Founded in 1849, Whittlesea was as a military outpost created to protect white settlers during the Frontier War of 1850-1853. The town was named after Whittlesea in Cambridgeshire, birthplace of Sir Harry Smith (1787-1860), Governor of the Cape Colony from 1847 to 1852.

Whittlesea is a semi-rural town situated in the Hewu district, 37 km south of Queenstown, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. The town is made up townships of Ekuphumleni, Bhede, Extension 4, Extension 5 and Sada. Surrounding Whittlesea are 36 villages which make up the Hewu (meaning “flat land’ in Xhosa) district.

Key Statistics 2011

Total population 14,756
Young (0-14) 32,8%
Working Age (15-64) 61,5%
Elderly (65+) 5,7%
Dependency ratio 62,6
Sex ratio 84,9
Population density 960 persons/km2
No schooling aged 20+ 9,6%
Higher education aged 20+ 11,5%
Matric aged 20+ 22,4%
Number of households 4,051
Average household size 3,6
Female headed households 53,1%
Formal dwellings 98,2%
Housing owned/paying off 55,7%
Flush toilet connected to sewerage 96,9%
Weekly refuse removal 68,9%
Piped water inside dwelling 89,6%
Electricity for lighting 97,8%