[4] The landscape ranges from moist uplands and grassland hills to the arid Karoo scrubland.

These local municipalities were originally part of the Transkei or Ciskei, which were former homelands during Apartheid, designed to separate different ethnic groups.

[4] The provision of basic services is particularly limited in the eastern municipalities which are largely rural.

Backlogs include the delivery of tap water and adequate sanitation, school infrastructure and tarred roads.

[6] Evidence of tarred roads in the rest of the district municipality is below the Eastern Cape’s provincial average – resulting in limited public transportation and access to health care facilities in bigger towns.