Jeffreys Bay is a small fishing village and seaside resort some 72 km west of Port Elizabeth and 16 km east of Humansdorp, on the western shore of St Francis Bay. It developed from a trading post, was already a popular resort in 1868, was settled by members of the public from 1918, administered by a village management board from 1926 and attained municipal status in 1968. The Jeffreys after whom it is named is variously identified as a trader, a ship-wrecked ship’s captain who survived by building a hut from the wreckage, and a whaler from St Helena who opened the first commercial house there.
Located on the the R102. Jeffreys Bay is 77 km’s from Port Elizabeth.
Surfing
According to CNN Travel
2. Supertubes, Jeffrey’s Bay, South Africa
The best right-hand ride in the world, according to our panel of Surfing Magazine editors, Jeffrey’s Bay offers long, fast barrels off an intense point break.
The bay is divided into sections, so there are plenty of choices — Kitchen Windows, Magna Tubes, Boneyards and, gnarliest of all, Supertubes.
Expert surfers flock here for rides up to 300 meters long.
It does not matter who you ask about the best surfing spots in the world, Jeffreys bay is always in the top 10. Jeffreys Bay is a popular tourist destination because of its surfing opportunities.
Jeffreys Bay Local Municipality
Jeffreys Bay is part of the Kouga Local Municipality which is a Category B municipality situated in the Eastern Cape Province within the Sarah Baartman District Municipality. It comprises the coastal region and the fertile Gamtoos Valley, which also happens to be the gateway to the famous Baviaanskloof wilderness area. It is one of seven municipalities in the district.
The Gamtoos Valley is recognised as one of the prime exporting areas for citrus and avocado pears. It also competes with the best that South Africa has to offer with its potato crops. Port St Francis, situated in St Francis Bay, is home to the squid industry. The squid, normally referred to as ‘chokka’, is mainly export quality but is available locally as one of the area’s prized products.
The Kouga region is of strategic importance in the energy industry. Two large wind farms are already in operation in the area, with more to follow. The area is also home to Thyspunt, one of the sites under consideration for Eskom’s proposed new nuclear power station.
Kouga has great development opportunities and astute businessmen and women can take advantage of the diverse economic heritage that the Kouga area offers to entrepreneurs.
The seat of Kouga, Jeffreys Bay, is situated roughly 80km from Port Elizabeth. The town is world-renowned for its ‘Supertubes’ surfing spot while ‘Bruce’s Beauties’ at Cape St Francis also attract surfers from all over the globe. The clean, safe beaches are exploited by many a tourist, with a large number making an annual pilgrimage to the sandy shores to enjoy a relaxed yet vibrant holiday.
Area: 2 670km²
Cities/Towns: Cape St Francis, Hankey, Humansdorp, Jeffreys Bay, Loerie, Oyster Bay, Patensie, St Francis Bay, Thornhill
Jeffreys bay Tourism
Contact details
Telephone: +27 (0)42 293 2923
Email: info@jeffreysbaytourism.org
Contact: Jacqui Bursey
Jeffreys Bay is on the Kouga Route in the Eastern Cape.
KOUGA ROUTE
The Kouga Route offers the perfect getaway for adventure enthusiasts and nature lovers alike. Surfing, bungy-jumping and wilderness are some of the highlights to be discovered.
The Kouga Route stretches from the Tsitsikamma area to the Van Stadens River between Port Elizabeth and the Garden Route, and includes the Lankloof Valley and the Baviaans Mega Reserve.
Home to the best right hand surf break, the highest commercial bungy jump in the world and the biggest wilderness area in South Africa, the Kouga region provides visitors with a wide range of activities for both adventure enthusiasts and those wanting to experience peace and quiet.
Jeffrey’s Bay, surfing mecca of South Africa, St Francis Bay, breath-taking landscape ideal for leisure cruises and photographic expeditions and the Gamtoos Valley, known as the fruit basket of the Eastern Cape are some of the highlights along this Route.
The biggest wilderness area is guarded by the majestic Cockscomb Mountains and the town of Patensie, the eastern gateway into the Baviaanskloof. Patensie is home to the Kouga Dam – the first double arched dam engineered in South Africa. The Town’s activities revolve around the citrus, potato and vegetable industry within a large farming community.
The Baviaanskloof wilderness consists of a 192 000ha conservation area and is a World Heritage Site and home to an amazing diversity of habitat types and species.
Offering visitors spectacular scenic drives, the Langkloof Valley boasts beautiful fruit orchards that bloom with pink and white blossoms during spring.
