Culture and Crafts

The diverse ethnic mix of Port Alfred & Grahamstown brings together the best of traditional African, Indo/Malay, Dutch and English food influences. There are always in excess of 50 different restaurants & hotels to choose between at night plus a similar number of cafes & restaurants during the day not forgetting the Fish River Sun Casino near by . Local farms and craft centres offer a chance to meet and enjoy the Xhosa tribal peoples dancing, singing and customs plus both their food and also that of the early Dutch pioneers. A guided tour of the Nelson Mandela township where most of the Port Alfred population live will be a moving and educational experience giving a first hand insight into the countries post apartheid development. This frontier border line area was populated in 1820 by a mass emigration encouraged by the English government of 5000 English families with promises of fertile farming in a brave new world. In reality they were deployed as a buffer zone between the limits of the Dutch farming expansion and the indigenous tribes beyond. This border line has in reality survived to the present day and there are many forts, museums and sites of historical interest marking the struggles of these times gone by. It is easy to cast ones imagination back to the pioneering settlements and forbears of the current inhabitants of all races in this area. In many ways little has actually changed. The nearby towns of Bathurst, the historic town of Grahamstown (site of Rhodes University ), Fort Hare (site of Africas famous black university where both Nelson Mandela and Robert Mugabe attended ) and Fort Beaufort are all well worth a visit. Like most of South Africa, Port Alfred is predominantly a christian community where there are many and various well attended lively churches.