Port St. Johns (or Port Saint Johns) is a town on the Wild Coast in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, at the mouth of the Umzimvubu River, approximately 92 km east of Mthatha and 317 km north-east of East London.
From Mthatha in the west and Flagstaff in the north, the R61 Provincial Route connects to Port St. Johns. A smaller road leads the last 5 km into town. Port St. Johns has an airstrip, Port St. Johns Airfield, on top of Mount Thesiger.
Port St. Johns falls within the Port St. Johns Local Municipality, which forms part of the OR Tambo District Municipality in Pondoland of the former Transkei.
Port St. Johns is the main settlement/town and administrative centre/seat of the Port St. Johns Local Municipality. According to the 2011 census, it had a population of 6,441, of whom 90% where Xhosa-speaking.
Port St. Johns was the birthplace of Capital Radio 604, a legendary radio station that changed radio in South Africa forever when it introduced listeners to great uncensored music, polished presenters, uncensored news, and great jingles.
Port St. Johns is situated on the Wild Coast on a coastline that is almost 270 km long. The town lies at the mouth of the Mzimvubu River, a river flowing through a gorge known as the “Gates of St John” into an estuary located on the Indian Ocean. On both sides of the river ravine are high sandstone mountain peaks: Mount Thesiger (342 metres above sea level) and Mount Sullivan (304 metres above sea level), named after two British Military officers.
Port St. Johns is known as the centre of tourism on the Wild Coast. It is known for deep-sea fishing, shore angling, and beaches (there are three beaches near the town). Tours targeting world famous “sardine run” are popular as well.
The Pondoland Park is a National park and forested area 500 km² in size, including the Umzimvubu river mouth and stretching north along the coast up to the provincial border with KwaZulu-Natal.
Some of the most significant Travertine deposits in South Africa are found in the area near Port St. Johns. Approximately 10 km west of Port St. Johns, sandstone is excavated for architectural use.
History
This town is thought to have been named after a Portuguese ship (the São João), which was actually wrecked at Port Edward. Later seafarers mistakenly identified the mouth of the Umzimvubu River as the site of this wreck.
In the mid-1800s, the local Mpondo Chief, Ndamase, allowed a few white traders to settle at the mouth of the Umzimvubu River. When Chief Ndamase died in 1876, the Mpondo Great House in Lusikisiki tried to take over the area.
On 17 July 1878, Chief Ndamase’s oldest son, Nqwiliso, reacted by ceding the western bank of the Umzimvubu River to the Cape Colony in return for being recognised as an independent ruler, and he and his people were promised protection. The river mouth was used as a port; this activity was abandoned in the 1940s due to siltation, which caused the river to become too shallow for vessels.
Port St. Johns was the principal port of the defunct Republic of Transkei (1976-1994).
