Kei Mouth

32°40′S 28°22′E / 32.667°S 28.367°E / -32.667; 28.367CountrySouth AfricaProvinceEastern CapeDistrictAmatholeMunicipalityGreat KeiGovernment • TypePart of a local municipalityArea • Total2.07 km² (0.80 sq mi)Population • Total291 • Density140/km² (360/sq mi)Racial makeup (2011) • Black African7.6% • Indian/Asian0.7% • White91.4% • Other0.3%First languages (2011) • English64.2% • Afrikaans29.0% • Xhosa4.3% • Tswana1.1% • Other1.4%Time zoneUTC+2 (SAST)Postal code (street)PO boxArea code043WebsiteKei Mouth

Kei Mouth (Afrikaans: Keimond) is a resort town on the southeast coast of South Africa, situated in the Wild Coast region of the Eastern Cape Province, situated 94 kilometres from the city of East London. The town is situated on the Indian Ocean coast, on the western bank of the Great Kei River, and has one of the country's three remaining car transporting pontoon river ferries.

History

The town of Kei Mouth was created by the British after the 8th Frontier War, as part of the frontline of a buffer zone aimed at protecting British Kaffraria from the warring Xhosa tribes.

Huberta, the famous Hippo, took up residence in the Kei River just above third cave in 1930. She was eventually chased off and continued her journey southward once more.

Sports

Bowls and Golf are favoured pastimes in Kei Mouth. The Kei Mouth Country Club has a 12-hole golf course and there is a bowling green and a squash court adjacent to the campsite. The country club is the venue for a weekly parkrun.

Other sporting activities include mountain biking, horse riding and water sports such as surfing, swimming, fishing, boating and windsurfing.

Tourism

The economy of Kei Mouth revolves largely around tourism due to its location at the southern entrance to the erstwhile Transkei region. Whilst many of the residents are retirees, a large portion of homes are holiday homes owned by families from the interior. There are several accommodation establishments, a municipal campsite, multiple restaurants and bars, one supermarket (Savmor) and a fuel station.^{[citation needed]}.

Nearby resort towns include: Qolora Mouth, Morgan Bay, Haga Haga and Chintsa

Demographics

The main languages spoken in Kei Mouth are English, Xhosa and Afrikaans. The town is home to a large number of retirees, thanks to the mild climate and holiday atmosphere.

References