Liverpool of the Cape

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Abstract
In the 1980s, especially with the motor industry in the doldrums, Port Elizabeth could be described as South Africa's Cinderella city. Few people, however, realise the key role she played in South African trade just over a century ago when agriculture was king and the mining revolution still something of the future. At the time it was locally believed that Port Elizabeth was “the most important spot in the colony - not the Liverpool, but the New York of the Cape.” Although she had a fairy tales rise to prominence there was no traditional happy ending Initially, aided by a fairy godmother in sheep's clothing, this Cinderella triumphed over the wicked designs of her Table Bay stepmother's attempts to promote the Kowi e and East London as ports. She became belle of the Cape trade ball hosted by Prince Economics. But at midnight the ox wagon turned into a steam train which the prince hijacked to seek his fortune on the diamond and gold fields. Port Elizabeth's humble sheepskin slipper was overlooked in the rush and instead of the two being reunited and living happily forever after, the prince made a bigamous marriage of convenience to Durban and Lourenco Marques who originally had not even been invited to the trade ball.

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