About us

The Overberg District Municipality is a District Municipality that governs the Overberg region in the Western Cape province of South Africa.

The municipal area covers 12,241 km2 and currently has an estimated population of 300,285 people in 86,716 households.

Overberg is a region in South Africa to the east of Cape Town beyond the Hottentots-Holland mountains. It lies along the Western Cape Province's south coast between the Cape Peninsula and the region known as the Garden Route in the East. The boundaries of the Overberg are the Hottentots-Holland mountains in the West; the Riviersonderend Mountains in the North; the Atlantic and Indian Oceans in the South and the Breëde River in the East.

The name, derived from Over 't Berg, means "over the (Hottentots-Holland) mountain" and is a reference to the region's location relative to Cape Town.

The Overberg has always been considered as the breadbasket of the Cape and is largely given to grain farming, mainly wheat. The wheat fields are a major breeding ground for South Africa's national bird, the blue crane. Another important food farmed in the Overberg is fruit with Grabouw being the second largest supplier of fruit in South Africa.

Nestled in the Overberg, one can find the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve (recognised and registered with UNESCO) populated with a large diversity of flowering plants not found anywhere else in the fynbos biome.

The major towns are Hermanus, Caledon, Bredasdorp, Grabouw and Swellendam and the region includes Cape Agulhas, the southernmost point of Africa. The landscape is dominated by gently to moderately undulating hills enclosed by mountains and the ocean.

The Overberg District Municipality is classified as a ‘Category C’ municipality, with the following ‘Category B’ municipalities in its area of jurisdiction: Cape Agulhas, Overstrand, Theewaterskloof and Swellendam.

Section 83(3) of the Municipal Structures Act, 1998 (Act 117 of 1998), states:
“A district municipality must seek to achieve the integrated, sustainable and equitable social and economic development of its area as a whole by –
(a) ensuring integrated development planning for the district as a whole;
(b) promoting bulk infrastructural development and services for the district as a whole;
(c) building the capacity of local municipalities in its area to perform their functions and exercise their powers where such capacity is lacking; and
(d) promoting the equitable distribution of resources between the local municipalities in its area to ensure appropriate levels of municipal services within the area.

VISION

Overberg – the opportunity gateway to Africa through sustainable services.

MISSION

To render sustainable, customer-directed services and to be the preferred Provider of Shared Services within the Overberg, by:
• Promoting social and economic development;
• Utilising all available resources economically, efficiently and effectively;
• Ensuring the provision of optimal and quality service delivery; and
• Enhancing effective stakeholder relations.

STRATEGIC GOALS

SG 1: To ensure the well-being of all in the Overberg through the provision of ef+cient basic services and infrastructure.
SG 2: To promote regional economic development by supporting initiatives in the District for the development of a sustainable district economy.
SG 3: To ensure municipal transformation and institutional development by creating a staff structure that would adhere to the principles of employment equity and promote skills development.
SG 4: To attain and maintain +nancial viability and sustainability by executing accounting services in accordance with National policy and guidelines.
SG 5: To ensure good governance practices by providing a democratic and pro-active accountable government and ensuring community participation through IGR structures.

CORE VALUES

CARING - A total belief in collective caring principles – “Ubuntu”.
INTEGRITY - Higher levels of courtesy and professionalism in the workplace; behaving in a manner that reflects ODMs commitment to honesty, trust, transparency and ethical business operations.
COMMITMENT - To the development of people; regular consultation with customers on the level and quality of services.
TRANSFORMATION - Transformational leadership - corporate transformation begins with a shift in the values and behaviours of leadership; corporations do not transform, people do.
TRANSPARENCY - In accounting for our actions; responsible spending and utilisation of municipal assets.
EXCELLENCE - Setting quality standards for service delivery, measurement thereof to improve productivity and the discipline to take action to address the situation.
HONESTY - Contributes to a positive mind-set and facilitates morally acceptable behaviour.
RESPECT - For our natural resources and celebrating diversity.