Port St. Johns (or Port Saint Johns) is a town of about 6,500 people on the
Wild Coast in the
Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is situated at the mouth of the
Umzimvubu River, northeast of
East London and east of
Mthatha
Mthatha , formerly Umtata, is the main city of the King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality in Eastern Cape province of South Africa and the capital of OR Tambo District Municipality. The city has an airport, previously known as the K. D. Matanz ...
. 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
The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by t ...
. On both sides of the river ravine are high
sandstone
Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks.
Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates ...
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 peop ...
of the former
Transkei
Transkei (, meaning ''the area beyond he riverKei''), officially the Republic of Transkei ( xh, iRiphabliki yeTranskei), was an unrecognised state in the southeastern region of South Africa from 1976 to 1994. It was, along with Ciskei, a Ba ...
. According to the
2011 census it had a population of 6,441, of whom 90% where
Xhosa
Xhosa may refer to:
* Xhosa people, a nation, and ethnic group, who live in south-central and southeasterly region of South Africa
* Xhosa language, one of the 11 official languages of South Africa, principally spoken by the Xhosa people
See als ...
-speaking.
The climate is
humid subtropical
A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...
: Cfa).
In the area near the town, some of the most significant
Travertine
Travertine ( ) is a form of terrestrial limestone deposited around mineral springs, especially hot springs. It often has a fibrous or concentric appearance and exists in white, tan, cream-colored, and even rusty varieties. It is formed by a p ...
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
Portuguese may refer to:
* anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal
** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods
** Portuguese language, a Romance language
*** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language
** Portu ...
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
Lusikisiki is a town in the Ingquza Hill Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. The name is onomatopoeic, derived from the rustling sound of reeds in the wind, named by the local Xhosa people. Lusikisiki is 45 kilometers ...
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
The Cape Colony ( nl, 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, which existed from 1795 to 1802, and again from 1806 to 1910, when it united with t ...
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
Siltation, is water pollution caused by particulate Terrestrial ecoregion, terrestrial Clastic rock, clastic material, with a particle size dominated by silt or clay. It refers both to the increased concentration of suspended sediments and to the ...
, which caused the river to become too shallow for vessels.
The town was the principal port of the defunct Republic of
Transkei
Transkei (, meaning ''the area beyond he riverKei''), officially the Republic of Transkei ( xh, iRiphabliki yeTranskei), was an unrecognised state in the southeastern region of South Africa from 1976 to 1994. It was, along with Ciskei, a Ba ...
(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
Mthatha , formerly Umtata, is the main city of the King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality in Eastern Cape province of South Africa and the capital of OR Tambo District Municipality. The city has an airport, previously known as the K. D. Matanz ...
in the West and
Flagstaff in the North the
R61 road 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
The KwaZulu-Natal sardine run of southern Africa occurs from May through July when billions of sardines – or more specifically the Southern African pilchard ''Sardinops sagax'' – spawn in the cool waters of the Agulhas Bank and move northwar ...
" 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.
List
See also
*List of fatal shark attacks in South African territorial waters
This is a list of recorded fatal shark attacks in South African territorial waters
The term terr ...
References
External links
*
Port St Johns Municipality planned and mapped by
Ben Dekker (archived).
{{Authority control
Populated places in the Port St Johns Local Municipality
Populated coastal places in South Africa