Xhariep District Municipality is the smallest and least populous of the Free State’s five districts, in the province’s far south. The 2022 census counted 131,901 people across its three local municipalities, up from 121,945 in 2011. Trompsburg is the district seat.
Local Municipalities in Xhariep
Xhariep held four local municipalities until August 2016, when Naledi Local Municipality merged into Mangaung metro. Three remain today.
| Municipality | Seat | 2022 pop. |
|---|---|---|
| Letsemeng | Koffiefontein | 43,101 |
| Kopanong | Trompsburg | 51,832 |
| Mohokare | Zastron | 36,968 |
Major Towns
Kopanong alone holds eight towns; the district’s other main centres are Koffiefontein, Jacobsdal and Petrusburg in Letsemeng, and Zastron, Rouxville and Smithfield in Mohokare.
- Trompsburg (Kopanong, district seat)
- Bethulie (Kopanong)
- Edenburg (Kopanong)
- Jagersfontein (Kopanong)
- Reddersburg (Kopanong)
- Springfontein (Kopanong)
- Philippolis (Kopanong)
- Fauresmith (Kopanong)
- Koffiefontein (Letsemeng)
- Jacobsdal (Letsemeng)
- Petrusburg (Letsemeng)
- Luckhoff (Letsemeng)
- Zastron (Mohokare)
- Rouxville (Mohokare)
- Smithfield (Mohokare)
Geography
Xhariep — the Khoi word for the Orange River — sits between the Orange and Riet rivers, bordering the Northern Cape to the west and south and Lesotho and the Eastern Cape to the east. It is by far the largest of the Free State’s five districts by area yet the smallest by population, giving it the lowest population density in the province. Terrain runs from Karoo-edge scrubland in the west around Letsemeng to sandstone ridges near the Lesotho border in Mohokare. The Gariep Dam, South Africa’s largest reservoir by surface area, lies on the district’s southern edge in Kopanong, fed by the Orange River from Lesotho’s highlands.
Demographics
The district’s population grew from 121,945 in the 2011 census to 131,901 in 2022, a rise of about 8%, with Kopanong the largest municipality by population and Mohokare the smallest. Afrikaans and Sesotho are the leading home languages across all three municipalities, reflecting a farming population split roughly along the Free State’s traditional language line.
Economy and Local Life
Sheep and cattle farming carry most of Xhariep’s economy across its wide, dry grassland, with wool and mohair among its main agricultural exports. Jagersfontein and Koffiefontein add diamond mining, historically the district’s two working mines and both still active on a smaller scale today. Irrigated farming along the Riet River near Koffiefontein and Jacobsdal is the exception to the district’s mostly dryland agriculture. The Gariep Dam supports fishing, boating and birdwatching tourism, one of few tourism draws in an otherwise agricultural district.
Getting There
The N1 crosses the district’s north through Trompsburg, Edenburg and Springfontein, the main route linking Bloemfontein to Colesberg and the Eastern Cape. The R48 serves Koffiefontein and Jacobsdal in the west, and the N6 runs south through Zastron and Smithfield in Mohokare toward Aliwal North. Bram Fischer International Airport in Bloemfontein is the nearest airport for the whole district, roughly one to two hours’ drive from any of Xhariep’s towns.
History
Xhariep district was carved out in the post-1994 local government reorganisation, grouping the old towns of the southern Free State — many founded around 19th-century mission stations and Boer-era farming settlements — into a single administrative unit. Diamond finds at Jagersfontein in 1870 and later at Koffiefontein briefly made the district a mining frontier before agriculture reasserted itself as the dominant economy.
FAQ
What is the seat of Xhariep District Municipality?
Trompsburg.
How many local municipalities are in Xhariep?
Three: Letsemeng, Kopanong and Mohokare, after Naledi merged into Mangaung metro in 2016.
What is the population of Xhariep district?
131,901 people (2022 census), up from 121,945 in 2011.
Which province is Xhariep in?
Free State.
What does “Xhariep” mean?
It derives from the Khoi name for the Orange River, which forms much of the district’s southern boundary.
Is Xhariep the largest Free State district?
By area yes, but it has the smallest population of the province’s five districts.
What happened to Naledi Local Municipality?
It merged into Mangaung metro in August 2016, so Xhariep now has three local municipalities instead of four.
What is the biggest town in Xhariep district?
Zastron, with 18,699 people, is the largest single town across all three local municipalities.