Sarah Baartman District Municipality covers the western half of the Eastern Cape, from the Karoo interior to the Indian Ocean coast. Its seven local municipalities had a combined 533,253 people at the 2022 census over roughly 58,000 km². The district office sits in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), a metro that falls outside the district itself.
Local Municipalities in Sarah Baartman
| Municipality | Seat | 2022 population |
|---|---|---|
| Kouga | Jeffreys Bay | 107,014 |
| Dr Beyers Naudé | Graaff-Reinet | 101,001 |
| Makana | Makhanda | 97,815 |
| Ndlambe | Port Alfred | 87,797 |
| Blue Crane Route | Somerset East | 49,883 |
| Sundays River Valley | Kirkwood | 53,256 |
| Kou-Kamma | Kareedouw | 36,487 |
Major Towns
Beyond the seat towns above, the district’s larger settlements by 2011 census population are:
- Graaff-Reinet — 62,896
- Humansdorp — 34,733
- Jeffreys Bay — 32,477
- Port Alfred — 30,981
- Kruisfontein — 18,991
- Hankey — 14,091
- Kenton-on-Sea — 13,539
- Kirkwood — 10,148
- Willowmore — 9,199
- Aberdeen — 8,580
- Joubertina — 7,472
- Cookhouse — 6,837
History
The district was known as Cacadu District Municipality until 2016, when it was renamed after Sarah Baartman, a Khoikhoi woman taken to Europe in the early 1800s and exhibited under degrading conditions in London and Paris. Her remains were repatriated to South Africa in 2002 and buried near Hankey, in the Sundays River Valley municipality, after a request by the South African government. The district’s towns trace back to 19th-century frontier garrisons, mission stations and farming settlements established during the Cape Colony’s eastward expansion.
Geography
The district runs from the semi-arid Great Karoo around Graaff-Reinet and the Baviaanskloof mountains, south through the Gamtoos and Sundays river valleys, to the Sunshine Coast between Kenton-on-Sea and St Francis Bay. It is bordered by the Western Cape and Northern Cape provinces and by Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality.
Economy
Citrus farming dominates the Sundays River Valley, which grows roughly a quarter of South Africa’s navel oranges. Sheep and game farming carry the Karoo interior, while Kouga and Ndlambe’s coastal towns run on tourism, fishing and second-home development. Addo Elephant National Park is the district’s biggest single tourism draw.
Each of the district’s seven local municipalities keeps its own municipal council and service-delivery responsibilities, while Sarah Baartman District Municipality itself handles district-wide functions such as bulk water infrastructure, disaster management and roads spanning more than one local municipality. Gqeberha, though outside the district’s boundaries, remains the nearest metro and the district office’s location for administrative convenience.
Getting There
The N2 runs west-east through the district’s coastal municipalities, linking Kouga, Ndlambe and Makana to Gqeberha, while the N9 and N10 serve the Karoo interior around Dr Beyers Naudé and Blue Crane Route. Gqeberha’s airport, just outside the district’s boundary, is the main air gateway for the whole region.
FAQ
How many local municipalities are in Sarah Baartman District? Seven: Kouga, Dr Beyers Naudé, Makana, Ndlambe, Blue Crane Route, Sundays River Valley and Kou-Kamma.
What is the district’s population? 533,253 at the 2022 census.
Where is the district office? Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), though the metro itself is a separate municipality.
Which province is Sarah Baartman District in? The Eastern Cape.
Who was Sarah Baartman? A Khoikhoi woman exhibited in Europe in the early 1800s; her remains were repatriated in 2002 and buried near Hankey.
What was the district called before 2016? Cacadu District Municipality.