The Kouga region gives you access to exceptional and diverse natural features, mountain wilderness areas and activities for the whole family to enjoy.
Highlights to visit
Baviaanskloof Nature Reserve
Top five reasons to visit
- The Baviaanskloof Mega-Reserve covers 200km of unspoiled mountainous terrain and thousand different plant species, including the Erica and Protea .
- Seven of South Africa’s eight biomes are represented within the Baviaanskloof Nature Reserve – Fynbos, Forest, Grassland, Succulent Karoo, Nama-Karoo, Subtropical Thicket and Savanna.
- World Heritage Site status, the Baviaanskloof Nature Reserve is home to the biggest wilderness area in the country and is also one of the eight protected areas of the Cape Floristic region.
- Diverse animal life includes Cape Leopard, Cape Buffalo, Kudu, Cape Mountain Zebra, Red Hartebeest, Bushbuck, Mountain Rhebuck, Eland and Baboon.
- Activities for adventure enthusiasts include mountain hiking, rock and mountain climbing, camping, wildlife photography, bird watching and scenic drives.
Golf at The Links
Take a swing at St Francis Links Golf Course.
The Jack Nicklaus designed Golf Course gives you a top-notch playing experience in a breath-taking landscape. Your impeccable golfing esteem will appreciate the challenging golf course that uplifts your game.
Facilities at St Francis Links include the Clubhouse, Lighthouse Restaurant, Jack’s Bar and Pro Shop.
For more information visit http://www.stfrancislinks.com/links-golf/the-clubhouse.html.
Chokka Trail
The guided trail hike through St Francis Bay, Port St Francis, Cape St Francis and Oyster Bay leads you past fishing villages, a rugged coastline, sand dunes, a tidal river, protected fynbos, wetlands and many more beautiful spots. There is no better way to get know the area and to appreciate the landscape than through a hike.
Visit http://chokkatrail.co.za/ for route and package information.
Surfing at super tubes
Kitchen Windows, Magnatubes, Boneyards, Supertubes, Impossibles, Salad Bowls, Coins, Tubes, The Point and Albatross – if you are a surfer, than this is music in your ears. If you are wanting to learn how to surf, then there is no better place than Jeffrey’s Bay, the surfing mecca of South Africa.
In Jeffrey’s Bay, also known as J-Bay, life is all about surfing: menus in restaurant have related themes and shopping focuses on either surfing equipment or surf clothing.
While surfing is a water sport that can be practiced all year around, the best waves can be found during the autum and winter seasons.
The Billabong Pro Championships, which attract the world’s top 45 surfers, is hosted in Jeffreys Bay every year in July.
Visit Jeffrey’s Bay for your ultimate soul surfing experience.
SANCOB CAPE ST. FRANCIS CENTRE
SANCCOB is at the forefront of saving African penguins and other threatened seabirds.
Go on a tour of the SANCOB centre in St Francis and learn about:
- The African penguin and other threatened seabirds
- The rehabilitation process at SANCCOB
- Meet our home pen birds
- One on one with our ambassador birds
- Enjoy the sight of the iconic Seal Point lighthouse
- Adopt a penguin from SANCCOB Eastern Cape
Tours are weather permitting (as the Centre is not covered) and based on staff availability. Book your tour by contacting Louanne at louanne@sanccob.co.za on 042 298 0160 / 083 874 3067.
Read more about the SANCCOB’s initiatives here: http://www.sanccob.co.za/?view=featured.
Return to the Eastern Cape Towns/Cities page HERE
Visit the Eastern Cape Provincial Reserves page or Eastern Cape Private Reserves or maybe you would like to visit the Eastern Cape National Parks page.
Key Statistics 2011
| Total population | 27,107 |
| Young (0-14) | 21,9% |
| Working Age (15-64) | 63,7% |
| Elderly (65+) | 14,4% |
| Dependency ratio | 57 |
| Sex ratio | 94,8 |
| Population density | 1304 persons/km2 |
| No schooling aged 20+ | 2,6% |
| Higher education aged 20+ | 16,8% |
| Matric aged 20+ | 34,8% |
| Number of households | 10,327 |
| Average household size | 2,5 |
| Female headed households | 39,1% |
| Formal dwellings | 78,3% |
| Housing owned/paying off | 52,9% |
| Flush toilet connected to sewerage | 76% |
| Weekly refuse removal | 93,3% |
| Piped water inside dwelling | 71,3% |
| Electricity for lighting | 88,3% |