Despatch, situated approximately 27 kilometers from Port Elizabeth and a stones throw away from Uitenhage. Country living on the doorstep of the city.
Sitting snuggly against Uitenhage and within an arms reach from Port Elizabeth is the little town of Despatch. Despatch has no industries or large businesses and was often referred to in the past as a dormitory town. What attracts people to this town is the quiet lifestyle. Residents commute to Port Elizabeth or nearby Uitenhage each day to work.
 Unlike many of the towns in the surrounding area, Despatch was not named after or in memory of anyone or anything. The name is derived from the 'despatching' of bricks made here to other places.
One or two attempts to change the name to something more meaningful failed and the name has remained ever since.
All that remains of the old brickworks is the chimney
The concrete supports at the base of the chimney were added many years later to ensure that the beloved chimney does not collapse.
Local newspaper articles bear testiment to the comunity's care of it's historical structures.
The local newspaper, the UD (Uitenhage Despatch) News is delivered every Thursday and is filled with local content.
 Despatch Municipality now forms part of the greater Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality which includes Port Elizabeth and Uitenhage.
 Despatch itself does not have any industries. Most of the residents of Despatch work in nearby Uitenhage or Port Elizabeth.
Many of the quaint old houses still stand as they did many years ago, while others have been modernised and added onto.
Where else would you find a Police Station as quaint as this?
 The Despatch Museum is open on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and you will find out some very interesting information regarding this little town.
They also have examples of the bricks that were manufactured in Despatch.
Where do we shop? Despatch has enough shopping facilities to ensure that its residents to not need to travel anywhere else. Supermarkets include Shoprite and Kwikspar. Theres a modern pharmacy with an inhouse beauty therapist and there are many other stores supplying the local community with what ever they need. |
