Overberg District Municipality

The Overberg District Municipality is a Category C municipality that governs the Overberg region in the Western Cape province of South Africa.

Overberg District Municipality

Type of municipality:District (Category C)
Province:Western Cape
Municipal code:DC3
Seat:Bredasdorp
Local municipalities:4
Total area:12,241km² (4,726 square miles)
Population:359,446 (in 2022)
Executive mayor:Sakkie Franken

About

The Overberg District Municipality is geographically located in the south of the Western Cape province and covers an area of 12,241km² (4,726 square miles).

The Overberg District Municipality has an estimated population of 359,446 people and is the smallest district in the Western Cape, making up only 9% of the province’s geographical area.

It is divided into four local municipalities namely;

  1. Cape Agulhas Local Municipality
  2. Overstrand Local Municipality
  3. Swellendam Local Municipality
  4. Theewaterskloof Local Municipality

The Overberg District Municipality district stretches from the Breede River mouth in the east to the Hottentots-Holland mountains in the west, and as far as the Riviersonderend Mountains in the north.

The district is bordered by the City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality to the west, Cape Winelands District Municipality to the north, and Garden Route District Municipality to the east.

The district has pristine coastlines on both the Atlantic and Indian oceans. It also includes Cape Agulhas, the southernmost point of Africa, and South Africa, where the Atlantic and Indian oceans meet.

The headquarters/seat of the district is located at Bredasdorp, a town situated in the southern part of the district.

The Overberg has always been considered the breadbasket of the Cape and is largely given to grain farming, mainly wheat. The wheat fields are a major breeding ground for South Africa’s national bird, the blue crane.

The largest town in the district is Grabouw in the Elgin Valley adjacent to the Hottentots-Holland mountains on the north-western edge of the district. Other major towns are Swellendam on the Breede River in the northeast, Caledon in the western interior, and Hermanus on the Atlantic coast.

Map

Overberg District Municipality Map
A map of the Overberg District Municipality with its seven Local Municipalities.

Population

According to the South African National Census of 2022, the Overberg District Municipality has a population of 359,446 residents, compared to 286,786 in 2016, and 258,176 in 2011.

The municipality has a population growth per annum of 3.21%.

According to the 2022 Census, 20.4% of the population is under the age of 15, 69.3% is between 15 and 64, and 10.4% is over 65.

Racial makeup

According to the 2022 Census, 54.2% of the Overberg District Municipality population describe themselves as Coloured, 25.6% as Black African, 18.9% as White, and 0.3% as Indian/Asian.

Languages

According to the 2022 Census, the first language of 70.3% of the population is Afrikaans, while 17.9% speak Xhosa, 6.8% speak English, 2.1% speak Sotho, and 2.9% speak other languages.

Economy

The main economic sectors of the district are; finance, insurance, real estate and business services (20.1%), wholesale and retail trade, catering and accommodation (19.1%), manufacturing (13.5%), agriculture (10.8%), transport, storage and communication (10.8%).

District council and management

Composition of Council (No. of seats by political party)DA: 12
ANC: 7
GOOD: 2
VF PLUS: 2
Executive MayorSakkie Franken
Deputy Executive MayorHelen Coetzee (Strategic Services)
SpeakerArchie Klaas
Chief WhipSteven Fourie (Community Services)
Other Council Members– Archibald Klaas (Corporate Services)
– Johan Nieuwoudt (Finance Portfolio)
Municipal ManagerRichard Bosman
Chief Financial OfficerNantes Kruger
Senior Management– D Barends (Social Development Coordinator)
-F Coetzee (Senior Internal Auditor)
-M Dunn (Officer: Performance Management)
-R Geldenhuys (Manager: Emergency Services)
-D Kapot-Witbooi (Manager: Supply Chain Management)
-F Kotze (Manager: Environmental Management)
– S Mdewu (Human Resources)
– M Mukoma (Municipal Health Service)
– Franco Ruiters (Head: IDP and Communication)
– Alison Thompson-Rossouw (Manager: Records and Administration)
-A van Eeden (Manager: Roads)
– Vanessa Zeeman (Director: Corporate Services)
Communications OfficersKendall Theunissen (Principal Clerk: IDP and Communications)

Main places

Below are some of the main places in the district.

  • Agulhas
  • Arniston
  • Barrydale
  • Betty’s Bay
  • Birkenhead
  • Bot River
  • Bredasdorp
  • Buffeljagsrivier
  • Caledon/Myddleton
  • De Kelders
  • Elim
  • Fishershaven
  • Franskraal
  • Gans Bay
  • Genadendal
  • Grabouw
  • Greyton
  • Hawston
  • Hermanus
  • Infanta
  • Kleinmond
  • Klipdale
  • Malagas
  • Napier
  • Onrus
  • Pearly Beach
  • Pringle Bay
  • Protem
  • Riviersonderend
  • Rooi-Els
  • Sand Bay
  • Stanford
  • Struis Bay
  • Suiderstrand
  • Suurbraak
  • Swellendam
  • Theewaterskloof
  • Van Dyks Bay
  • Vermont
  • Villiersdorp

Contact details

Contact details of the Overberg District Municipality are listed in the table below.

Postal address:Private Bag X22, Bredasdorp, 7280
Physical address:26 Long Street, Bredasdorp
Telephone:028 425 1157
Fax:028 425 1014
Email:info@odm.org.za
Website:www.odm.org.za