Nestled on the shores of the warm Indian Ocean, overlooking Algoa Bay, the bustling seaport city of Nelson Mandela Bay is a popular family holiday destination that also serves as the major gateway to the rest of the province.
Dubbed “the ten minute city” with quick and easy access to all parts of the city and boasting a thriving economy, golden beaches and the fourth best coastal climate in the world – it is no wonder many people rate it as one of the best places to live in South Africa.
A progressive metropolitan city, Nelson Mandela Bay’s architecture charts a chronological course through Victorian, art nouveau, art deco and modern buildings, surrounded by sprawling townships typical of South Africa.
Tourism
Also referred to as the Watersport Capital of Africa, the Bay is the ideal venue for sailing, fishing, kite surfing, scuba diving, kayaking, surfing and triathlon events, while leisure is served by restaurants, shopping malls, cinemas, the Boardwalk Casino & Entertainment World, festivals and eco-activities. A new five-star Radisson hotel that is under development, The Reef on Marine, reflects the rising demand for quality accommodation. The Bay is within one hour’s drive of Big Five game parks in malaria-free surrounds.
Don’t miss
• Have fun-in-the-sun along 40 km of unspoilt golden beaches.
• Explore the Addo Elephant National Park and Big Five game reserves.
• Take the children to the amusement park, shop, dine, watch a movie or play the gaming tables at the Boardwalk Casino & Entertainment World.
• Watch a dolphin show at the Bayworld Museum Complex.
• Drive through the Kragga Kamma Game Park or Seaview Game & Lion Park.
• Sail, snorkel, dive reefs and shipwrecks, or book a sunset or island cruise. Try boardsailing, sandboarding, paragliding, jet skiing, powerboating or kite-surfing.
• Visit war memorials and the Old Railway Station Museum in Uitenhage.
• Go antiquing at Colonial Antiques and Second Time Around in Uitenhage.
• Go back in time with a visit to mid-Victorian No. 7 Castle Hill Museum in Port Elizabeth.
• See the interactive AutoPavilion at the Volkswagen premises in Uitenhage.
• Take a boat charter to St Croix Island to view seals, penguins and gannets.
• Take the children to Windsor playground, Homeleigh Farm, the Pink Fig, Happy Valley, the PE Model Locomotive Society or PE People’s Observatory.
• Take the family to the spectacular McArthur Pool & Leisure Centre.
• Take a township and tavern tour and experience the vibrancy of township life.
• Visit the historic Cuyler Manor and demonstration farm or the Africana Museum of Old Drostdy, both in Uitenhage.
• Go bird-watching in Settlers Park, the Cape Recife Nature Reserve, the Swartkops Estuary or Groendal Wilderness area.
• Chug along the Apple Express steam train narrow-gauge line to Loerie.
• Play a round of golf at Humewood, Kragga Kamma, Port Elizabeth, Shark River, Uitenhage, Walmer or Wedgewood Golf Club.
• Enjoy theatre and music at the Barn, the gracious Opera House or the grand old Feathermarket Centre.
• Visit Fort Frederick, the oldest structure in the city.
• Buy fresh fish from the Port Elizabeth Harbour outlet and enjoy a fish braai at designated spots around the Bay.
• See restored aircraft and memorabilia at the South African Airforce Museum.
• Marvel at the aviation and maritime works at the Ron Belling Art Gallery.
• See the legendary artworks of South Africa’s foremost black artist at the George Pemba Art Gallery.
Economy
Business and industry is served by top accessibility via the Port Elizabeth Airport, an excellent road network, a railway, the Port Elizabeth Harbour and deepwater Port of Ngqura 15 km east of the city. The port of Port Elizabeth, with its proximity to heavily industrialized and intensively farmed areas, has facilities for the handling of all commodities – bulk, general and container cargo.Recent years have seen NMB’s economy grow faster than the national economy. It has one of the most diverse auto clusters in the world, including General Motors SA, Volkswagen SA, a Ford engine plant, Hi-Tech Automotive, the Ala Manufacturing scooter and motorcycle assembly plant and over 150 component suppliers, including engines, tyres, catalytic converters, glass, body panels, interior fittings and plastic components. There is also a growing metals industry with strong links to the automotive sector, providing aluminium and ferrous castings and forgings. World class education institutions, including top schools, the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, technical training colleges and tertiary institutions produce some of the country’s best candidates.
Investment opportunities
• Automotive – Very strong in Nelson Mandela Bay, but growing through improved productivity, cost competitiveness and technological innovation.
• Tourism – Nelson Mandela Bay is the gateway to a growing tourism region characterised by a stunning coastline and malaria-free Big Five reserves. Opportunities in conferencing, accommodation, entertainment and food industries.
• Agriculture – Opportunities for commercial and export possibilities exist in high-tech and small-scale farming.
• Logistics – Coega IDZ and Port of Ngqura position the region as a strategic trade link to both Eastern and Western markets as a trade and distribution logistics centre.
• Electronic, Information and Communication Technologies – Auto-electronics opportunities and potential for a new electronics industry.
• Textiles and Clothing – Opportunities for higher value production and exports.
• Metals and Engineering – Coega IDZ will develop as a strong centre of metal production and processing, initially for the automotive trade and export, but eventually for machinery and machine tool production.
• Pharmaceuticals – Growth is likely in generic drug production.
• Leather and Leather Goods – The existing industry, focused on finished leather and auto seats, can expand through a leather cluster in the Coega IDZ, concentrating on tanning and high-value goods and clothing.
• Fishing – Expansion possible through the allocation of new quotas.
Nelson Mandela Bay – incorporating Port Elizabeth, Uitenhage, Despatch, Colchester, Blue Horizon Bay and Seaview – is situated on the south-eastern coastline of South Africa. It is the economic capital and only metropolitan city in the Eastern Cape.
Area: 1 952km²
Population: 1.1 million
Languages: isiXhosa, English and Afrikaans
NELSON MANDELA BAY
Tel: +27 (0)41 506 3267
Fax: +27 (0)41 506 3336
Executive mayor: Nondumiso Maphazi
Municipal manager: Graham Richards
NMBM COMMUNICATIONS
Tel: +27 (0)41 502 0000/1
Fax: +27 (0)41 502 0005
communications@mandelametro.gov.za
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND RECREATION AND CULTURAL SERVICES DIRECTORATE
Tel: +27 (0)41 503 7500
Fax: +27 (0)41 503 7522
edta@mandelametro.gov.za
NELSON MANDELA BAY TOURISM
The Boardwalk Info Centre:
Tel: +27 (0)41 583 2030
Fax: +27 (0)41 583 4794
Donkin Info Centre:
Tel: +27 (0)41 585 8884
Fax: +27 (0)41 585 2564
Uitenhage Info Centre:
Tel: +27 (0)41 922 5214
Fax: +27 (0)41 922 5765
