About East London
The city lies on the Indian Ocean coast, largely between the Buffalo River and the Nahoon River, and hosts the country's only river port. East London today has a population of over 267,000 with over 755,000 in the metropolitan area. Lieutenant John Bailie of the Royal Navy, one of the 1820 Settlers, surveyed the Buffalo River mouth and founded the town in 1836, a memorial on Signal Hill commemorating the event.[6] The city formed around the only river port in South Africa and was originally known as Port Rex. This settlement on the West Bank was the nucleus of the town of East London, which was elevated to city status in 1914. Resorts include: Yellowsands, Glen Eden, Areena, Gonubie, Queensbury Bay, Cintsa West and Cintsa East.