Eastern Cape

Introduction

The Eastern Cape, lying on the southeastern South African coast is the second largest of South Africa’s nine provinces. This diverse province is situated between the Western Cape and KwaZulu Natal, and bordered by the Orange River and Drakensberg Mountains. It is a region of great natural beauty, particularly the rugged cliffs, rough seas and dense green bush of the stretch known as the Wild Coast.

The province’s diverse climates and landscapes range from the dry and desolate Great Karoo to the lush forests of the Wild Coast and the Keiskamma Valley, the fertile Langkloof, renowned for its rich apple harvests, and the mountainous southern Drakensberg region around the town of Elliot.

The Eastern Cape’s main feature is its spectacular coastline, lapped by the temperate Indian Ocean. With long stretches of unspoilt sandy beaches, rocky coves, secluded lagoons and towering cliffs, the coast is the province’s main tourist attraction.

The selection of adventure includes the world’s biggest waves, the only snow slopes on the continent, and the highest bungee-jump in the southern hemisphere. The highlights of the Eastern Cape are without doubt the Addo Elephant Park, Grahamstown National Arts Festival, and the surfing capital of Jeffreys Bay.

Lying in Algoa Bay is Port Elizabeth, the largest city and an important harbour. Other major towns include Bisho, the capital; Uitenhage, which has important motor vehicle manufacturing and related industries; King William’s Town, rich in early settler and military history; Grahamstown, also known as the City of Saints because of its more than 40 churches; as well as Mthatha, Graaff-Reinet, Cradock, Stutterheim, Aliwal North, and Port St Johns, the largest town on the Wild Coast.

A trip to the Eastern Cape is not complete without catching a glimpse of Africa’s animals in their indigenous environment.  Greater Addo National Park perhaps best known for its elephant populations (in formerly Addo Elephant National Park), now spans to the coast encompassing both land and ocean animals and is home to the Big Seven: buffalo, elephant, leopard, lion, rhino, great white shark and southern right whale. Addo is a perfect location to self drive for an independent safari option. Whilst private game reserves such as Shamwari and Kwandwe Reserves now offer excellent game viewing in varied habitats and great game populations including the Big 5 and cheetah. Excellent lodges on the reserves offer a variety of experiences including game drives, bush walks and getting up close to ongoing conservation projects.

The Eastern Cape is an interesting place to visit. It’s capital is Bisho and its major city Port Elizabeth. Some of the country’s most powerful political figures, like Steve Biko and Nelson Mandela, were born here and the capital city, Port Elizabeth, was a crucial centre of the anti-apartheid movement.

When To Visit

The best time to visit the Eastern Cape depends on the place and the season.

The coastal area of the Eastern Cape Province lies directly between the subtropical conditions of KwaZulu Natal and the Mediterranean conditions of the Western Cape, while its inland area is bisected by the great escarpment resulting in the southern reaches defined by a series of rivers and corresponding wetland fauna and flora, while the northern areas are those of the altitudinous plains of the Plateau and great Karoo. These topographical differences are what cause the climatic differences and conditions experienced by the towns and cities within these areas.

In the North East along the Wild Coast, towns like Port St Johns experience long, hot, balmy conditions and high rainfall, while Graaff Reinet, in the heart of the Karoo Heartland, experiences long hot summer months and moderate winters. Up towards the Free State (at towns such as Lady Grey and Aliwal North) the rise in altitude means the appropriate lowering in temperature and the towns, just a few hundred kilometres from the swelter of the other areas, experience conditions favoured more by skiers than sunbathers.

The city of Port Elizabeth enjoys a daily average of +/- 7-8 hours of sunshine annually. In Winter (April to August) the temperatures range from 7º to 20º C. In summer the temperatures range from 16º to 26º C. On the whole the weather in the Eastern Cape is good to visitors, rarely reaching extremes, except perhaps in the height of the Karoo summer. The changes depend on how much you move across the province’s expanse and in and out of different climatological zones.

In general, the weather along the coast is kind to visitors. Nelson Mandela Bay (Port Elizabeth) enjoys a daily average of seven hours of sunshine annually and the region rightly earns its title as the Sunshine Coast. It’s only in the Karoo regions that the weather reaches extremes, from the height of the harsh Karoo summer to the icy winters.

Temperature & Rainfall

Climate Chart – Eastern Cape – Port Elizabeth