Overstrand Council and its Wards
The Overstrand municipal area spans nearly 1 708 square kilometres and is home to more than 132 000 permanent residents. It’s divided into three administrative areas: Hangklip-Kleinmond, Greater Hermanus, and Gansbaai-Stanford. The Municipality’s main offices are based in Hermanus.
There are 14 wards in Overstrand, each with its own councillor elected directly by the community. These councillors are supported by ward committees, which consist of ten members chosen through a public election process. The committees include both individuals and representatives from local organisations. Their main role is to ensure that residents have a say in setting priorities for their own neighbourhoods—especially when it comes to shaping the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) and identifying budget needs.
Overstrand uses a mayoral executive system, combined with ward-based community participation. The Council elects both an Executive Mayor and a Deputy Executive Mayor. The Mayor appoints a Mayoral Committee with six members, usually including the Deputy Mayor. Each Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) oversees a specific portfolio that aligns with the municipality’s directorates: Municipal Public Safety, Infrastructure, Community Services, Planning and Development, Corporate Services and Finance.
Of the 27 councillors in Overstrand, 13 are elected through proportional representation. This ensures that political parties have a say in Council and gives residents an additional way to raise concerns or suggestions.
Currently, six political parties are represented in Council: DA holds 17 seats, ANC has 4, FF+ and the Land Party have 2 each, while the ACDP and EFF each have 1 seat.
