable to rein in settler violence against the San, which continued largely unabated as it had during the Dutch period. The resentment that the Boers felt against this social change, as well as the imposition of English language and culture , caused them to trek inland en masse. This
1235-441: The 2022 census , the Eastern Cape had a population of 7,230,204, an increase of 10.2% from the prior census in 2011 . It is the fourth-most populous of South Africa's nine provinces. The median age is 27, an increase of 5 years from 2011. In the 2022 census, 85.7% of the population described themselves as Black African , 7.6% as Coloured , 5.6% as White and 0.5% as Indian/Asian . A large majority of Black African people in
1300-672: The Cape , now nominally controlled by the Batavian Republic , was occupied again by the British after their victory in the Battle of Blaauwberg . The temporary peace between the UK and Napoleonic France had crumbled into open hostilities, whilst Napoleon had been strengthening his influence on the Batavian Republic (which Napoleon would subsequently abolish and directly administer later
1365-746: The Cape Colony (1806) and encouraged British citizens to migrate there as a means to boost the British population in the area. From the early 1800s until the formation of the Union of South Africa in 1910, the Eastern Cape saw colonisation by British migrants . English settlers established most of the towns, naming them either for places in England or for the original founders. British colonisation saw schools, churches, hospitals, town centres and government buildings built to speed up development. Some of
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#17327731716351430-500: The Cape of Good Hope in 1652. Van Riebeeck's objective was to secure a harbour of refuge for VOC ships during the long voyages between Europe and Asia. Within about three decades, the Cape had become home to a large community of vrijlieden , also known as vrijburgers ('free citizens'), former VOC employees who settled in the colonies overseas after completing their service contracts. Vrijburgers were mostly married citizens who undertook to spend at least twenty years farming
1495-655: The Constitution of South Africa , taking control of the province's educational administration. The Eastern Cape has since been the worst-performing province educationally and especially in terms of matriculation ; matriculants' results averaged 51% in 2009, 58.3% in 2011, 64.9% in 2013, 65.4% in 2014, and 56.8% in 2015. In the 2015/2016 financial year, the province failed to spend R 530 million of its allocated R 1.5 billion budget for education, most of it intended for infrastructure development. Equal Education 's 2017 report, Planning to Fail, found
1560-464: The KwaZulu-Natal border – a region known previously as Transkei – is lush grassland on rolling hills, punctuated by deep gorges with intermittent forest. Eastern Cape has a coast on its east which lines southward, creating shores leading to the south Indian Ocean. In the northeast, it borders the following districts of Lesotho : Domestically, it borders the following provinces: Climate
1625-655: The Seven Provinces of the Dutch Republic , the mother country of the Dutch United East India Company . This prompted Great Britain to occupy the Cape Colony in 1795 as a way to better control the seas in order to stop any potential French attempt to reach India . The British sent a fleet of nine warships which anchored at Simon's Town and, following the defeat of the VOC militia at the Battle of Muizenberg , took control of
1690-533: The eastern-western division was largely laid to rest. The system of multi-racial franchise also began a slow and fragile growth in political inclusiveness, and ethnic tensions subsided. In 1877, the state expanded by annexing Griqualand West and Griqualand East – that is, the Mount Currie district ( Kokstad ). The emergence of two Boer mini-republics along the Missionary Road resulted in 1885 in
1755-447: The British colonists and the Boers. Rhodes also brought in the first formal restrictions on the political rights of the Cape of Good Hope's black African citizens. The Cape of Good Hope remained nominally under British rule until the formation of the Union of South Africa in 1910, when it became the province of the Cape of Good Hope, better known as the Cape Province . The districts of the colony in 1850 were: Population figures for
1820-430: The Cape of Good Hope The Cape Colony ( Dutch : Kaapkolonie ), also known as the Cape of Good Hope , was a British colony in present-day South Africa named after the Cape of Good Hope . It existed from 1795 to 1802, and again from 1806 to 1910, when it united with three other colonies to form the Union of South Africa , then became the Cape Province , which existed even after 1961, when South Africa had become
1885-554: The Cape's Prime Minister in 1890, he instigated a rapid expansion of British influence into the hinterland. In particular, he sought to engineer the conquest of the Transvaal, and although his ill-fated Jameson Raid failed and brought down his government, it led to the Second Boer War and British conquest at the turn of the century. The politics of the colony consequently came to be increasingly dominated by tensions between
