Kouga Local Municipality is a Category B municipality in the southern 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: | EC108 |
| Seat: | Jeffreys Bay |
| Number of wards: | 15 |
| Total area: | 2,670 km² (1,031 square miles) |
| Population: | 107,014 (in 2022) |
| Executive mayor: | Hattingh Bornman |
About
Kouga Local Municipality was established at the time of the municipal elections in December 2000, by merging the earlier councils of Hankey, Jeffreys Bay, Humansdorp, St Francis Bay, Patensie, and Oyster Bay.
The municipality’s territory includes the coastal region between the Van Stadens River in the east and the Tsitsikamma River in the west, and stretches inland towards the Baviaanskloof Mountains in the north.
The municipality also includes the fertile Gamtoos Valley, which serves as the gateway to the famous Baviaanskloof wilderness area.
The Gamtoos Valley is acknowledged as one of the prime exporting areas for avocado pears and citrus. It also competes with the best that South Africa has to offer with its potato crops.
Kouga Local Municipality is geographically located in the southern region of the Sarah Baartman District Municipality.
The municipality is often regarded as the cleanest municipality in the Eastern Cape and can be easily accessed via the N2 National Route from Gqeberha to Cape Town.
Kouga Local Municipality comprises 15 electoral wards and covers an area of 2,670 km² (1,031 square miles), making it the second-smallest of seven local municipalities in the Sarah Baartman District.
Kouga Local Municipality is bordered by:
- Kou-Kamma Local Municipality to the west
- Dr Beyers Naudé Local Municipality to the west and northwest
- Sundays River Valley Local Municipality to the north and northeast
- Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality to the east
- The Indian Ocean to the south
The administrative headquarters/seat of Kouga Local Municipality is in Jeffreys Bay, which is situated approximately 80 kilometres from Gqeberha.
Jeffreys Bay is renowned worldwide for its ‘Supertubes’ surfing spot, while ‘Bruce’s Beauties’ at Cape St Francis also attracts surfers from all over the world. The safe, clean beaches are exploited by many tourists, with a large number making an annual pilgrimage to the sandy shores to enjoy a relaxed yet vibrant holiday.
While the region has traditionally been characterized by economic activities largely focused on tourism and agriculture, the area has been strategically positioning itself as one of the important energy hubs of South Africa.
Various wind farms are already in operation (with more to follow), while several renewable energy projects are in the pipeline (including solar and biomass).
The municipality is also home to Thyspunt, one of the sites under consideration for Eskom’s proposed new nuclear power station.
Kouga Local Municipality has great development opportunities, which astute businessmen and women can take advantage of, in addition to the diverse economic heritage that the Kouga area offers to entrepreneurs.
Topography and climate
Kouga Local Municipality is characterised by three main topographical regions:
- The coastal region stretches from the Van Stadens River in the east through the Tsitsikamma River in the west. This zone includes the towns of St Francis Bay, Jeffreys Bay, and Oyster Bay. The coast serves as a major national and regional tourism attraction.
- The Gamtoos River Valley is characterised by wide, fertile flood plains associated with low-lying land, with steep less-fertile slopes flanking the Valley. The towns of Loerie, Hankey, Patensie, and Thornhill are focal points of this high-potential agricultural region.
- The Kruisfontein and Humansdorp area is characterised by moderate slopes in the south, with steeper slopes towards the north and northwest.
The four main rivers in the municipality – the Gamtoos, Kabeljous, Kromme, and Seekoei – are all tidal rivers. The Gamtoos and Kromme Rivers are important sources of water supply.
Groundwater forms another vital component of the domestic water supply for towns in the Kouga Municipality, especially Cape St Francis, Jeffreys Bay, Humansdorp, Oyster Bay, and St Francis Bay. Aquifers are also utilised in the agricultural sector for the irrigation of pastures.
There are several areas of wetland adjacent to the municipality’s rivers and on the coastal platform. These wetlands are very sensitive to disturbances such as development and agricultural activities. The wetlands accommodate high species diversity and fulfil flood retention and natural water purification roles.
