South Africa has renamed two cities, three towns and two airports in the Eastern Cape! [update]

update (25 February 2021): Pumza Fihlani from the BBC tells us how to say Gqeberha - the new Xhosa name for Port Elizabeth.

South Africa's Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Nathi Mthethwa, has officially announced a number of name changes for towns, cities and airports as well as spelling corrections and the official registration for existing geographical names in South Africa's Eastern Cape. The changes were published in a Government Gazette (Government Gazette Vol. 668 No. 44181) on 23 February. The Minister approved the new geographical names for the following towns, cities and airports:

• Port Elizabeth International Airport (PLZ) > Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport
• Port Elizabeth > Gqeberha
• Uitenhage > Kariega
• East London Airport (ELS) > King Phalo Airport
• King Williams Town > Qonce
• Berlin > Ntabozuko
• Maclear > Nqanqarhu

For the spelling corrections and the official registration for existing geographical names (villages, human settlements and a mountain), please see the Government Gazette (Government Gazette Vol. 668 No. 44181, 23 February 2021).

Cape Town International Airport named Best Airport in Africa at the Skytrax World Airport Awards 2013

Cape Town International Airport in Cape Town has been named Best Airport in Africa 2013 at the SKYTRAX World Airport Awards™, held at the Passenger Terminal EXPO in Geneva (Switzerland). OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg became second in the ranking followed by Durban's King Shaka International Airport. East London Airport in East London was named 6th best Airport in Africa while Port Elizabeth International Airport in Port Elizabeth was ranked 8th best on the continent. Congratulations!

1. Cape Town International Airport, Cape Town (South Africa)
2. OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg (South Africa)
3. King Shaka International Airport, Durban (South Africa)
4. Cairo International Airport, Cairo (Egypt)
5. Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport, Port Louis (Mauritius)
6. East London Airport, East London (South Africa)
7. Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia)
8. Port Elizabeth International Airport, Port Elizabeth (South Africa)
9. Marrakech Menara International Airport, Marrakech (Morocco)
10. Seychelles International Airport, Victoria, Mahe (Seychelles)

The SKYTRAX World Airport Awards™ are based on 12.1 million survey questionnaires completed by 108 different nationalities of airline customers during the nine month survey period in 2012 and 2013, covering more than 395 airports worldwide. The survey evaluates the total passenger experience across 39 different airport service and product features, from arrival at an airport, through transit and departure processes to the boarding gate. Operating since 1999, the SKYTRAX World Airport Awards™ is held in highest esteem for its clarity of process and rigorously applied rules of complete independence.

Cape Town International Airport named Best Airport in Africa at 2012 Skytrax World Airport Awards

Cape Town's Cape Town International Airport has been named as the Best Airport in Africa at at the SKYTRAX World Airport Awards™,  held at Passenger Terminal EXPO in Vienna, Austria. OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg became second in the ranking followed by Durban's King Shaka International Airport. Cairo International Airport achieved 4th place with Mauritius (Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport) in 5th place.

1. Cape Town International Airport, Cape Town (South Africa)
2. OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg (South Africa)
3. King Shaka International Airport, Durban (South Africa)
4. Cairo International Airport, Cairo (Egypt)
5. Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport, Mauritius (Mauritius)
6. East London Airport, East London (South Africa)
7. Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia)
8. Marrakech-Menara Airport, Marrakech (Morocco)
9. Seychelles International Airport (Seychelles)
10. Tunis-Carthage Airport, Tunis (Tunisia)

The results are based on 12 million passenger surveys completed during a 10-month survey period, covering over 385 airports. The survey evaluates the total passenger experience across 39 airport service and product features, from arrival at an airport, through transit and departure processes to the boarding gate. Operated since 1999, the annual airport customer survey is respected for clarity and independence, having no airport influence or bias. The SKYTRAX World Airport Awards are the global benchmark of airport excellence and known in the travel industry as the Passenger Choice Awards. (via SKYTRAX)