# East London

> city in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

**Wikidata**: [Q209537](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q209537)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_London,_South_Africa)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/east-london

## Summary
East London is a city and port located in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Situated within the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality, it serves as the capital of the Amathole District Municipality. Founded in 1872, the city is scheduled to officially change its name to **KuGompo City** on February 6, 2026.

## Key Facts
- **Class:** City, Port City
- **Location:** Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality, Eastern Cape, South Africa
- **Coordinates:** Latitude -33.0175, Longitude 27.904722222222222
- **Area:** 156.7 square kilometres
- **Elevation:** 48 metres above sea level
- **Population:** 478,676
- **Inception:** 1872
- **Timezone:** UTC+02:00
- **UN/LOCODE:** ZAELS
- **Local Dialing Code:** 043
- **Postal Codes:** 5201 (standard), 5200 (Post Office Box)
- **Official Website:** https://kugompocity.co.za/
- **Name Change:** Officially becoming "KuGompo City" on February 6, 2026

## FAQs
**What is the current official name of East London?**
As of the provided records, the city is officially named East London. However, it is scheduled to be officially renamed **KuGompo City** starting February 6, 2026.

**Where is East London located administratively?**
The city is located in South Africa within the Eastern Cape province. It falls under the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality and serves as the capital of the Amathole District Municipality.

**What are the key logistical codes for East London?**
The city uses the UN/LOCODE **ZAELS** for trade and logistics. For telecommunications, the local dialing code is **043**, and it utilizes the postal codes **5201** for street addresses and **5200** for post office boxes.

**What is the geographic size and population of East London?**
East London covers an area of 156.7 square kilometres and sits at an elevation of 48 metres. The recorded population of the city is 478,676.

## Why It Matters
East London holds significance as a major human settlement and functional port city on the coast of the Eastern Cape. Its role as the capital of the Amathole District Municipality underscores its administrative importance in the region. The city is currently undergoing a notable transition in cultural identity, marked by the upcoming official adoption of the name "KuGompo City" in 2026, reflecting a shift towards indigenous nomenclature. With a substantial population of nearly half a million people and a history dating back to 1872, it remains a critical hub for the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality.

## Notable For
- **Upcoming Name Change:** Distinguished by a scheduled official name change to "KuGompo City" on February 6, 2026.
- **Port Status:** Functions as a recognized port city (UN/LOCODE ZAELS).
- **Administrative Capital:** Serves as the capital of the Amathole District Municipality.
- **Global Twinning:** maintains a twinning relationship with Keelung.
- **Digital Reach:** Wikipedia articles about the city are available in over 60 languages, including Xhosa, Zulu, and Afrikaans.

## Body

### Geography and Administration
East London is situated in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Geographically, it is positioned at a latitude of -33.0175 and a longitude of 27.904722222222222. The city encompasses a total area of 156.7 square kilometres and is elevated 48 metres above sea level.

Administratively, the city falls under the **Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality**. It also holds the distinction of being the capital of the **Amathole District Municipality**. The city operates within the South Africa time zone (UTC+02:00).

### History and Naming
The settlement was officially founded (inception) in **1872**. Historically, it has been described by sources such as the *Encyclopædia Britannica 11th edition* and the *Great Russian Encyclopedia* (as ИСТ-ЛОНДОН).

A significant change in the city's identity is scheduled for the near future. The official name "East London" is set to be replaced by **KuGompo City** effective **February 6, 2026**. Other aliases and historical names for the entity include **Oos-Londen** (Afrikaans) and **イーストロンドン** (Japanese).

### Demographics and Contact
The city has a recorded population of **478,676**. For communication and logistics, East London utilizes the local dialing code **043**. The official website for the city is hosted at `https://kugompocity.co.za/`.

### Infrastructure and Logistics
As a functional port city, East London is assigned the United Nations Code for Trade and Transport Locations (UN/LOCODE) **ZAELS**. The postal infrastructure designates **5201** for general delivery and **5200** specifically for post office boxes.

### International and Cultural Relations
East London maintains a twinned administrative relationship with the city of **Keelung**. The entity is categorized under the `Regional/Africa/South_Africa/Eastern_Cape/East_London/` path in the Curlie directory. It is also listed as a topic on Quora as "East-London-South-Africa".

### Digital and Academic Identifiers
East London possesses a wide array of identifiers across global databases and libraries:
- **Wikidata:** Lex ID `East_London`
- **Library of Congress:** Authority ID `n82111299`
- **VIAF:** ID `153629960`
- **GND (German National Library):** ID `4497167-9`
- **GeoNames:** ID `1006984`
- **OpenStreetMap:** Node ID `30211383`
- **MusicBrainz:** Area ID `e6d3e2e8-f91e-4585-827c-e1fd2c5ac57a`
- **BBC Things:** ID `56b48f78-9559-4f25-8c66-a40e11a8f5db`
- **Encyclopædia Britannica Online:** ID `place/East-London`
- **Treccani:** ID `east-london`
- **Gran Enciclopèdia Catalana:** ID `east-london`

Additional database entries include identifiers from FAST (`1221483`), Freebase (`/m/01tjqp`), Who's on First (`101929165`), and the U.S. National Archives (`10038255`).

### Wiki and Media Presence
The entity has a substantial presence on Wikimedia projects, evidenced by a `sitelink_count` of 66. Its content is available in a vast array of languages including Afrikaans, Arabic, Chinese, German, French, Xhosa, Zulu, and dozens of others. Wikimedia Commons hosts specific media files including an image of the Town Hall (`East_London_Town_Hall.JPG`) and a page banner (`East_London_Banner.jpg`). The main category for the topic is `Category:East London, South Africa`, with sub-categories for people born there or associated with the city.

## References

1. Virtual International Authority File
2. South African Post Office
3. [Source](http://www.postoffice.co.za/tools/pcodes.xls)
4. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
5. MusicBrainz
6. Flickr Shapefiles Public Dataset 2.0
7. [Source](https://businesstech.co.za/news/government/850166/east-london-and-graaff-reinet-are-officially-no-more/)
8. GeoNames
9. [Source](https://service.unece.org/trade/locode/za.htm)
10. Quora
11. [archINFORM](https://www.archinform.net/service/wd_aiort.php)
12. KBpedia
13. museum-digital