1950-559: The Coega IDZ near Port Elizabeth. Coega is the largest infrastructure development in post- apartheid South Africa. The construction of the deepwater Port of Ngqura was completed and the first commercial ship anchored in October 2009. Other sectors include finance, real estate, business services, wholesale and retail trade, eco-tourism (nature reserves and game ranches) and hotels and restaurants. The Eastern Cape provincial government
2015-408: The Dutch language. Many of the colonists who settled directly on the frontier became increasingly independent and localised in their loyalties. Known as Boers , they migrated beyond the Cape Colony's initial borders and had soon penetrated almost a thousand kilometres inland. Some Boers even adopted a nomadic lifestyle permanently and were denoted as trekboers . The VOC colonial period had
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2080-447: The Eastern Cape has a high overall HIV prevalence rate (25.2%) as of 2017. In 2018, HIV/AIDS was the second leading underlying natural cause of death in the Eastern Cape with a 5.9% prevalence rate. Since 2017, there has been an increase in the level of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), which disproportionately affects poorer communities. Furthermore, obesity and undiagnosed hypertension are major concerns in rural areas. The Eastern Cape
2145-412: The Eastern Cape has many hospitals and private clinics, the province has some of the worst health outcomes and service indicators in South Africa. Some of this can be attributed to staff shortages, with a report indicating that 67% of the 27 monitored facilities have insufficient staff. Rural residents in the Eastern Cape face worse health outcomes than those who reside in the larger towns or cities. This
2210-541: The Karoo there is widespread sheep farming. The Alexandria-Makhanda area produces pineapples, chicory and dairy products, while coffee and tea are cultivated at Magwa. People in the former Transkei region are dependent on cattle, maize and sorghum-farming. An olive nursery has been developed in collaboration with the University of Fort Hare to form a nucleus of olive production in the Eastern Cape. Domestic stock farming
2275-571: The Netherlands upon the Edict of Fontainebleau . This so-called "Huguenot experiment" was deemed a failure by the colonial authorities a decade later, as many of the Huguenot arrivals had little experience with agriculture and had become a net burden on the colonial government. There was a degree of cultural assimilation due to Dutch cultural hegemony that included the almost universal adoption of
2340-527: The Tsitsikamma region. The coast is generally rugged with interspersed beaches. Most of the province is hilly to very mountainous between Graaff-Reinet and Rhodes including the Sneeuberge (English: Snow Mountains), Stormberge , Winterberge and Drakensberg (English: Dragon Mountains). The highest point in the province is Ben Macdhui at 3001 m. The east from East London and Queenstown towards
2405-632: The Warren Expedition, sent to annex the republics of Stellaland and Goshen (lands annexed to British Bechuanaland ). Major-General Charles Warren annexed the land south of the Molopo River as the colony of British Bechuanaland and proclaimed a protectorate over the land lying to the North of the river. Vryburg , the capital of Stellaland, became capital of British Bechuanaland, while Mafeking (now Mahikeng ), although situated south of
2470-450: The authority of the British governor did not relieve tensions in the colony between its eastern and western sections. In 1872, after a long political battle, the Cape of Good Hope achieved responsible government under its first Prime Minister, John Molteno . Henceforth, an elected Prime Minister and his cabinet had total responsibility for the affairs of the country. A period of strong economic growth and social development ensued, and
2535-748: The automotive industry. General Motors and Volkswagen both have major assembly lines in the Port Elizabeth area, while East London is dominated by the large DaimlerChrysler plant, now known as Mercedes-Benz South Africa. Environmental-friendly projects include the Fish River Spatial Development Initiative, the Wild Coast SDI, and two industrial development zones, the East London Industrial Development Zone and
2600-684: The best colonial architecture of the 19th century in the province. The two major cities lining the coast are East London and Port Elizabeth. The Eastern Cape has been home to many major anti-apartheid leaders such as Robert Sobukwe , Oliver Tambo , Nelson Mandela , Walter Sisulu , Winnie Mandela , Govan Mbeki , Alfred Xuma , Cecilia Makiwane , Noni Jabavu , Thabo Mbeki , Chris Hani , Bantu Holomisa , Steve Biko , musicians Miriam Makeba , Madosini , Nathi , Dali Mpofu , Vusi Nova and Zahara , as well as historical figures such as Rev. Tiyo Soga , Samuel Mqhayi , Mongezi Sifika wa Nkomo , Enoch Sontonga and Jotello Festiri Soga . Colony of
2665-543: The boundary for some time, although some land between the river and the southern boundary of Botswana was later added to it. From 1878, the colony also included the enclave of Walvis Bay and the Penguin Islands , both in what is now Namibia . It united with three other colonies to form the Union of South Africa in 1910, and was accordingly renamed the Province of the Cape of Good Hope . South Africa became
