Kouga Local Municipality covers the Gamtoos Valley and Sunshine Coast west of Gqeberha, in the Sarah Baartman District, Eastern Cape. The 2022 census recorded 107,014 people across 2,670 km². Humansdorp is the administrative seat; Jeffreys Bay is the largest town.
Towns and Villages in Kouga
| Town | Type | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Humansdorp | Seat town | 34,733 (2011) |
| Jeffreys Bay | Town | 32,477 (2011) |
| Kruisfontein | Town | 18,991 (2011) |
| Hankey | Town | 14,091 (2011) |
| Patensie | Town | 6,304 (2011) |
| St Francis Bay | Town | 5,910 (2011) |
| Thornhill | Village | 5,000 (2011) |
| Loerieheuwel | Village | 3,339 (2011) |
Smaller settlements recorded by the national gazetteer:
- Andrieskraal
- Aston Bay
- Cambria
- Cape St Francis
- Crossways Farm Village
- De Mistkraal
- Gamtoosriviermond
- Klipheuwel
- Kougadam
- Kromriviermond
- Loerie
- Longmore
- Marina Glades
- Melon
- Milton
- Mimosa
- Mondplaas
- Noorsekloof
- Noorshoek
- Otterford
- Oyster Bay
- Paradise Beach
- Pellsrus
- Riversea
- Sandland
- Sea Vista
- Wavecrest
- Weston
Geography
Kouga stretches from the fertile Gamtoos River floodplain around Hankey and Patensie to the surfing coast at Jeffreys Bay and St Francis Bay. It borders Kou-Kamma and Dr Beyers Naudé within Sarah Baartman District, and adjoins Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality to the east.
Demographics
Population grew from 98,558 at the 2011 census to 107,014 in 2022. Jeffreys Bay has been one of South Africa’s fastest-growing towns, with annual growth above 2.5%, driven by tourism and semigration.
Economy and Local Life
The Gamtoos Valley’s fertile floodplains support high-potential agriculture around Hankey and Patensie. Jeffreys Bay, St Francis Bay, Cape St Francis and Oyster Bay are established tourism destinations built on surfing and holiday property. Humansdorp, with over 24,000 residents, serves as the regional retail and service centre.
History
Kouga takes its name from the Kouga River and mountains, from a Khoi word describing the range. Jeffreys Bay was named after William Jeffreys, a harbourmaster who traded along the coast in the 19th century, and became a global surfing destination from the 1960s onward once its Supertubes point break was discovered. Hankey and Patensie grew as mission and farming towns along the Gamtoos River, with irrigation furrows dug from the 1850s still shaping the valley’s citrus farms.
Getting There
The N2 runs through Humansdorp and Kruisfontein, linking the municipality to Gqeberha, about 75 km east, and George and the Garden Route to the west. The R330 connects Jeffreys Bay to the N2. Gqeberha’s airport is the nearest with scheduled flights.
Patensie and Hankey, in the Gamtoos Valley, sit off the main N2 corridor on the R331, adding roughly 20–30 minutes to journeys from Humansdorp compared with the coastal towns.
Jeffreys Bay’s growth has brought new housing estates and lifestyle developments alongside its older surf-town core, while Humansdorp has kept its role as the working administrative centre for the wider municipality. Kruisfontein and Thornhill, both former farm-worker townships, sit just outside Humansdorp and have grown into their own residential areas as the town has expanded.
FAQ
What is the seat of Kouga Local Municipality? Humansdorp.
What is the population? 107,014 people at the 2022 census.
How big is Kouga? 2,670 km².
Which district is it in? Sarah Baartman District Municipality.
What is Kouga best known for? Jeffreys Bay’s surfing beaches and the Gamtoos Valley’s farms.
Is Jeffreys Bay the seat of Kouga? No — the administrative seat is Humansdorp, though Jeffreys Bay is the larger and better-known town.
What is Supertubes? Jeffreys Bay’s famous point break, one of the world’s best-known right-hand surf waves.
What district is Kouga part of? Sarah Baartman District Municipality.
How far is Jeffreys Bay from Gqeberha? About 90 km southwest along the N2.
Does Kouga have more than one coastal town? Yes — Jeffreys Bay, St Francis Bay, Cape St Francis and Oyster Bay all sit along its coastline.