This Eastern Cape city was named on 6 June 1820 after Elizabeth the wife of Sir Donkin. Port Elizabeth, or ‘PE’ as it is famously known, is the seat of the Eastern Cape provincial government.

Although Port Elizabeth is currently very racially and ethnically mixed, the first indigenous people living there were the Khoisan. The Xhosa-speaking communities were the next to arrive and occupied the north and the western part of what is now the Eastern Cape Province, before the British settlers arrived in the 1700s.

In the 1800s Port Elizabeth became the heart of commercialization for the British settlers. Its easy access to the ocean made trade simple and supported the notion of European settler communities. Frederick Korsten established the first industrial area in 1812 at Algoa Park. By 1900 there was an increase in the production of wool washeries, boot, shoe and leather manufacturing. In 1926 Ford Motor Company and General Motors began the motor industry which supplied the rest of the country, this led to Port Elizabeth to be give the name ‘Detroit of South Africa’

As a result of the European influence, Port Elizabeth has old buildings and historic attractions such as the 5km Donkin Heritage Trail, which allows visitors to walk in the footsteps of the first settlers.