Mount Ayliff, officially eMaxesibeni, is a small town situated along the N2 National Route in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, near the KwaZulu-Natal provincial border.
Mount Ayliff is located in a mountainous valley, hence the word “Mount”. The town is located a mere 26 km south-west of the KwaZulu-Natal border and 37.2 km south of Kokstad and 143 km north-east of Mthatha on the N2 national highway.
The nearest city to Mount Ayliff is Durban, which is 283 km north-east of the town.
eMaxesibeni (formerly Mount Ayliff) falls within the Umzimvubu Local Municipality and the Alfred Nzo District Municipality. The town is the administrative centre/seat of the District.
Xesibeland, the traditional region of the Xesibe people, was located around Mount Ayliff. The Xesibe was led by Chief Jojo; Jojo today is the royal family and still the leading family in EmaXesibeni.
History
The town was possibly named in 1878 after either John Ayliff, a mission station founder, or William Ayliff, a Cape government official for native affairs.