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2730-438: The collection of marine resources, and access to line-catches of hake . With three import/export harbours and three airports offering direct flights to the main centres, and an excellent road and rail infrastructure, the province has been earmarked as a key area for growth and economic development in modern South Africa. The two major industrial centres, Port Elizabeth and East London have well-developed economies based on
2795-611: The colony to Great Britain following the 1795 Battle of Muizenberg , but it was ceded to the Batavia Republic following the 1802 Treaty of Amiens . It was re-occupied by the British following the Battle of Blaauwberg in 1806, and British possession affirmed with the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814 . The Cape of Good Hope then remained in the British Empire , becoming self-governing in 1872. The colony
2860-514: The government of the Cape Colony as well as Boer settlers finally died down when the Xhosa took part in a mass destruction of their own crops and cattle , in the belief that this would cause their ancestors to wake from the dead. The resulting famine crippled Xhosa country and ushered in a long period of stability on the border. Peace and prosperity, in addition to the Convict crisis of 1849, led to
2925-413: The land within the fledgling colony's borders; in exchange they received tax exempt status and were loaned tools and seeds . Reflecting the multi-national nature of the early trading companies, the VOC granted vrijburger status to Dutch, Swiss, Scandinavian and German employees, among others. In 1688 they also sponsored the immigration of nearly two hundred French Huguenot refugees who had fled to
2990-694: The late 18th century the Dutch Cape Colony slowly expanded eastwards from its original centre around Cape Town. This led to the establishment in 1786 of the Dutch settlement of Graaff-Reinet – named for the Governor of the Cape Colony Cornelius Jacob van de Graaff (in office: 1785–1791) and for his wife Hester Cornelia van de Graaff (née Reynet). Later, during the Napoleonic wars of 1803–1815, Britain took control of
3055-639: The members of the Executive Council (cabinet). The current premier is Oscar Mabuyane of the African National Congress (ANC). The provincial legislature is elected every five years by a system of party-list proportional representation . The most recent provincial election was held in 2024 , which was won by the ANC, which has governed the province continuously since the end of Apartheid in 1994 . The Democratic Alliance (DA)
3120-425: The mountainous regions between Molteno and Rhodes . The Eastern Cape Province is divided into two metropolitan municipalities and six district municipalities . The district municipalities are in turn divided into 27 local municipalities . Major cities and towns include the following (in the case of places that have been renamed , the traditional name is listed first followed by the new official name): As of
3185-417: The older European settlements include Fort Beaufort (1814), Grahamstown (1812), Port Elizabeth (1820), Salem (1820), Bathurst (1820), East London (1836), Paterson (1879), Cradock (1814), Fort Beaufort (1816) and King William's Town (1836). The Eastern Cape gets progressively wetter from west to east. The west is mostly semiarid Karoo , except in the far south, which is temperate rainforest in
3250-495: The other being KwaZulu-Natal . In the 2022 census, 81.8% of the population reported their first language as Xhosa , 9.6% as Afrikaans , 4.8% as English , and 2.4% as Sotho . The Eastern Cape is the only province in which native Xhosa-speakers form a majority of the population. As of the 2022 census, 86.1% of the population described themselves as Christians , 11.0% stated that they practiced Traditional African religions, and 0.6% described themselves as Muslim . 1.5% of
3315-544: The population described themselves as being atheist, agnostic, or having no religious affiliation. The Eastern Cape is the poorest province in South Africa and has the highest expanded and official unemployment rate in the country. Subsistence agriculture predominates in the former homelands, resulting in widespread poverty. A multi billion Rand industrial development zone and deep water port are being developed in Coega to boost investment in export-oriented industries. Overall
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#17327731716353380-560: The protectorate border, became the protectorate's administrative centre. The border between the protectorate and the colony ran along the Molopo and Nossob rivers. In 1895, British Bechuanaland became part of the Cape Colony. However, the discovery of diamonds around Kimberley and gold in the Transvaal led to a return to instability, particularly because they fuelled the rise to power of the ambitious imperialist Cecil Rhodes . On becoming
3445-591: The province are Xhosa , with 78.8% of residents in Eastern Cape identifying as Xhosa as of 2011. Unlike most of South Africa , a substantial proportion of the White population is of British descent . Roughly half of White South Africans in Eastern Cape are English-speakers of British descent while the other half are of Boer / Afrikaner ancestry. Eastern Cape is one of only two provinces in South Africa where Whites of British descent outnumber Boers/Afrikaners,
