A total of 2 098 residents shared their views on municipal services, ranging from infrastructure maintenance to administrative efficiency.

The breakdown of residents per ward who took part is as follows:

• Ward 13 (Onrus, Vermont): 264
• Ward 10 (Pringle Bay, Rooi-Els, Betty’s Bay): 250
• Ward 9 (Kleinmond): 227
• Ward 14 (Gansbaai S-West, Kleinbaai): 203
• Ward 8 (Fisherhaven, Hawston): 195
• Ward 3 (Hermanus, Voëlklip): 178
• Ward 11 (Pearly Beach, Franskraal): 172
• Ward 7 (Sandbaai): 163
• Ward 1 (Stanford, Thembelihle): 134
• Ward 4 (Mount Pleasant, Westcliff): 108
• Ward 2 (Gansbaai N-East, Masakhane): 94
• Ward 5 (Zwelihle South): 42
• Ward 6 (Zwelihle North): 35
• Ward 12 (Zwelihle North-West): 33

Overall service performance

The overall sentiment remained largely positive, with approximately 67,6% of all responses falling into the ‘Agree’ or ‘Strongly agree’ categories.

Residents expressed the highest satisfaction with the reliability of weekly household waste collection (86% satisfaction) and the professionalism of emergency fire services.

The survey showed that while residents felt well-informed about the SMS maintenance notifications (81%) from the municipality, there was frustration over water and electricity interruptions in specific areas. Ward 10 (Pringle Bay/Betty’s Bay), Ward 13 (Onrus/Vermont) and Ward 1 (Stanford) reported the highest frequency of outages. In contrast, Gansbaai joined the central Hermanus and Zwelihle areas in reporting almost zero frequent interruptions, showing that these networks are performing at a significantly higher reliability level.

Interestingly, a high percentage of ‘Neutral’ responses (indicating indifference or lack of direct experience) was recorded for the Citizen Service Delivery App (38%) and sewerage spillage response times (32%).

The highest levels of dissatisfaction were noted in road maintenance and the condition of parks and open spaces. Cleanliness of CBDs/open spaces (55%) shows significant room for improvement.

What else can the municipality learn from this survey?

• Parks and open spaces: This received the lowest satisfaction score (46%), primarily due to poor maintenance and dilapidated equipment. Even in Ward 13, the highest-scoring ward for parks at 58,7%, satisfaction levels remained significantly lower than those seen in other departments, such as ease of payment (85%). Residents in Wards 5, 6, 8, and 12 expressed particular dissatisfaction with their local spaces. These results suggest that while the municipality is excellent at moving waste, there is a clear challenge in maintaining assets.
• Road maintenance: Satisfaction was low (55%), with residents citing general lack of maintenance and poor-quality repairs as major concerns. Ward 8 and Ward 10 were significantly dissatisfied compared to the rest of the municipality.
• Public participation (IDP): Only 21% of residents felt their input was considered in the integrated development plan (IDP) process. A large portion (35%) were unaware of what the IDP is.
• Law enforcement: Law enforcement received negative feedback, not necessarily due to bad service, but because of confusion. There is widespread confusion regarding jurisdiction, with many residents unsure whether their complaints should go to the SAPS or municipal law enforcement. The Gansbaai wards indicated a need for more consistent by-law enforcement regarding illegal dumping and stray animals.
• Traffic and safety: Survey feedback showed that residents valued visible traffic and law enforcement presence, with Sandbaai and Onrus residents indicating a preference for more patrol vehicles on residential streets.
• Building control and growth: Residents in Ward 14 (De Kelders/Perlemoenbaai) were very sensitive to the rapid growth of the area and that new developments do not ruin the ‘small-town feel’ or put too much pressure on the existing (currently excellent) water and power networks.
• Account accuracy: The survey revealed high levels of trust in the financial administration of the municipality. Residents specifically praised the accuracy of their monthly accounts (82%) and the ease of making payments (85%). A small percentage of dissatisfied respondents noted that resolving complex account queries can sometimes take longer than expected.