Kannaland Local Municipality is a Category B municipality located in the northwestern region of the Garden Route District Municipality in the Western Cape Province of South Africa.
Overview
| Type of municipality: | Local Municipality (Category B) |
| MIIF classification: | B3 (small towns) |
| Province: | Western Cape |
| District: | Garden Route |
| Municipal code: | WC041 |
| Seat: | Ladismith |
| Number of wards: | 4 |
| Total area: | 4,765 km² (1,840 square miles) |
| Population: | 31,986 (in 2022) |
| Executive mayor: | Jeffrey Donson |
About
Kannaland Local Municipality is geographically situated in the northwestern part of the Garden Route District Municipality.
Kannaland is located in the western part of the Little Karoo and stretches from the Swartberg Mountains in the north to the Langeberg Mountains in the south, and from the Anysberg Nature Reserve in the west to the Gamkaberg Nature Reserve in the east.
The municipality is drained by the Gourits River and the Groot River.
Kannaland is situated about 340 kilometres northeast of Cape Town along the famous tourism Route 62. The municipality is connected by tarred main roads to all other major towns such as George (160 kilometres), Montagu (139 kilometres), Mossel Bay (185 kilometres), Oudtshoorn (100 kilometres), and Gqeberha (420 kilometres) in the Eastern Cape Province.
Kannaland Local Municipality covers an area of 4,765 km² (1,840 square miles) making it the third-largest local municipality in the Garden Route District.
The municipality is divided into 4 wards.
The administrative and legislative seats of Kannaland Local Municipality are located in Ladismith, with satellite offices in Calitzdorp, Zoar, and Van Wyksdorp.
The largest town in the municipality is Ladismith, which is situated at the foot of the Swartberg Mountains, as are Zoar and Calitzdorp to the east. Van Wyksdorp is further south in the valley of the Groot River.
Kannaland Local Municipality is bordered by:
- Oudtshoorn Local Municipality to the east
- Hessequa Local Municipality to the south
- Swellendam Local Municipality in the Overberg District to the west
- Langeberg Local Municipality in the Cape Winelands District to the northwest
- Laingsburg Local Municipality in the Central Karoo District to the north
- Prince Albert Local Municipality in the Central Karoo District to the north
Kannaland’s climate is suitable for the production of apricots, grapes, nectarines, peaches, and plums.
Kannaland Local Municipality is renowned for its cheese factories and the production of world-famous dairy and wine products.
The well-known Parmalat and Ladismith dairy products come from the area. The quaint little haven of Calitzdorp is known as the port wine capital of South Africa by virtue of the top-quality wines, produced mainly by Boplaas, De Krans, Axehill, and Calitzdorp wine cellars.
A wide variety of scenic routes criss-cross the municipality. Kannaland has its own building style, which makes it unique. For example, the so-called Ladismith Style is a simplified Georgian design and dates from the 1830s.
Population
The municipality has the smallest population in the Garden Route District.
According to the South African National Census of 2022, Kannaland Local Municipality has a population of 31,986 people, compared to 24,168 in 2016, and 24,767 in 2011.
The municipality has a population growth per annum of 2.48%.
According to the 2022 Census, 25.8% of the population is under the age of 15, 65.6% is between 15 and 64, and 8.6% is over 65.
Racial makeup
According to the 2022 Census, 86.8% of the population in Kannaland Local Municipality describe themselves as Coloured, 8.3% as White, 1.4% as Black African, and 0.3% as Indian/Asian.
Languages
According to the 2022 Census, 95.4% of the population speaks Afrikaans as their first language, 2.5% speak English, and 2.1% speak other languages.
Economy
Kannaland Local Municipality has the smallest economy in the region. Its main economic sectors are agriculture, manufacturing, community and personal services, finance, business, wholesale, retail, trade, construction, electricity, water, transport, and communication.
Municipal council and management
The Kannaland municipal council is comprised of 7 members elected by mixed-member proportional representation.
Four councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in 4 wards, while the remaining 3 are chosen from party lists so that the total number of party representatives is proportional to the number of votes received.
| Composition of Council (No. of seats by political party) | – ICOSA: 3 – ANC: 2 – DA: 1 – Kannaland Independent Party: 1 |
| Controlling party | ICOSA/ANC Coalition |
| Executive Mayor | Jeffrey Donson |
| Deputy Executive Mayor | Werner Meshoa |
| Speaker | Peter-George Rooi |
| Chief Whip | n/a |
| Other Council Members | – Hyrin Ruiters – Alettha Steenkamp (MPAC Chairperson) – Nicolaas Valentyn |
| Municipal Manager | Dillo Sereo (Acting) |
| Chief Financial Officer | Chrizelda Claasen (Acting) |
| Senior Management | n/a |
| Communications Officers | Peter-George Rooi |
Towns/places
Below are the towns/places in Kannaland Local Municipality.
- Calitzdorp
- Ladismith
- Vanwyksdorp
- Zoar
Contact details
The contact details of Kannaland Local Municipality are listed in the table below.
| Postal address: | PO Box 30, Ladismith, 6655 |
| Physical address: | 32 Church Street, Ladismith |
| Telephone: | 028 551 8000 |
| Fax: | 028 551 1766 |
| Email: | customercare@kannaland.gov.za |
| Website: | www.kannaland.gov.za |
| Financial services: | 028 551 1023 |
| Water & Sanitation: | 028 551 8000 |
| Electricity services: | 028 551 8000 |
| Roads services: | 028 551 8000 |
