Matzikama Local Municipality

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Matzikama Municipality is a local government area in the northern part of the Western Cape, South Africa. It includes the towns of Vredendal, Vanrhynsdorp, Klawer, Lutzville and the surrounding villages and rural areas. It is part of the West Coast District and has the municipal code WC011. The council seat is Vredendal, and the mayor is Monica Bottom (PA).

Geography
- The municipality covers about 12,981 square kilometres, stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Bokkeveld Escarpment in the east.
- The Olifants River flows through the southern part, while the northern area is the hilly Knersvlakte.
- It borders Kamiesberg, Hantam, and Cederberg municipalities.

Population and language
- As of 2022, about 69,043 people live there.
- The population is mainly Coloured (about 77.7%), with 10.2% Black African and 11.0% White.
- Most residents (about 91.8%) speak Afrikaans, with Xhosa (3.5%) and English (1.8%) also present.

Name and history
- The name Matzikama comes from Khoekhoe words meaning roughly “you give water.”
- The municipality was formed in stages during the 1990s and became Matzikama Municipality in 2000, later expanding in 2011 to include the northern areas.
- It is the northernmost local municipality in the Western Cape and is part of the West Coast district.