Overstrand, Western Cape Province, South Africa

🇿🇦 Overstrand Municipality is a local municipality in the Western Cape province of South Africa. It is located along the Atlantic coast between Cape Town and Cape Agulhas, within the Overberg District Municipality. The principal towns in the municipality are Hermanus, Gansbaai and Kleinmond.

Geography The municipality covers an area of 1,708 square km (659 sq mi) stretching along the coast of the Overberg, from the eastern edge of False Bay almost to Cape Agulhas. At its western end it is separated from the City of Cape Town by the Kogelberg mountains; to the north it is separated from the Theewaterskloof Municipality by the Kogelberg and the Kleinrivier Mountains; and to the east it abuts on the Cape Agulhas Municipality along a boundary that runs generally north-south just to the west of Elim. The western part of the municipality consists mostly of a narrow coastal plain with mountains immediately behind, while the eastern part beyond the Klein River expands away from the coast to include a wider agricultural region.

Most of the towns in the municipality are on the coast, and due to the proximity to Cape Town many are holiday resorts. The largest town is Hermanus, which is situated on the northern edge of Walker Bay next to the Klein River mouth. West of Hermanus, between it and the Bot River, are Onrusrivier and Hawston on the coast, and Fisherhaven on the Bot River lagoon. On the other side of the Bot River mouth is the town of Kleinmond and beyond it along the coast are Betty's Bay, Pringle Bay and Rooi-Els.

East of Hermanus the municipality includes a wider agricultural area away from the coast. The village of Stanford is about 15 km (10 mi) inland on the Klein River. To the south, on the opposite side of Walker Bay from Hermanus, is the second-largest town in the municipality, Gansbaai. Just south of Gansbaai, on the southern edge of the Danger Point peninsula, are Van Dyksbaai and Franskraalstrand. A little further along the coast is Pearly Beach. Inland from Pearly Beach, separated from the coast by a range of hills, is the agricultural hamlet of Baardskeerdersbos, while Wolvengat is another agricultural hamlet in the far south-east of the municipality.

Demographics According to the 2022 South African census, the municipality had a population of 132,495 people, with an average annual growth rate of 5.0% from 2011. At 38.0%, "Black Africans" were the largest ethnic group, followed by "Whites" at 33.5% and "Coloureds" at 26.9%.

The region's reputation as a retirement and resort hub is reflected in the age demographics, as 15.1% of residents were over the age of 65, compared to just 6% in South Africa as a whole.