Gamagara Local Municipality

{{Infobox settlement | name = Gamagara | official_name = | other_name = | native_name = | settlement_type = Local municipality  | image_seal = Gamagara_CoA.png | seal_size =  | image_map = Map of the Northern Cape with Gamagara highlighted (2011).svg | mapsize = | map_alt = | map_caption = Location in the Northern Cape |coordinates = {{coord|27|40|S|23|00|E|region:ZA_type:adm3rd_dim:75km|display=inline,title}} | coordinates_footnotes =   | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = South Africa | subdivision_type1 = Province | subdivision_name1 = Northern Cape | subdivision_type2 = District | subdivision_name2 = John Taolo Gaetsewe  | seat = Kathu | parts_type = Wards |parts = 8  | government_footnotes = <ref name="muni_mayor">{{cite web |url=http://www.gcis.gov.za/gcis/gcis_list.jsp?id=14&heading=Executive%20Mayors |title=Contact list: Executive Mayors |publisher=Government Communication & Information System |accessdate=22 February 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100714013749/http://www.gcis.gov.za/gcis/gcis_list.jsp?id=14&heading=Executive%20Mayors |archivedate=14 July 2010 }} </ref> | government_type = Municipal council | leader_party = DA | leader_title = Mayor | leader_name = Henriette du Plessis<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hoo |first=Sandi Kwon |date=2023-05-29 |title=New DA mayor for Gamagara Municipality |url=https://www.dfa.co.za/news/new-da-mayor-for-gamagara-municipality-7e9fe75c-3214-4edf-ada0-b7ac5926537a/ |access-date=2023-05-30 |website=DFA |language=en-ZA}}</ref> | leader_title1 = | leader_name1 = | leader_title2 = | leader_name2 =  | area_footnotes = | area_total_km2 = 2619  | population_footnotes = <ref name="muni_population">{{cite web |url=https://citypopulation.de/en/southafrica/admin/northern_cape/NC453__gamagara/ |title=Statistics by place |publisher=Statistics South Africa |accessdate=17 February 2025}} </ref> | population_total = 29580 | population_as_of = 2022 | population_rank = | population_density_km2 = auto  | demographics_type1 = Racial makeup {{nobold|(2022)}} | demographics1_footnotes = <ref name="muni_population"/> | demographics1_title1 = {{nobold|Black African}} | demographics1_info1 = 46.2% | demographics1_title2 = {{nobold|Coloured}} | demographics1_info2 = 33.8% | demographics1_title3 = {{nobold|Indian/Asian}} | demographics1_info3 = 1.1% | demographics1_title4 = {{nobold|White}} | demographics1_info4 = 18.8%  | demographics_type2 = First languages {{nobold|(2011)}} | demographics2_footnotes = <ref name="muni_langs">{{cite web |url=http://www.statssa.gov.za/?page_id=964 |title=Statistics by place |publisher=Statistics South Africa |accessdate=27 September 2015}} </ref> | demographics2_title1 = {{nobold|Afrikaans}} | demographics2_info1 = 53.9% | demographics2_title2 = {{nobold|Tswana}} | demographics2_info2 = 33.7% | demographics2_title3 = {{nobold|English}} | demographics2_info3 = 3.6% | demographics2_title4 = {{nobold|Sotho}} | demographics2_info4 = 1.4% | demographics2_title5 = {{nobold|Other}} | demographics2_info5 = 7.4%  | timezone1 = SAST | utc_offset1 = +2  | blank_name_sec1 = Municipal code | blank_info_sec1 = NC453

| website = {{URL|gamagara.gov.za}} | footnotes = }} '''Gamagara Municipality''' ({{langx|af|Gamagara Munisipaliteit}}; {{langx|tn|Mmasepala wa Gamagara}}) is a local municipality within the John Taolo Gaetsewe District Municipality, in the Northern Cape province of South Africa.<ref name= "Gamagara Local Municipality">{{cite web|url= https://www.gov.za/about-government/contact-directory/nc-municipalities/gamagara-local-municipality |title= Gamagara Local Municipality |author= |publisher= The Government of South Africa |date= |access-date= 28 January 2026 }}</ref>

== Name ==

The name ''Gamogara'' is of Setswana origin. The municipality is named after a dry river which was in turn named after a man called Mogara of the Makwere clan (Batlhaping). During the early days of exploration, Mogara was the first person to settle in this part of the country.

After 1887, the area became dominated by White farmers who then changed the name as they were unable to pronounce it correctly. Hence it was called Gamagara instead of Gamogara.

The name is derived from a dry river that ran from Dibeng to join the Kuruman (Segonyana) river at Dikgatlong tsa ga Kganyile. Incidentally, this is the route the Ba ga Motlhware followed on their way to their headquarters, Maje a Mokhothu (Langeberg).<ref>[http://www.salanguages.com/munnames.htm South African Languages - Place names]</ref>

