The Port Elizabeth Campanile memorial tower has 204 steps leading up to the observation room, and it was made more accessible during refurbishment in 2017 with the addition of a lift.
The 53-metre-high, nine-floor tower, located between the railway station and the port, was opened in 1923 to commemorate the landing of British settlers in South Africa in 1820. Long identified as a city with deep colonial links, Port Elizabeth’s name was officially changed in 2021 to Gqeberha, a reference to the a Xhosa name for the river which flows through the city.
During renovations in 2017, a silver plaque was placed on the 67th step of the tower’s staircase to recognise the 67 years Nelson Mandela spent fighting for justice, equality and human rights.
