Mossel Bay Local Municipality sits on the Garden Route coast of the Western Cape, part of the Garden Route District. The 2022 census counted 140,075 people across 2,001 km². The seat is Mossel Bay town, on the Cape St Blaize peninsula.
Towns and Villages in Mossel Bay
The municipality covers one large coastal town, a handful of smaller centres, and a string of holiday and residential nodes strung along the coast and the N2.
| Place | Type | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Mossel Bay | Seat | 78,940 |
| Groot-Brakrivier | Town | 18,008 |
| Kwanonqaba | Township | — |
| Brandwag | Town | 1,761 |
| Friemersheim | Town | 1,479 |
Other places and localities across the municipality:
- Bayview
- Bergsig
- Bland’s Drift
- Boggoms Bay
- Bonnievale
- Bothastrand
- Da Nova
- Danabaai
- Diasstrand
- Die Erwe
- Dwarswegstrandoord
- D’Almeida
- Glentana
- Greenhaven
- Hartenbos
- Heiderand
- Hemelraad
- Herbertsdale
- Johnson’s Post
- Jonkersberg
- Klein-Brakrivier
- Klein-Brakrivierstrand
- Kleinberg
- Kleinvlei
- Kwanonqaba Ext.
- Linkside
- New Sunnyside
- Reebok
- Ruitersbos
- Sandhoogte
- Suiderkruis
- Tergniet
- The Island
- Vleesbaai
- Voorbaai
Geography
Mossel Bay lies on a coastal plain between the Outeniqua Mountains and the Indian Ocean, roughly midway along the Garden Route. It borders Hessequa to the west, Oudtshoorn to the north, and George to the east. Hartenbos and Klein-Brakrivier sit either side of the town centre; Groot-Brakrivier lies further east toward George. The Cape St Blaize peninsula shelters the harbour, and the coastline runs from rocky headlands at Vleesbaai in the west to open beach at Glentana in the east. Inland, the municipality rises gently toward the Outeniqua foothills around Friemersheim and Herbertsdale, where dryland farming replaces the coastal resort economy.
Demographics
Population rose from about 89,430 (2011 census) to 140,075 (2022 census), a growth of roughly 57% — among the fastest in the district. Afrikaans is the first language of 67.6% of residents; over a third of the population identifies as White, a higher share than any other South African municipality. Kwanonqaba, the township on the town’s northern edge, and the coastal suburbs of Hartenbos and Diasstrand have absorbed much of the recent population growth.
Economy and Local Life
The municipality’s economy runs on offshore gas processing at PetroSA’s plant, fishing, tourism along the coast, and agriculture in the Brandwag and Friemersheim hinterland. Mossel Bay’s harbour and beaches draw steady Garden Route tourist traffic year-round, with whale-watching, angling and the Point precinct’s restaurants the main visitor draws. The PetroSA gas-to-liquids refinery, one of the largest single employers in the district, has anchored light industry and support services around the harbour since the 1990s.
History
Mossel Bay was the first landing point of Portuguese navigator Bartolomeu Dias in 1488, and later a Dutch East India Company supply post. The town grew slowly through the 19th century as a coastal trading harbour before the discovery of offshore gas fields in the 1980s brought PetroSA’s refinery and a wave of industrial and residential growth. Kwanonqaba was established as a township under apartheid-era spatial planning and remains the municipality’s main historically Black African residential area.
Getting There
The N2 highway runs through the municipality, linking Mossel Bay to George (60 km east) and to Cape Town (approximately 390 km west). George Airport is the nearest airport, about an hour’s drive away. Mossel Bay’s own small airfield serves light aircraft, and long-distance buses on the Cape Town–Port Elizabeth route stop in the town centre.
FAQ
What is the seat of Mossel Bay Local Municipality?
Mossel Bay town is the seat and largest settlement.
How many people live in Mossel Bay Local Municipality?
140,075 people, per the 2022 census.
Which district does Mossel Bay belong to?
The Garden Route District Municipality.
What towns are in Mossel Bay Local Municipality?
Mossel Bay, Groot-Brakrivier, Hartenbos, Klein-Brakrivier, and the township of Kwanonqaba, alongside smaller coastal nodes such as Glentana and Vleesbaai.
How big is Mossel Bay Local Municipality?
2,001 km².
What is Mossel Bay’s main industry?
Offshore gas processing at the PetroSA plant, alongside tourism and fishing.
When was Mossel Bay first settled by Europeans?
Portuguese navigator Bartolomeu Dias landed there in 1488, the first recorded European landfall on the South African coast.