The Namakwa District Municipality (NDM) is a Category C municipality situated in the western region of the Northern Cape province of South Africa.
Namakwa District Municipality
| Type of municipality: | District (Category C) |
| Province: | Northern Cape |
| Municipal code: | DC6 |
| Seat: | Springbok |
| Local municipalities: | 6 |
| Total area: | 126,836 km² (48,972 square miles) |
| Population: | 148,935 (in 2022) |
| Executive mayor: | Mervin Cloete |
About
The Namakwa District Municipality is situated in the western part of the Northern Cape province and has its headquarters/seat in the town of Springbok.
The Namakwa region consists of the former Namaqualand and Hantam Karoo regions.
Geographically, the area can be described as a semi-desert area with hot summers, little rainfall, and cold winters.
The Northern Cape is spatially the largest province in the country, but also has the lowest population and some of the least developed areas in terms of its economic and social development.
The Namakwa District Municipality covers an area of 126,836 km² (48,972 square miles), making it the largest district in the Northern Cape, as it makes up almost a third of the province’s geographical area.
Namakwa is also the largest District Municipality in South Africa.
The District is divided into six local municipalities, namely;
- Hantam Local Municipality
- Kamiesberg Local Municipality
- Karoo Hoogland Local Municipality
- Khâi-Ma Local Municipality
- Nama Khoi Local Municipality
- Richtersveld Local Municipality
The Namakwa District Municipality is bordered by ZF Mgcawu District Municipality to the northeast, Pixley Ka Seme District Municipality to the east, the Western Cape District Municipalities of Central Karoo to the southeast, Cape Winelands to the south, and West Coast to the southwest, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west.
To the north, the Namakwa District Municipality is bordered by the Republic of Namibia and the Orange R,iver which forms the international border between the province and Namibia’s ǁKaras Region.
The Namakwa District Municipality can be described as an arid region receiving some of the lowest average rainfall levels in South Africa. Water scarcity and soil salinity represent the main challenges facing agriculture in the District.
In some areas, salinity levels are so high that salt mining operations have been established. The two rivers that run through the district are the Orange River towards the northern boundary as well as the Oliphants/Doring River system.
Key National Roads (N7 and N14) traverse the district. The N7 links South Africa with Namibia and the N14 is an important link with districts to the east.
History
The Namakwa District Municipality covers the region known for its cultural history, which was preserved by the Nama and Khoisan tribes. It is home to the Nama people, the largest group of Khoikhoi people who had originally populated the area around the Orange River in southern Namibia and northern South Africa.
About 80% of the population was brutally killed by the German Empire between 1904 and 1907 in a racial extermination during the Herero and Nama genocide. Nama people traditionally speak the Khoekhoe language.
In the 1920s, diamonds were discovered at the mouth of the Orange River, and prospectors began moving there, establishing towns at Alexander Bay and Port Nolloth. This accelerated the appropriation of traditional lands that had begun early in the colonial period.
Under apartheid, remaining pastoralists were encouraged to abandon their traditional lifestyle in favour of village life, which partly accounts for the current levels of poverty in the district.
In 1991, a part of Namaqualand (home of the Nama and one of the last true wilderness areas of South Africa) was named the Richtersveld National Park.
In December 2002, ancestral lands, including the park, were returned to community ownership, and both the South African government and the Namibian government began creating a trans-frontier park from the west coast of southern Africa to the desert interior, absorbing the Richtersveld National Park.
Today, the Richtersveld National Park is one of the few places where the original Nama traditions and language have survived.
Map
Population
According to the South African National Census of 2022, the Namakwa District Municipality has a population of 148,935 residents, compared to 115,488 in 2016 and 115,842 in 2011.
The municipality has a population growth per annum of 2.44%.
According to the 2022 Census, 23.1% of the population is under the age of 15, 67.4% is between 15 and 64, and 9.5% is over 65.
Racial makeup
According to the 2022 Census, 83.2% of the Namakwa District Municipality population describe themselves as Coloured, 8.7% as White, 6.8% as Black African, and 0.5% as Indian/Asian.
Languages
According to the 2022 Census, 93.9% of the population speaks Afrikaans as their first language, 1.7% speak Setswana, 1.5% speak isiXhosa, 1.2% speak English, and 1.7% speak other languages.
Economy
The District’s main economic sectors are tourism and agriculture.
Tourism
Namakwa is a tourist destination of choice where tourists can watch wildflowers during the spring.
The banks of the Orange River as well as the Namakwa coastline offer great hiking and 4×4 excursions for the outdoor enthusiast, while the nomadic Nama culture of the region is a unique drawcard.
Stargazing in Sutherland, tasting Karoo Lamb chops in the Hantam area and picturesque scenic drives in the Kamiesberg are also popular among the District’s existing tourist market.
| Seasons | Months | Average Temperature | Average Rainfall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | November to February | – Min. 17 °C – Max. 33 °C | 4 ml |
| Autumn | March to April | – Min. 14 °C – Max. 29 °C | 10 ml |
| Winter | May to August | – Min. 2 °C – Max. 19 °C | 50 ml |
| Spring | September to October | – Min. 7 °C – Max. 25 °C | 15 ml |
District council and management
| Composition of Council (No. of seats by political party) | – ANC: 4 – DA: 2 – NCM: 1 – PA: 1 |
| Controlling Party | n/a |
| Executive Mayor | Mervin Cloete |
| Deputy Executive Mayor | n/a |
| Speaker | Gillian Pieters |
| Chief Whip | Riaan Cloete |
| Other Council Members | – M Cloete (Budget and Treasury) – R Cloete (Municipal Public Accounts Committee) – E Oliphant (Corporate Services) – P van Heerden (Municipal Health Services) |
| Municipal Manager | Sydney Adams |
| Chief Financial Officer | n/a |
| Senior Management | – Gareth Cloete (Corporate and Municipal Health Services) – H Niehaus (Municipal Support) |
| Communications Officers | Jodine Cloete |
Towns/places
Below are the towns/places in the Namakwa District Municipality.
Aggeneys, Alexander Bay, Brandvlei, Bulletrap, Calvinia, Carolusberg, Concordia, Eksteensfontein, Frasersburg, Garies, Hondeklip Bay, Kamieskroon, Kleinzee, Koingnaas, Komaggas, Kuboes, Leliefontein/Kamiesberg, Loeriesfontein, Middelpos, Nababeep, Nieuwoudtville, O’Kiep, Onderste Doorns, Pella, Pofadder, Port Nolloth, Richtersveld, Sanddrift, Springbok, Steinkopf, Sutherland, Williston
Contact details
The contact details of the Namakwa District Municipality are listed in the table below.
| Postal address: | Private Bag X20, Springbok, 8240 |
| Physical address: | Hendrik J Visser Building, Van Riebeeck Street, Springbok |
| Telephone: | 027 712 8000 |
| Fax: | 027 712 8040 |
| Email: | info@namakwa-dm.gov.za |
| Website: | www.namakwa-dm.gov.za |
| Emergency number: | 10177 |