==Main places== The 2001 census divided the municipality into the following main places:<ref>[http://www.statssa.gov.za/census01/html/lookuptables1.zip Lookup Tables - Statistics South Africa]{{dead link|date=January 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> {| class="wikitable sortable" ! Place !! Code !! Area (km<sup>2</sup>)!! Population |- | Dibeng || [http://census.adrianfrith.com/place/32401 32401]||8.58||4,023 |- | Dingleton || [http://census.adrianfrith.com/place/32402 32402]||1.56||2,866 |- | Ditloung || [http://census.adrianfrith.com/place/31903 31903]||0.62||3,044 |- | Kathu || [http://census.adrianfrith.com/place/32404 32404]||8.53||8,247 |- | Olifantshoek || [http://census.adrianfrith.com/place/31907 31907]||3.51||3,985 |- | ''Remainder of the municipality'' || [http://census.adrianfrith.com/place/32403 32403]||2,449.38||1,048 |}

==Demographics== According to the 2022 South African census, the municipality had a population of 29,580 people. Of these, 46.2% identified as "Black African," 33.8% as "Coloured," and 18.8 as "White."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gamagara (Local Municipality, South Africa) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location |url=https://citypopulation.de/en/southafrica/admin/northern_cape/NC453__gamagara/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250424002208/https://citypopulation.de/en/southafrica/admin/northern_cape/NC453__gamagara/ |archive-date=2025-04-24 |access-date=2025-12-22 |website=citypopulation.de |language=en}}</ref>

=== Household income ===

Gamagara is the municipality with the highest average taxable income in the entirety of South Africa. This is as a result of a small tax base and highly lucrative employment opportunities. Mining town and rail jobs related to the iron ore industry are known to often be well-paid, and average taxable income across a small population is therefore skewed by a small number of high earners.<ref name= "The small Western Cape town where South Africa’s poorest people live">{{cite web|url= https://dailyinvestor.com/finance/117373/the-small-western-cape-town-where-south-africas-poorest-people-live/ |title= The small Western Cape town where South Africa’s poorest people live |author= Shaun Jacobs |publisher= Daily Investor |date= 28 January 2026 |access-date= 28 January 2026 }}</ref>

In January 2026, according to the South African Revenue Service, Gamagara's average taxable income across its 10,979 taxpayers was R508,901 - significantly (57%) above the national average of just over R323,000.<ref name= "The tiny municipality where the people who make the most money in South Africa live">{{cite web|url= https://dailyinvestor.com/finance/116871/the-tiny-northern-cape-town-where-people-make-the-most-money-in-south-africa/ |title= The tiny municipality where the people who make the most money in South Africa live |author= Shaun Jacobs |publisher= Daily Investor |date= 22 January 2026 |access-date= 22 January 2026 }}</ref>

== Politics == {{main|Gamagara Local Municipality elections}} The municipal council consists of fifteen members elected by mixed-member proportional representation. Eight councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in eight wards, while the remaining seven are chosen from party lists so that the total number of party representatives is proportional to the number of votes received. In the election of 1 November 2021 no party obtained a majority of seats on the council. The following table shows the results of the election.<ref>{{Cite web|date=8 November 2021|title=Results Summary - All Ballots|url=https://results.elections.org.za/home/LGEPublicReports/1091/Detailed%20Results/NC/NC453.pdf|access-date=12 November 2021|website=Electoral Commission of South Africa}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=8 November 2021|title=Seat Calculation Detail|url=https://results.elections.org.za/home/LGEPublicReports/1091/Seat%20Calculation%20Detail/NC/NC453.pdf|access-date=12 November 2021|website=Electoral Commission of South Africa}}</ref> {| class=wikitable style="text-align:right" !colspan="9" align="center"| Gamagara local election, 1 November 2021 |- !rowspan="2" colspan="2"| Party !!colspan="4" align="center"| Votes !!colspan="3" align="center"| Seats |- ! Ward !! List !! Total !! % !! Ward !! List !! Total |- | {{Full party name with color |African National Congress}} | 4,973 || 4,961 || 9,934 || 43.1% || 6 || 1 || 7 |- | {{Full party name with color |Democratic Alliance (South Africa)}} | 3,931 || 4,005 || 7,936 || 34.4% || 2 || 3 || 5 |- | {{Full party name with color |Gamagara Community Forum}} | 1,556 || 1,503 || 3,059 || 13.3% || 0 || 2 || 2 |- | {{Full party name with color |Economic Freedom Fighters}} | 861 || 798 || 1,659 || 7.2% || 0 || 1 || 1 |- | {{Full party name with color |Freedom Front Plus}} | 220 || 218 || 438 || 1.9% || 0 || 0 || 0 |- | {{Full party name with color |South African Royal Kingdoms Organization}} | 6 || 36 || 42 || 0.2% || 0 || 0 || 0 |- |colspan="2" style="text-align:left"| '''Total''' | '''11,547''' || '''11,521''' || '''23,068''' || || '''8''' || '''7''' || '''15''' |- |colspan="9"| |- |colspan="2" style="text-align:left"| Valid votes | 11,547 || 11,521 || 23,068 || 98.7% |- |colspan="2" style="text-align:left"| Spoilt votes | 146 || 151 || 297 || 1.3% |- |colspan="2" style="text-align:left"| '''Total votes cast''' | '''11,693''' || '''11,672''' || '''23,365''' || |- |colspan="6"| |- |colspan="2" style="text-align:left"| Voter turnout | 11,707 |- |colspan="2" style="text-align:left"| Registered voters | 23,135 |- |colspan="2" style="text-align:left"| Turnout percentage | 50.6% |}

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * [http://www.gamagara.co.za/ Official website]

Category:Local municipalities of the John Taolo Gaetsewe District Municipality