Port Elizabeth or Nelson Mandela Bay often known by its initials PE, and colloquially as “The Friendly City”, is a major seaport city and most populous city in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Port Elizabeth is the seat of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, South Africa's second largest metropolitan district by area.It is the most-populous city of the Eastern Cape and the sixth most-populous city in South Africa. the most-populous city of Eastern Cape; and the cultural, economic and financial center of the Eastern Cape. 

The city is among the top five cities in the world for pleasant weather, according to a 2014 scientific climate study of 600 global cities. Port Elizabeth is known for many blue-flag beaches along the city's urban coastline; its popularity as an international and local holiday destination; and its rich and diverse cultural heritage. It is a tourism gateway city for the Eastern Cape and the only city with the closest proximity to malaria-free big five game game reserves.

The economy of Port Elizabeth is primarily oriented towards automotive assembly, manufacturing and export industries, and the city is also a major South African and sub-Saharan African destination for investment. Foreign direct investments of $19,8 billion has been secured over the past decade. Several Fortune 500 companies have a presence or their African operations headquartered in Port Elizabeth. The city's most prominent landmarks are Shark Rock pier, the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, and the Donkin Reserve.

Port Elizabeth is a popular domestic and international holiday destination. It is a gateway city for Eastern Cape's adventure, outdoor and African big five game, malaria-free safari tourism.

Where is Port Elizabeth South Africa

Port Elizabeth is located in the south eastern coast of South Africa. It is situated on the western portion of Algoa Bay, adjacent to the Indian Ocean. The city lies 770 km east of Cape Town, between South Africa's Garden Route and Wild Coast. Port Elizabeth covers 251 square kilometers of the Nelson Mandela Bay metropolitan area, South Africa's sixth largest metropolitan municipality. Fortune 500 companies are present or have their African operations headquartered in the city.[ Port Elizabeth is the second oldest city in South Africa. It was founded in 1820 by the government of the Cape Colony when 4,000 British colonists settled Algoa Bay to strengthen the border region between the Cape Colony and the Xhosa.The city's moderate subtropical climate ranks among the top ten cities in the world for highly pleasant, all year round weather, according to a Syracuse University climatology study.

History of Port Elizabeth

Historically, Port Elizabeth goes back a long way. Bartolomeu Dias saw the bay on his momentous journey around the Cape, and named it Bahia de Lagoa, or Lagoon Bay. This was soon corrupted to Algoa Bay, which it remained for a few hundred years, until it was recently renamed Nelson Mandela Bay, for no apparent reason other than to curry favour with the tourists.

Algoa Bay, by the way, should not to be confused with Delagoa Bay, which is the old name for Lourenço Marques, which has now become Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, a country that used to be called Portuguese East Africa. D’you get all that? I tell you, nomenclature is a tricky business in this part of the world.

The Dutch did little to develop the potential of Algoa Bay because the strong summer winds had a habit of driving ships into the rocks. Nevertheless, in time, the Eastern districts of the colony needed a harbour, and Algoa Bay was the only one around. In 1799, the first British administration built a small outpost, called Fort Frederick, on the banks of the Bakens River mouth, and a small town began to develop. The subsequent Batavian administration then founded a town close to Fort Frederick, which they called Uitenhage.

European Settlers

Once the second British Administration had found its feet, they began to appreciate the value of the little harbour at Algoa Bay, but they were troubled with the on-going friction between white settlers and the native Xhosa tribes living in the vicinity. The British, in their ineffable wisdom, decided that the solution was to build up a buffer zone of European settlers, which would neutralise the threat of any independent tribal authorities. Undeterred by any thoughts that they may actually be making the problem worse, a campaign of sponsored emigration was launched to attract new settlers from England, Scotland and the other parts of the empire.

When this first wave of organised immigration arrived at Algoa Bay in the motley form of the 1820 settlers, the British governor travelled from the Cape to welcome the new arrivals. This melancholy man, named Sir Rufane Donkin, gave the settlers a rousing speech, welcoming them to their new home. He also decided to re-named the town around Fort Frederick after his dearly departed wife, Elizabeth, who had died of fever two years earlier while the couple were stationed in India. Port Elizabeth became a magistracy in 1825 and, 100 years later, an artificial harbour was built to give the ships an anchorage that was safe from the wind.

Now, Port Elizabeth is one of the largest towns in SA, and the centre of our motor manufacturing industry. It is also the financial capital of the Eastern Cape, and a hotbed of industrial development. In fact, the jewel in the crown of South Africa’s current public works programme is the ambitious, multi-billion rand industrial complex being developed around the nearby port of Coega.

Things to Do in Port Elizabeth