Nqanqarhu, formerly known as Maclear, is a small town in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, situated along the banks of the Mooi River (a tributary of the Tsitsa River), and at the intersection of the R56 Provincial Route and the R396 Regional Route.
This trout-fishing resort lies between Mount Fletcher (officially renamed Tlokoeng) and Ugie, in the foothills of the Drakensberg mountains, approximately 22 km north-east of Ugie, 70 km north-east of Elliot (officially renamed Khowa), and 316 km north-east of East London.
The land to the east and south of Maclear (officially renamed Nqanqarhu) was part of the former homeland of Transkei.
Nqanqarhu town falls within the Elundini Local Municipality, which is part of the Joe Gqabi District Municipality. Nqanqarhu is the main town and administrative centre/seat of the Elundini Local Municipality.
History
The town of Maclear was founded in 1876 as a military camp, called Nqanqaru Drift, and developed rapidly, reaching municipal status in 1916.
The town was named after Sir Thomas Maclear (1794-1879), a famous astronomer who laid the foundation for a trigonometrical survey of the Cape Colony.
In 2021, the town of Maclear was renamed Nqanqarhu.
