The Eastern Cape is the birthplace of the iconic Nelson Mandela, former black President of South Africa. The Xhosa speaking peoples, from whom Mandela is descended, comprise most of the population and inhabit predominantly the pristine, beautiful eastern region of the former Transkei.

As they have for centuries, many communities still live in round; thatched dwellings constructed of clay and straw, and continue to practice their age-old traditions and customs.

Disrupted by the arrival of the Afrikaners and the British, the Xhosa nation fought for over 100 years to preserve a heritage which is still proudly intact. During the 20th century their suffering continued, but in that time they became part of the backbone upon which the South African nation was built.

Spread across the region, in the cities and on vast areas of farmland, the English and Afrikaans speaking white population integrate happily with the indigenous Xhosa and descendants of the coloured Malay people of the south-western Cape, creating a rich collage of diverse cultures.