Kou-Kamma Local Municipality is a Category B municipality in the southwestern region of the Sarah Baartman District Municipality in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa.
Overview
| Type of municipality: | Local Municipality (Category B) |
| MIIF classification: | B3 (small towns) |
| Province: | Eastern Cape |
| District: | Sarah Baartman |
| Municipal code: | EC109 |
| Seat: | Kareedouw |
| Number of wards: | 6 |
| Total area: | 3,642 km² (1,406 square miles) |
| Population: | 36,487 (in 2022) |
| Executive mayor: | Mpumelelo Vuso |
About
Kou-Kamma Local Municipality is geographically located in the southwestern region of the Sarah Baartman District Municipality along the Indian Ocean coastline, in the southwestern corner of the Eastern Cape Province. The Western Cape Province lies nearby to the west.
The municipality’s name, ‘Kou-Kamma’, is derived from Kouga (Kou-) and Tsitsikamma (-Kamma) mountains, which in turn were named after the rivers Kouga and Tsitsikamma.
Kou-Kamma Local Municipality covers an area of 3,642 km² (1,406 square miles), making it the third-smallest of seven local municipalities in the Sarah Baartman District.
The municipality’s topography includes a combination of rugged coastline, narrow coastal plain, and a series of mountain ranges and valleys.
Kou-Kamma Local Municipality is bordered by:
- Kouga Local Municipality to the east
- Dr Beyers Naudé Local Municipality to the north
- George and Bitou Local Municipalities in the Garden Route District of the Western Cape Province to the west
- The Indian Ocean to the south
The municipality’s western border is the Bloukrans River, which separates the Kou-Kamma Municipality from the Western Cape Province.
Kou-Kamma Local Municipality has no cities or even large towns, but a host of villages and hamlets. These settlements are divided into six electoral wards
The administrative headquarters/seat of Kou-Kamma Local Municipality is in Kareedouw, which is situated approximately 133 kilometres from Gqeberha in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality.
Meanwhile, Twee Riviere is considered the commercial centre of the municipality.
The Kou-Kamma Municipality is known for its dramatic scenery, low population density.
Kou-Kamma Local Municipality comprises two distinct regions separated by the Tsitsikamma Mountains: the coastal belt (known as the Tsitsikamma or the Western Coastal Zone, which comprises settlements such as Clarkson, Stormsrivier, and Coldstream) and the inland area of the beautiful Langkloof Valley (comprising settlements such as Joubertina, Kareedouw, Louterwater, and Twee Riviere).
The nature of these two regions differs extensively. The Coastal Zone (Tsitsikamma) is characterised by a diverse and fast-growing economy driven by agriculture, dairy farms, tourism, a fast-growing population linked to the economic opportunities, a good water supply, and a wealth of indigenous forests, tourist activities, and holiday destinations.
The Tsitsikamma area is also home to the world-famous Storms River Mouth, which is part of the Garden Route National Park. The Storms River is the primary tourism centre within the Kou-Kamma Municipality.
In contrast, the Langkloof Valley is a highly productive deciduous farming area, whose employment is characterised by seasonal agriculture with high labour requirements. The region has significant challenges in terms of a sufficient water supply, with additional pressure due to high population growth related to migrant labour.
Kou-Kamma Local Municipality is a relatively poor area with low levels of literacy and high unemployment.
The municipality’s towns and villages are scattered and far from each other, which poses challenges to the development of infrastructure and the provision of basic services such as electricity, water, sanitation, and sewage.
Population
According to the South African National Census of 2022, Kou-Kamma Local Municipality has a population of 36,487 people, compared to 43,688 in 2016 and 40,663 in 2011.
The municipality has a population growth per annum of -1.05%.
According to the 2022 Census, 27% of the population is under the age of 15, 67.1% is between 15 and 64, and 5.9% is over 65.
Racial makeup
According to the 2022 Census, 59.8% of the population in Kou-Kamma Local Municipality describe themselves as Coloured, 30.6% as Black African, 8.2% as White, and 0.3% as Indian/Asian.
Languages
According to the 2022 Census, 73.8% of the population speaks Afrikaans as their first language, 19.9% speak isiXhosa, 2.7% speak English, 1.1% speak Sesotho, and 2.5% speak other languages.
Economy
The main economic sectors of Kou-Kamma Local Municipality are agriculture and tourism.
Municipal council and management
The Kou-Kamma municipal council is comprised of 11 members elected by mixed-member proportional representation.
Six councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in 6 wards, while the remaining 5 are chosen from party lists so that the total number of party representatives is proportional to the number of votes received.
In the election of 1 November 2021, the African National Congress (ANC) won six seats on the council.
| Composition of Council (No. of seats by political party) | – ANC: 6 – DA: 3 – INDEPENDENT: 1 – PA: 1 – VF PLUS: 1 |
| Controlling party | ANC |
| Executive Mayor | Mpumelelo Vuso |
| Speaker | Dadley Maasdorp |
| Other Council Members | – Ronnie Gideon Campher (Chief Whip: Council) – Sharon Ferguson – Brendon Tirone Jantjies – James Richard Krige – Shannon May – Pieter Meyer – Vuyani Enoch Persent – Nomathamsanqa Sikiwe (Chief Whip: ANC ) – Baker Smit |
| Municipal Manager | Similo Johnson Dayi |
| Chief Financial Officer | Siyabulela Fokazi |
| Senior Management | – Mziwamadoda Qalaba (Director: Technical and Community Services) – Lucas Somtseu (Director: Corporate Services) |
| Communications Officers | Nomava Siqoko |
Towns/places
Below are the towns/places in Kou-Kamma Local Municipality.
- Clarkson
- Joubertina
- Kareedouw
- Krakeel River
- Louterwater
- Misgund
- Nompumelelo
- Sanddrif
- Storms River
- Woodlands
Contact details
The contact details of Kou-Kamma Local Municipality are listed in the table below.
| Postal Address: | Private Bag X011, Kareedouw, 6400 |
| Physical Address: | 5 Keet Street, Kareedouw, 6400 |
| Telephone: | – 042 288 7200 – 042 288 0303 |
| Fax: | 042 288 0797 |
| Email: | koukamma@koukamma.gov.za |
| Website: | www.koukammamunicipality.gov.za |
| 24 Hour Emergency Services: | – 042 288 7319 – 042 288 7320 |
| Police Station: | 042 288 7400 |
| Ambulance: | 10177 |
| Kareedouw Hospital: | 042 288 0210 |
| Fire Department: | – 042 288 7319 – 042 288 7320 |
