East London, affectionately called Buffalo City by the locals, is situated 1000 kilometres from Cape town on the South East coast of South Africa. Lying in between the Nahoon River in the north and the Buffalo river to the south it is the only river port in South Africa. The shores are lapped by the warm waters of the Indian Ocean and with its sub-tropical climate is a sought after tourist destination for local South Africans and international tourist alike.
East London, itself, has some 400 000 residents, the metropolitan area has 1.4 million, and is the second largest city in the province of the Eastern Cape.
With a genuine sense of hospitality and laid back style of living the inhabitants of East London will make you feel more than welcome. There are only a few hotels in the city which has opened up a niche for local Bed and Breakfast and Self-Catering establishments, to fill the void, where you will find great service and true South African cordiality. Overseas visitors will find the prices most agreeable. East London is at the northern end of a 300 kilometre stretch of coastline refereed to as the "Sunshine Coast" which has St Francis Bay at the southern end. The Sunshine Coast is renowned for it's many kilometres of beautiful unpolluted and un-crowded beaches

Long before written history the banks of the now Buffalo River and the seashore were inhabited by early man, the Nahoon footprints have been dated at been 200 000 years old, the oldest fossilized human footprints found in the world. In more recent history the area was home to the Khoisan or Bushman tribe who were pushed out of the region by the later white settlers.
It was in the area around East London that the Xhosa and white setters met for the first time and a century long battle ensured for the right to the prime grazing lands of the Eastern Cape. A British fort, Fort Glamorgan was constructed in 1847 around which present day East London developed, this was to protect the vital river port which was essential in supplying the army's and settlers in the region.

East London telephone code - 043 South Africa code +27
Internet cafe -
Nearest Airport -
Road to East London -
Other useful Information

East London form the air