List of Towns, Villages and Cities in Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality

Raymond Mhlaba is a local municipality in the Amathole District Municipality, Eastern Cape, formed in August 2016 by merging the former Nkonkobe and Nxuba local municipalities. The 2022 census recorded 178,594 people over 6,357.3 km², up from 151,379 in 2011. Fort Beaufort is the seat.

Towns and Villages in Raymond Mhlaba

Fort Beaufort is the largest town and seat, followed by Alice — home to the University of Fort Hare — and Adelaide. Bedford, Balfour, Seymour, Middledrift and the forest resort village of Hogsback round out the main towns. The former Nkonkobe and Nxuba areas together carry 77 recorded settlements.

The fuller list of villages and localities:

1. Ann Shaw
2. Argyle
3. Brown’s Vale
4. Cullendale
5. Debe Marela
6. Ebenezer Mhlambiso’s
7. Ganda
8. Glen Gregor
9. Glen Lynden
10. Glenthorn
11. Gola Hashe’s Location
12. Healdton Fingo
13. Healdtown
14. Kamas Location
15. Kama’s
16. Karberg
17. Knapps Hope
18. Kwa-Ndlankomo
19. Kwa-Nomadola
20. KwaNcaza
21. KwaPita
22. Kwatinidubu
23. Kwezana
24. Leevdrift
25. Lilyvale
26. Lovedale
27. Mabandla’s
28. Mabandla’s Location
29. Magaleni
30. Maipase
31. Mama
32. Mcamemfene
33. Melani
34. Mfiki
35. Mnqaba Kulile
36. Mount Snell
37. Msulugwa
38. Ncabasa
39. Ncera
40. Ncera Pezula
41. Ngenu
42. Ngobe
43. Ngobe Location
44. Ngoele
45. Ngqolowa
46. Ngwabeni
47. Njwaxa
48. Outubeni
49. Pewuleni Mission
50. Pheuleni
51. Qamdobowa
52. Quma’s
53. Roxeni
54. Schoongozicht
55. Sheshego Fingo
56. Teba
57. Thorndale
58. Tyutyuza
59. Upper Clifton
60. Walkersvale
61. Windsor
62. Xengxe
63. Xukwane
64. Yantola’s
65. Zalis
66. Zibi’s
67. Zigodlo
68. Zihlahleni

Geography

Raymond Mhlaba stretches from the Kat River valley and Winterberg foothills in the north to the Amathole mountain range around Hogsback in the south. Within Amathole District it borders Great Kei and Ngqushwa, with Buffalo City Metro to the south and the Chris Hani district to the north. The Kat River irrigation valley, running past Fort Beaufort and Balfour, is one of the oldest formally irrigated farming areas in South Africa, while Hogsback sits in indigenous Amathole forest at over 1,200 metres above sea level.

Demographics

Population grew from 151,379 in 2011 to 178,594 in 2022, a rise of about 18%, one of the larger increases recorded in Amathole District. Xhosa is the predominant first language across the merged area, with English and Afrikaans also spoken, particularly around Fort Beaufort, Bedford and Adelaide, reflecting the area’s mixed farming and mission-town history.

Economy and Local Life

Citrus farming is the backbone of the local economy around Fort Beaufort, Adelaide and Bedford, alongside livestock and mixed crop farming in the Kat River valley. Alice functions as an education hub around the University of Fort Hare, drawing students and staff from across the province, and Hogsback draws tourists for its forests, waterfalls and hiking trails, giving the municipality a small but steady tourism income alongside its agricultural base.

Getting There

Fort Beaufort lies on the N6 corridor route between Queenstown and East London via Alice, with the R63 running north-west toward Cradock and Middelburg and a mountain pass road climbing south from Alice to Hogsback. East London’s airport is roughly 90 minutes from Fort Beaufort, and Komani is a similar distance to the north-east.

FAQ

What is the seat of Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality?
Fort Beaufort.

When was Raymond Mhlaba formed?
In August 2016, merging the former Nkonkobe and Nxuba local municipalities.

How many towns and villages does Raymond Mhlaba have?
GeoNames records 77 settlements, led by Fort Beaufort, Alice, Adelaide and Bedford.

What is the population of Raymond Mhlaba?
178,594 people at the 2022 census, up from 151,379 in 2011.

Which university is in Raymond Mhlaba?
The University of Fort Hare, in Alice.