East London to Cape Town by bus
Cape Town lies 886 km (550 mi) west of East London, in the same time zone. What the numbers say about getting there.
A coach takes about 16 h 8 min including stops, over roughly 1,080 km (671 mi) of road.
| East London | Cape Town | |
|---|---|---|
| Country | South Africa | South Africa |
| Population | 478,676 | 4.8 million |
| Elevation | 48 m (157 ft) | 25 m (82 ft) |
| Time now | UTC+2 (Africa/Johannesburg) | UTC+2 (Africa/Johannesburg) |
| Postal codes | 5201–5688 | 7100–8160 |
Where to book buses from East London to Cape Town
We take no bookings for these providers and hold no reservation with them. The provider you choose handles payment, confirmation, changes and refunds. How that works.
Staying in Cape Town
Our booking partner lists 6,750+ places to stay in Cape Town (statistics below are from the first 1,000). Of the 810 with a star rating, the largest group is 4-star (570), and 70 are five-star. Across 640 properties with at least 50 reviews, the average guest score is 9 out of 10. Guests have left 386,360 reviews in total.
Book a hotel in Cape Town
Live rooms and prices from our booking partner, booked and paid for here. Free cancellation is marked where it applies.
Common questions
How far is Cape Town from East London?
886 km (550 mi) in a straight line, west of East London; by road roughly 1,080 km (671 mi).
How long does it take to get from East London to Cape Town by bus?
About 16 h 8 min, estimated from distance and typical speeds. Timetables and traffic decide the real figure.
Is there a time difference between East London and Cape Town?
No, both are on Africa/Johannesburg at the moment.
Where can I stay in Cape Town?
Our booking partner lists 6,750+ places to stay in Cape Town, bookable on this site.
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.