The climate of the Kouga region is subtropical, which makes the municipality conducive to a range of outdoor activities and various types of agricultural production. Rainfall varies between 650 mm per year (St Francis Bay area) to 400 mm (Gamtoos River Valley). The municipality is generally described as windy.
Tourism
There are three Local Tourism Offices in the municipality:
- St Francis Bay Tourism Office, which focuses on Cape St Francis, Humansdorp, Oyster Bay, and St Francis Bay.
- Jeffreys Bay Tourism Office, which focuses on Jeffreys Bay, Aston Bay, Kabeljous, and Paradise Beach.
- Gamtoos Tourism Office, which focuses on Hankey, Thornhill, Patensie, and Loerie.
These offices promote all activities and accommodation available within the respective areas to all tourists.
Population
According to the South African National Census of 2022, Kouga Local Municipality has a population of 107,014 people, compared to 112,941 in 2016 and 98,558 in 2011.
The municipality has a population growth per annum of 0.8%.
According to the 2022 Census, 21.3% of the population is under the age of 15, 63.9% is between 15 and 64, and 14.8% is over 65.
Racial makeup
According to the 2022 Census, 35.2% of the population in Kouga Local Municipality describe themselves as Coloured, 32.6% as Black African, 29.9% as White, and 0.3% as Indian/Asian.
Languages
According to the 2022 Census, 59.4% of the population speaks Afrikaans as their first language, 30.5% speak isiXhosa, 6.5% speak English, and 3.6% speak other languages.
Economy
The main economic sectors of Kouga Local Municipality are agriculture, tourism, fishing, and retail.
Municipal council and management
The Kouga municipal council is comprised of 30 members elected by mixed-member proportional representation.
Fifteen councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in 15 wards, while the remaining 15 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) | – DA: 16 – ANC: 11 – EFF: 1 – PA: 1 – VF PLUS: 1 |
| Controlling party | DA |
| Executive Mayor | Hattingh Bornman |
| Deputy Executive Mayor | Timothy Jantjes (Deputy Mayor and MMC: Electro and Mechanical Services and Ward 15 Councillor) |
| Speaker | Brenton Williams |
| Chief Whip | Daniel Benson (MMC: Community and Safety Services) |
| Other Council Members | – Jaques Alexander (MMC: Corporate and Communication Services) – Reinhardt Foley (MMC: Civil and Water Services) – Lorraine Maree (MMC: Finance and Economic Development) – Shena Ruth (MMC: Planning and Development) |
| Municipal Manager | Charl du Plessis |
| Chief Financial Officer | Riaaz Lorgat |
| Senior Management | – David de Jager (Deputy Municipal Manager) – Charles de Kock (Director: Civil and Water Services) – Nomvula Machelesi (Director: Community and Safety Services) – Theodore Madatt (Director: Electro and Mechanical Services) – Lawrence Ramakuwela (Director: Planning and Development |
| Communications Officers | Monique Basson (Manager: Media and Communication) |
Towns and settlements
Below are the towns/places in Kouga Local Municipality.
- Andrieskraal
- Aston Bay
- Cape St Francis
- Centerton
- Gamtoos Mouth
- Hankey
- Humansdorp
- Jeffreys Bay
- Kruisfontein
- Kwanomzamo
- Loerie
- Ocean View
- Oyster Bay
- Paradise Beach
- Patensie
- Pellsrus
- Ramaphoza Village
- Sea Vista
- St Francis Bay
- Thornhill
- Tokyo Sexwale
- Umzamowethu
- Weston
Contact details
The contact details of Kouga Local Municipality are listed in the table below.
| Postal Address: | P.O. Box 21, Jeffreys Bay, 6330 |
| Physical Address: | 33 Da Gama Road, Jeffreys Bay |
| Telephone: | 042 200 2200 |
| WhatsApp: | 081 760 9183 |
| All-hours Emergency Number: | 042 291 0250 |
| Fax: | 042 200 8606 |
| Email: | registry@kouga.gov.za |
| Website: | www.kouga.gov.za |
| Anti-Corruption Hotline: | – Telephone or WhatsApp: 071 885 9888 – Email: fraud.hotline@kouga.gov.za |
