Nama Khoi Local Municipality is Namakwa District’s most populous, in the north-western Northern Cape. The 2022 census counted 67,089 people over 17,989 km², up from 47,041 in 2011. The seat is Springbok.
Towns and Villages in Nama Khoi
Mining towns dot the municipality around Springbok, the region’s commercial hub and the largest town in Namaqualand.
| Place | Type | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Springbok | Seat / town | 10,438 people (2011) |
| Steinkopf | Town | 7,842 people (2011) |
| Okiep | Town | 6,304 people; historic copper-mining town |
| Nababeep | Town | 5,374 people; copper-mining heritage |
| Concordia | Town | 4,988 people (2011) |
| Kleinzee | Village | Active diamond-mining area |
- Springbok
- Steinkopf
- Okiep
- Nababeep
- Concordia
- Kleinzee
- Biesies
- Brandkloof
- Carolusberg
- Gamoep
- Goop
- Grootmis
- Henkries Mond
- Koeris
- Komaggas
- Kotzeshoop
- Matjieskloof
- Melkrivier
- Narrap
- Nigramoep
- Plaathoek
- Rietbergmyn
- Rooiwal Suid
- Swartkop
- Tweeloop
- Uitkoms
- Veggat
- Vioolsdrif
- Vriesklip
Geography
Nama Khoi borders Richtersveld to the north, Khâi-Ma to the east and Kamiesberg to the south, all within Namakwa District. Terrain ranges from the Namaqualand hardveld around Springbok to the arid interior toward Vioolsdrif on the Orange River, near the Namibian border.
Demographics
Population grew from 47,041 in 2011 to 67,089 in 2022. Coloured residents make up 88.9% of the population, and Afrikaans is the first language of 95.9%. A Democratic Alliance and Namakwa Civic Movement coalition has governed the 17-member council since the 2021 elections, after no party won an outright majority. Springbok holds the largest population share by far, with the former copper towns of Okiep, Nababeep and Concordia together housing most of the remainder.
Economy and Local Life
Copper mining built Okiep and Nababeep in the 19th and 20th centuries, and diamond mining continues at Kleinzee. Springbok functions as Namaqualand’s main commercial and administrative centre, with spring wildflower tourism boosting the local economy each August and September, when visitors travel the N7 to see the annual bloom. Steinkopf and Concordia depend more on livestock farming and remittances from workers employed at the district’s mines, while Springbok’s retail and government-service sector employs a growing share of the wider population.
Getting There
Springbok sits on the N7, about 550 km north of Cape Town and 120 km south of the Namibian border at Vioolsdrif. It has a regional airport with scheduled flights, and serves as the main stopover point for travellers heading further north or west along the coast.
History
Copper drew European prospectors to the area from the 1850s, and by the 1870s Okiep had become the site of one of the world’s richest copper mines, linked to Port Nolloth by South Africa’s first narrow-gauge railway to move ore to the coast. Nababeep grew alongside it as a company town, with distinctive corrugated-iron mining architecture still visible today. Springbok itself developed as the district’s trading and administrative centre, benefiting from its position at the crossing of routes to the coast, the interior and Namibia.
FAQ
What is the seat of Nama Khoi Local Municipality?
Springbok.
How many people live in Nama Khoi?
67,089 at the 2022 census.
What are the main towns?
Springbok, Steinkopf, Okiep and Nababeep.
What drives the local economy?
Copper and diamond mining, plus wildflower tourism.
Which district is it in?
Namakwa District, Northern Cape.
What is Springbok’s population?
10,438 at the 2011 census, the district’s largest town.
What was Okiep known for historically?
One of the world’s richest copper mines in the 19th century, linked to Port Nolloth by South Africa’s first narrow-gauge railway.
How large is Nama Khoi’s population compared to the rest of Namakwa District?
At 67,089 people it holds close to half of the entire district’s population, making it by far the largest of the six local municipalities.
What is the municipality’s area?
17,989 km², spanning coast, hardveld and the arid interior toward the Namibian border.