Makana Local Municipality lies in the Sarah Baartman District of the Eastern Cape. The 2022 census counted 97,815 people across 4,376 km². The seat is Makhanda, formerly Grahamstown, named after the Xhosa prophet and leader Makana.
Towns and Villages in Makana
| Town | Type | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Makhanda | Seat town | 91,548 (2011) |
| Alicedale | Town | 4,639 (2011) |
| Riebeek-Oos | Village | — |
| Salem | Village | — |
| Sidbury | Village | — |
Smaller farm settlements and localities recorded by the national gazetteer:
- Armistice
- Assegaairivier
- Balcraig
- Committees Drift
- Fort Brown
- Glen Ambrose
- Greenlands
- Highlands
- Howieson’s Poort
- Kings Heights
- Mitford Park
- Rosedale
- Seven Fountains
- The Haven
- Trumpeters
- West Hill
- Yarrow
Geography
Makana sits on the Eastern Cape’s coastal hinterland, between the Fish and Kowie rivers, roughly 40 km inland from the coast. It borders Ndlambe, Sundays River Valley and Blue Crane Route within Sarah Baartman District.
Demographics
Population rose from 80,390 at the 2011 census to 97,815 in 2022, driven largely by growth in Makhanda. Xhosa and Afrikaans are the two leading home languages, with a sizeable English-speaking minority tied to Rhodes University.
Economy and Local Life
Rhodes University and the associated schools and government offices are Makhanda’s largest employers, alongside retail serving the wider district. Alicedale has shifted from its rail-junction history toward game-lodge tourism on former farmland. Sheep and citrus farming continue in the surrounding rural wards.
History
Grahamstown was founded in 1812 as a British military garrison town during the Cape Frontier Wars. In 1819 the Xhosa prophet and military leader Makana led an attack on the town; he was later captured and died attempting to escape Robben Island. The town was officially renamed Makhanda in 2018 in his honour. Alicedale grew later as a railway town on the line between Gqeberha and Makhanda, and the municipality has hosted South Africa’s National Arts Festival, one of the continent’s largest arts events, since 1974.
Getting There
The N2 runs through Makhanda, linking it to Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) roughly 130 km southwest and East London to the northeast. The R67 connects south to Port Alfred on the coast. Gqeberha’s airport is the nearest with scheduled flights.
Alicedale sits off the R67, roughly 45 km southwest of Makhanda, and is best reached by that road rather than directly off the N2.
Makhanda’s population has grown around Rhodes University and its associated schools, while the municipality has faced well-documented water-supply and service-delivery strain in recent years, prompting national government intervention. Alicedale’s much smaller population has shifted from its railway-era workforce toward game-lodge and tourism jobs on former farmland nearby.
FAQ
What is the seat of Makana Local Municipality? Makhanda (formerly Grahamstown).
What is the population? 97,815 people at the 2022 census.
How big is Makana? 4,376 km².
Which district is it in? Sarah Baartman District Municipality.
What is Makana named after? Makana, a Xhosa prophet and 19th-century resistance leader.
Was Makhanda called Grahamstown before? Yes — it was renamed from Grahamstown to Makhanda in 2018.
What is Makhanda known for? Rhodes University and the annual National Arts Festival, one of Africa’s largest arts events.
What district is Makana part of? Sarah Baartman District Municipality.
How far is Makhanda from Gqeberha? About 130 km southwest along the N2.
Does Makana have a coastline? No — the municipality is inland; the nearest coastal towns are in neighbouring Ndlambe.
What villages sit within Makana besides Alicedale? Riebeek-Oos, Salem and Sidbury are the municipality’s other small rural settlements.
What language is spoken most in Makhanda? Xhosa and Afrikaans are the two leading home languages, with a notable English-speaking population around the university.
Has Makana had governance problems? Yes — the municipality was placed under a court-ordered dissolution in 2020 over service-delivery failures, with a new administration in place from 2024.