# Gamagara Local Municipality

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{{Infobox settlement
| name                    = Gamagara
| official_name           = 
| other_name              = 
| native_name             = 
| settlement_type         = [Local municipality](/source/Local_municipality_(South_Africa))
<!-- images, nickname --->
| image_seal              = Gamagara_CoA.png
| seal_size               = 
<!-- maps and coordinates ------>
| 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   = <!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
<!-- location ------------------>
| subdivision_type        = Country
| subdivision_name        = [South Africa](/source/South_Africa)
| subdivision_type1       = Province
| subdivision_name1       = [Northern Cape](/source/Northern_Cape)
| subdivision_type2       = [District](/source/Districts_of_South_Africa)
| subdivision_name2       = [John Taolo Gaetsewe](/source/John_Taolo_Gaetsewe_District_Municipality)
<!-- seat, smaller parts ------->
| seat       = [Kathu](/source/Kathu)
| parts_type = [Wards](/source/Ward_(South_Africa))
|parts      = 8
<!-- government leaders -->
| 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](/source/Municipal_council)
| leader_party            = [DA](/source/Democratic_Alliance_(South_Africa))
| 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 ---------------------->
| area_footnotes          = 
| area_total_km2          = 2619
<!-- population ---------------->
| 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 (section 1) -->
| demographics_type1      = Racial makeup {{nobold|(2022)}}
| demographics1_footnotes = <ref name="muni_population"/>
| demographics1_title1    = {{nobold|[Black African](/source/Bantu-speaking_peoples_of_South_Africa)}}
| demographics1_info1     = 46.2%
| demographics1_title2    = {{nobold|[Coloured](/source/Coloureds)}}
| demographics1_info2     = 33.8%
| demographics1_title3    = {{nobold|[Indian](/source/Indian_South_African)/[Asian](/source/Asian_South_African)}}
| demographics1_info3     = 1.1%
| demographics1_title4    = {{nobold|[White](/source/White_South_African)}}
| demographics1_info4     = 18.8%
<!-- demographics (section 2) -->
| demographics_type2      = [First language](/source/First_language)s {{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](/source/Afrikaans)}}
| demographics2_info1     = 53.9%
| demographics2_title2    = {{nobold|[Tswana](/source/Tswana_language)}}
| demographics2_info2     = 33.7%
| demographics2_title3    = {{nobold|[English](/source/English_language)}}
| demographics2_info3     = 3.6%
| demographics2_title4    = {{nobold|[Sotho](/source/Sotho_language)}}
| demographics2_info4     = 1.4%
| demographics2_title5    = {{nobold|Other}}
| demographics2_info5     = 7.4%
<!-- time zone(s) -------------->
| timezone1               = [SAST](/source/South_African_Standard_Time)
| utc_offset1             = +2
<!-- Municipal code -->
| blank_name_sec1         = Municipal&nbsp;code
| blank_info_sec1         = NC453

<!-- website, footnotes -->
| website                 = {{URL|gamagara.gov.za}}
| footnotes               = 
}}
'''Gamagara Municipality''' ({{langx|af|Gamagara Munisipaliteit}}; {{langx|tn|Mmasepala wa Gamagara}}) is a [local municipality](/source/Local_municipality_(South_Africa)) within the [John Taolo Gaetsewe District Municipality](/source/John_Taolo_Gaetsewe_District_Municipality), in the [Northern Cape](/source/Northern_Cape) province of [South Africa](/source/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](/source/Setswana_language) origin. The municipality is named after a dry river which was in turn named after a man called Mogara of the Makwere clan ([Batlhaping](/source/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](/source/White_South_Africans) 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](/source/Dibeng) to join the [Kuruman](/source/Kuruman) ([Segonyana](/source/Segonyana)) river at [Dikgatlong tsa ga Kganyile](/source/Dikgatlong_tsa_ga_Kganyile). Incidentally, this is the route the [Ba ga Motlhware](/source/Ba_ga_Motlhware) followed on their way to their headquarters, [Maje a Mokhothu](/source/Maje_a_Mokhothu) ([Langeberg](/source/Langeberg)).<ref>[http://www.salanguages.com/munnames.htm  South African Languages - Place names]</ref>

==Main places==
The [2001 census](/source/South_African_National_Census_of_2001) divided the municipality into the following [main places](/source/Populated_place):<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](/source/Dibeng) || [http://census.adrianfrith.com/place/32401 32401]||8.58||4,023
|-
| [Dingleton](/source/Dingleton) || [http://census.adrianfrith.com/place/32402 32402]||1.56||2,866
|-
| [Ditloung](/source/Ditloung) || [http://census.adrianfrith.com/place/31903 31903]||0.62||3,044
|-
| [Kathu](/source/Kathu) || [http://census.adrianfrith.com/place/32404 32404]||8.53||8,247
|-
| [Olifantshoek](/source/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](/source/2022_South_African_census), the municipality had a population of 29,580 people. Of these, 46.2% identified as "[Black African](/source/Black_South_African)," 33.8% as "[Coloured](/source/Coloureds)," and 18.8 as "[White](/source/White_South_Africans)."<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](/source/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](/source/mixed-member_proportional_representation). Eight councillors are elected by [first-past-the-post voting](/source/first-past-the-post_voting) in eight [wards](/source/ward_(South_Africa)), while the remaining seven are chosen from [party list](/source/party_list)s so that the total number of party representatives is proportional to the number of votes received. In the [election of 1 November 2021](/source/2021_South_African_municipal_elections) 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 vote](/source/Spoilt_vote)s
| 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]

{{Municipalities of the Northern Cape}}

Category:Local municipalities of the John Taolo Gaetsewe District Municipality

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Gamagara Local Municipality](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamagara_Local_Municipality) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamagara_Local_Municipality?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.