Port St. Johns (or Port Saint Johns) is a town of about 6,500 people on the
Wild Coast in the
Eastern Cape
The Eastern Cape is one of the provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are East London and Gqeberha.
The second largest province in the country (at 168,966 km2) after Northern Cape, it was formed in ...
province of South Africa. It is situated at the mouth of the
Umzimvubu River
Mzimvubu River or Umzimvubu River is one of the most important rivers in South Africa. It is located in the Eastern Cape Province.
Course
The river has its source in the northern region of the Eastern Cape, in the area of Matatiele and Mount Fle ...
, northeast of
East London
East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth.
Etymology
As in other languages, the word is formed from the f ...
and east of
Mthatha. Port St. Johns was the Birthplace of Capital Radio 604.
Geography, climate and geology
Port St. Johns is situated on the
Wild Coast on a coastline of about 270 km long. It lies at the mouth of the
Mzimvubu River
Mzimvubu River or Umzimvubu River is one of the most important rivers in South Africa. It is located in the Eastern Cape Province.
Course
The river has its source in the northern region of the Eastern Cape, in the area of Matatiele and Mount Fle ...
, a river flowing through a gorge known as the "Gates of St John" into an estuary located on the
Indian Ocean. On both sides of the river ravine are high
sandstone mountain peaks: ''Mount Thesiger'' (342 metre above sea level) and ''Mount Sullivan'' (304 metre), named after two British Military officers.
It is the main settlement in the
Port St. Johns Local Municipality which forms part of the
O.R. Tambo District Municipality in
Pondoland
Pondoland or Mpondoland (Xhosa: ''EmaMpondweni''), is a natural region on the South African shores of the Indian Ocean. It is located in the coastal belt of the Eastern Cape province. Its territory is the former Mpondo Kingdom of the Mpondo peopl ...
of the former
Transkei. According to the
2011 census it had a population of 6,441, of whom 90% where
Xhosa-speaking.
The climate is
humid subtropical (
Köppen: Cfa).
In the area near the town, some of the most significant
Travertine deposits in South Africa are found. About 10 km west of Port St. Johns, sandstone is excavated for architectural use.
History
This town is thought to have been named after a
Portuguese ship (the
São João),
[van der Merwe, E. and Costello, K. ''Port St. Johns, "Paradise in Pondoland" (2nd edition)''.] which was actually wrecked at
Port Edward.
[About.com African History: ''8 June 1552 – Portuguese Ship São João Wrecked off the KwaZulu Coast'': http://africanhistory.about.com/b/2008/06/08/8-june-1552-portuguese-ship-sao-joao-wrecked-off-the-kwazulu-coast.htm, retrieved 17 August 2011.] Later seafarers mistakenly identified the mouth of the Umzimvubu River as the site of this wreck.
In the mid 1800s the local Mpondo Chief, Ndamase, allowed a few white traders to settle at the mouth of the Umzimvubu River. When Chief Ndamase died in 1876, the Mpondo Great House in
Lusikisiki tried to take over the area. On 17 July 1878, Chief Ndamase's oldest son Nqwiliso, reacted by ceding the western bank of the Umzimvubu River to the
Cape Colony in return for being recognised as an independent ruler and he and his people were promised protection. The river mouth was used as a port, however this activity was abandoned in the 1940s due to
siltation, which caused the river to become too shallow for vessels.
The town was the principal port of the defunct Republic of
Transkei (1976-1994).
Tourism and road access
Port St. Johns is known as the centre of tourism on the Wild Coast.
It is known for deep sea fishing and shore angling. Near to the town are three beaches.
From
Mthatha in the West and
Flagstaff in the North the
R61 road
The R61 is a long provincial route in South Africa that connects Beaufort West with Port Shepstone via Graaff-Reinet, Komani (previously Queenstown), Mthatha and Port Edward.
The R61 is co-signed with the N9 for 103 kilometres from Aberdeen thr ...
connects to Port St. Johns. A smaller road leads the last 5 km into town. Port St. Johns has an airstrip on top of Mount Thesiger.
The Pondoland Park is a National park and forested area 500 km² in size, including the Umzimvubu river mouth and stretching north along the coast up to the provincial border with KwaZulu-Natal.
Tours targeting world famous "
sardine run" are popular as well.
[Offshore Africa Port St. Johns]
Sardine Run ocean safari
Retrieved on October 01, 2017
See also
*
List of shark attacks in South African territorial waters
List of shark attacks in South African territorial waters
The term territorial waters is sometimes used informally to refer to any area of water over which a sovereign state has jurisdiction, including internal waters, the territorial sea, th ...
References
External links
*
Port St Johns Municipality planned and mapped by
Ben Dekker
Ben Dekker is a South African forester, surveyor, botanical expert, environmentalist, actor, politician, explorer, human rights activist, painter, sculptor, writer, poet and maverick.
Biography
Benito Adolfo Dekker born 21 October 1940 (archived).
{{Authority control
Populated places in the Port St Johns Local Municipality
Populated coastal places in South Africa