Port Elizabeth, known to
South Africans simply as PE, was named by Cape acting governor Sir Rufane Donkin for his wife, and is located on the eastern seaboard of
South Africa, in the
Eastern Cape province.
The first farmers arrived in the bay area in 1776. In 1799, the British erected Fort Frederick to protect the ship landing area in the bay, during the first British occupation of the Cape Colony. The British settlers arrived in 1820, giving momentum to the development in the area. Sir Rufane Donkin instructed the settlers to develop a harbour and town.
The town was granted municipal status in 1861 and became a city in 1913.
It is roughly 800 kilometers from Cape Town, 1000 kilometers from Johannesburg, and 150 kilometers from Grahamstown.
It has nice long sheltered beaches, with excellent sailing, surfing, and bodyboarding opportunities, and even sandboarding if you're willing to take a drive. The temperate climate and warm water make it a popular holiday destination for South Africans.
Port Elizabeth is within an hours drive from two good game farms, specifically for elephant and rhinocerous.