3510-485: The province only contributes 8% to the national GDP despite making 13.5% of the population. The real GDP of Eastern Cape stands at an estimated R230.3billion in 2017, making the province the fourth largest regional economy in SA ahead of Limpopo and Mpumalanga. There is much fertile land in the Eastern Cape, and agriculture remains important. The fertile Langkloof Valley in the southwest has large deciduous fruit orchards . In
3575-524: The same year). The British , who set up a colony on 8 January 1806, hoped to keep Napoleon out of the Cape, and to control the Far East trade routes. The Cape Colony at the time of British occupation was three months' sailing distance from London . The White colonial population was small, no more than 25,000 in all, scattered across a territory of 100,000 square miles. Most lived in Cape Town and
3640-565: The southern bank of the Orange River , is an inland resort known for its hot springs . The rugged and unspoiled Wild Coast is a place of spectacular scenery. The coastal areas have been a graveyard for many vessels. Whittlesea, Eastern Cape , situated in the Amatola Mountains , is known for the first wine estate in the province. King William's Town, Alice, Queenstown, Grahamstown, Cradock and Fort Beaufort offer some of
3705-606: The surrounding farming districts of the Boland , an area favoured with rich soils, a Mediterranean Climate and reliable rainfall. Cape Town had a population of 16,000 people. In 1814 the Dutch government formally ceded sovereignty over the Cape to the British , under the terms of the Convention of London . The British started to settle the eastern border of the Cape Colony, with the arrival in Port Elizabeth of
3770-616: The territory. The United East India Company transferred its territories and claims to the Batavian Republic (the Revolutionary period Dutch state) in 1798, and went bankrupt in 1799. Improving relations between Britain and Napoleonic France , and its vassal state the Batavian Republic , led the British to hand the Cape of Good Hope over to the Batavian Republic in 1803, under the terms of the Treaty of Amiens . In 1806,
3835-557: The very scarce Kenyan sub-species. The province is the location of Tiffindell , South Africa's only snow skiing resort, which is situated near the hamlet of Rhodes in the Southern Drakensberg . It is on the slopes of Ben Macdhui , the highest mountain peak in the Eastern Cape 3,001 metres (9,846 ft). The National Arts Festival , held annually in Grahamstown , is Africa's largest cultural event, offering
3900-583: Was coextensive with the later Cape Province , stretching from the Atlantic coast inland and eastward along the southern coast, constituting about half of modern South Africa: the final eastern boundary, after several wars against the Xhosa , stood at the Fish River . In the north, the Orange River , natively known as the ǂNūǃarib (Black River) and subsequently called the Gariep River, served as
3965-496: Was formed in 1994 out of the Xhosa homelands or bantustans of Transkei and Ciskei , together with the eastern portion of the Cape Province . The central and eastern part of the province is the traditional home of the indigenous Xhosa people . In 1820 this area, which was known as the Xhosa Kingdom , began to be settled by Europeans who originally came from England , Scotland and Ireland . The Eastern Cape province
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#17327731716354030-676: Was formed in 1994, incorporating areas from the former Xhosa homelands of the Transkei and Ciskei , together with what was previously part of the Cape Province . This resulted in several anomalies, including the fact that the Province has four supreme courts (in Makhanda (Grahamstown), Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), Bhisho and Mthatha , and had enclaves of KwaZulu-Natal in the province. The latter anomaly has fallen away with amendments to municipal and provincial boundaries. The Xhosa Kingdom
4095-403: Was known as the Great Trek , and the migrating Boers settled inland, eventually forming the Boer Republics . British Immigration continued in the Cape, even as many of the Boers continued to trek inland, and the ending of the British East India Company 's monopoly on trade led to economic growth. At the same time, the long series of Xhosa Wars fought between the Xhosa people in the east and
4160-427: Was one of the most powerful kingdoms in Africa, and had all states in the Eastern Cape as tributaries. Any group, people, or tribe that recognised the Xhosa Kingdom as Paramouncy became Xhosa, practiced Xhosa culture and used isiXhosa as their main language. Some of the tribes that fall under the category of Xhosa people include: AmaMpondo, AbaThembu, AmaMpondomise, AmaHlubi, AmaBhaca, AmaXesibe, AmaBomvana and more. In
4225-439: Was sent to the hospital to be circumcised, as his parents believed this would be the safer option. Then, he was sent to complete the rest of his initiation ritual in a traditional initiation school in the Qumbu area of the Transkei. There, the nurse refused to accept the validity of his prior circumcision at the hospital, and she circumcised him again, resulting in his death. The landscape is extremely diverse. The western interior
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