Port St. Johns Local Municipality lies on the Wild Coast in the OR Tambo District, Eastern Cape, at the mouth of the Mzimvubu River. The 2022 census recorded 179,325 people across 1,291 km². Port St Johns town is the seat and the municipality’s only large town.
Towns and Villages in Port St. Johns
| Place | Note |
|---|---|
| Port St Johns | Seat town, on the Mzimvubu River mouth, pop. 5,939 (2011) |
| Isinuka | Rural community, sulphur springs |
| Mngazana | Coastal rural community, estuary and mangroves |
The municipality is otherwise rural, spread across roughly 130 villages in 20 wards. The national gazetteer records these settlements:
- Amajola
- Batweni
- Bhakaleni
- Bholani
- Bhukada
- Big Umngazi
- Bizana
- Buchele
- Bulawa
- Buto
- Butulo
- Camerondale
- Cwebeni
- Dangwana
- Dukulweni
- Fort Harrison
- Gcwaleni
- Gemvale
- Glengazi
- Goqwana
- Gxokoza
- Kings Ride
- Kohla
- Kohlogolo
- Kote
- Ku-Gcobane
- Ku-Maqebevu
- Ku-Rebu
- KuSipusipu
- Kwa-Gambushe
- Kwa-Gangata
- Kwa-Gora
- Kwa-Nomsenge
- Kwa-Qoboshendlini
- Kwa-Zulu
- KwaMhlaza
- KwaNtandayo
- KwaQukuswayo
- KwaRela
- Kwanyana
- Langeni
- Lower Mkate
- Ludalasi
- Ludonga
- Lugaqweni
- Lugongqoso
- Luqoqweni
- Lutengela
- Lutengele
- Luzupu
- Mafusini
- Majolantaba
- Makeswa
- Mangweni
- Manteku
- Mantusini
- Matafana
- Matane
- Matombe
- Mbokazi
- Mbozizeni
- Mfundeni
- Mgubu
- Mgxabakazi
- Mkanzini
- Mount Bleak
- Mpamba
- Mtambalala
- Mtumbane
- Mvukazi
- Mvume Springs
- Mzilanga
- Mzintlavana
- Ndulini
- Ndumakude
- Ndwalane
- Ngcoya
- Ngqotsini
- Ngqwangu
- Nkanti
- Nkodusweni
- Nomadi
- Ntafufu
- Ntile
- Ntlanjeni
- Ntshamate
- Ntsimbini
- Nzondeni
- Orange Grove
- Qandu
- Rawutini
- Retreat
- River View
- Ross Common
- Sea View
- Sihlitho
- Sikelweni
- Sinangwana
- Sitshayelweni
- Swazini
- Taleni
- Tekwini
- Thombo
- Tombo
- Tyityane
- Umngazana
- Umngazi Mouth
- Valley View
- Ziqangweni
History
The town takes its name from the São João, a 16th-century Portuguese ship wrecked near the river mouth; “St Johns” is the English rendering of the saint’s name. A trading settlement grew at the harbour from the 1870s, serving as one of the few natural ports on the Wild Coast, and the area fell within the Transkei Bantustan under apartheid before reintegration into South Africa in 1994.
Geography
The municipality sits on the Wild Coast where the Mzimvubu River meets the Indian Ocean, marked by steep forested cliffs and river gorges. It borders Nyandeni to the southwest and west and Ingquza Hill to the north, within OR Tambo District.
Demographics
Population grew from 156,136 at the 2011 census to 179,325 in 2022. Xhosa is the first language of about 95% of residents, and the area falls within the former Transkei.
Economy and Local Life
Subsistence farming and remittances from migrant workers support most rural households. Port St Johns town, the Wild Coast’s scenery and the Mzimvubu estuary draw a modest but growing eco-tourism trade, alongside fishing.
Getting There
The R61 connects Port St Johns to Mthatha, about 90 km inland, and on to the N2. There is no scheduled air service; Mthatha Airport is the nearest, roughly two hours by road.
Most of Port St. Johns’ population lives outside the seat town itself, spread across dozens of coastal and inland villages built around subsistence homesteads. The town’s own population has grown gradually as backpacker and eco-tourism trade has expanded along the Wild Coast, though formal jobs remain scarce for most of the rural population.
FAQ
What is the seat of Port St. Johns Local Municipality? Port St Johns town.
What is the population? 179,325 people at the 2022 census.
How big is Port St. Johns? 1,291 km².
Which district is it in? OR Tambo District Municipality.
What is Port St Johns known for? The Mzimvubu River mouth and Wild Coast scenery.
How many villages does the municipality have? Over 130 villages spread across 20 wards, per the municipality’s own figures.
What language do most residents speak? Xhosa, the first language of about 95% of residents.
Which district is Port St. Johns part of? OR Tambo District Municipality, Eastern Cape.
Is there an airport in Port St. Johns? No — the nearest airport with scheduled flights is Mthatha, about two hours away by road.