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Witzenberg Local Municipality

WC022Western CapeCape Winelands DM DistrictSmall town (B3)

Data as at 10 November 2026

At a glance

  • Witzenberg had 103 765 residents in 2022, down from 115 946 in 2011: −1,1% a year, slower than Western Cape (2,4% a year).
  • 93,3% of households had piped water in the dwelling or yard in 2022, above the median of the 99 small towns (90,4%).
  • It collected 96,1% of what it billed for rates and services in 2024/25, above the median of the 52 small towns (74,2%).
  • Audit outcome for 2023/24: unqualified, no findings, the same as in 2022/23.
  • Turnout in the 2026 local elections was 37,3%, against 43,1% in 2021.

In the strips under each figure, the dot is Witzenberg, the line is the median and the shaded band is the middle half of the comparison group. Compare with:

People

Stats SA, Census 2011 and 2022
Population, 2022103 7652011: 115 946 · −11%
Average household size4,0 people2022 · 2011: 4,2 people
2,4 peoplemedian 3,7 people6,4 people
Aged under 1522,4%2022 · 2011: 25,4%
19,5%median 27,1%36,4%
Adults (20+) with matric or higher37,8%2022 · 2011: 24,0%
23,8%median 38,2%54,8%

Services at home

Stats SA, Census 2022 · % of households
Piped water in the dwelling or yard93,3%2022 · 2011: 90,8%
30,7%median 90,4%99,5%
Flush toilet connected to sewerage96,1%2022 · 2011: 86,9%
20,3%median 83,1%98,6%
Electricity for lighting95,8%2022 · 2011: 93,4%
72,1%median 94,5%99,3%
Refuse removed weekly77,4%2022 · 2011: 69,9%
15,7%median 73,8%95,9%
Households in formal dwellings87,7%2022 · 2011: 86,2%
55,1%median 89,5%99,4%

Water

Department of Water and Sanitation, Blue Drop 2023, Green Drop 2025, No Drop
Drinking water quality (Blue Drop)81,0%Good Blue Drop 2023 (audit of 2021/22)
Wastewater treatment (Green Drop)81,6%Good Green Drop 2025 (audit of 2023/24)
Water loss management (No Drop)73,0%Average No Drop 2023 (latest No Drop score, restated in the 2025 No Drop report)

Blue Drop: 95%+ excellent, 80–95% good, 50–80% average, 31–50% very poor, under 31% critical. Green Drop: 90%+ excellent, 80–90% good, 50–80% average, 31–50% very poor, under 31% critical. No Drop: 90%+ excellent, 80–90% good, 50–80% average, 30–50% very poor, under 30% critical.

Money

National Treasury, Municipal Money · 2024/25 audited · NERSA
Operating spendingR946 m2024/25 audited · R9 114 per resident
Capital budget spent80,9%2024/25 · of the original budget
7,1%median 93,8%258,9%
Billed money collected96,1%2024/25 · rates and service charges · Treasury norm (MFMA Circular 71): 95%
33,2%median 74,2%111,3%
Cash coverage6,1 months2024/25 · Above norm Treasury norm (MFMA Circular 71): 1 to 3 months
−19,3 monthsmedian 3,0 months45,2 months
Irregular expenditureR5,9 m2023/24 · 0,6% of 2024/25 operating spending
Repairs and maintenance1,5%2024/25 · Below norm of the value of property, plant and equipment · Treasury norm (MFMA Circular 71): 8%
0,0%median 1,3%13,2%
Electricity tariff increase, 2026/2712,82%Average increase applied for; NERSA approved the tariffs · decision
6,40%median 9,75%34,20%

Audit outcomes

Auditor-General, 2019/20 to 2023/24

In the Auditor-General's order: unqualified with no findings · unqualified with emphasis of matter · qualified · adverse · disclaimer. Outstanding: the audit was not finished when the outcomes were published. Source: Auditor-General of South Africa, audit outcomes as published by National Treasury, Municipal Money, read on 2026-11-10; each links to the audit report. The Auditor-General's 2024-25 outcomes are not yet in Treasury's data.

Council seats, 2026

IEC seat calculation, local government elections 2026
23 seats: 12 ward, 11 proportional (PR)
Majority: 12 of 23 seats
PartyWardPRTotal
Democratic Alliance8210
African National Congress426
Patriotic Alliance033
Democratic Association of Witzenberg Independence011
Economic Freedom Fighters011
Vryheidsfront Plus | Freedom Front Plus011
Witzenberg Party011

Source: Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC), seat calculation detail, report printed 2026-11-06. Bars use each party's site colour.

Voter turnout

IEC, local elections 2016, 2021, 2026
201651,7%
202143,1%
202637,3%

Source: Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC), voter turnout reports. Turnout as the IEC defines it: the higher of ward and PR votes cast, divided by registered voters plus special (MEC7) votes.

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Download WC022.csv: every Stats SA, Treasury, Auditor-General, Water and Sanitation and NERSA figure for this municipality, including some not shown on the page, with its source, field and date. · Report an error

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Method and sources

  • People and services at home: Stats SA, Census 2022 Municipal fact sheet, Report No. 03-01-82 (revised edition), with Census 2011 figures that Stats SA re-worked to the 2021 municipal boundaries, which the 2026 municipalities share. Read from the report's tables; the population figures were checked to add up from local municipalities to districts, provinces and South Africa. Adults with matric or higher = the shares of adults (20+) whose highest level of education is matric plus those with higher education (separate categories, so they add). The fact sheet has no household counts, so no per-household figures are shown; average household size is Stats SA's own figure. Source of the basic data: Statistics South Africa (Stats SA), Census 2022 Municipal fact sheet, Report No. 03-01-82. The selection and presentation are MzansiData's own processing of the data.
  • Water: Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), Blue Drop 2023 (drinking water quality; audit of 2021/22), Green Drop 2025 full audit (wastewater treatment; provincial reports of 29 March 2026, audit of 2023/24) and the No Drop score (water loss management; the latest score is from the 2023 audit, restated in the 2025 No Drop report of 5 May 2026). Scores are per water services authority: where the district runs water services, its local municipalities show the district's scores. The 2023 No Drop audit gave 0 to authorities that did not submit the required information. Bands are the reports' own. Read from the reports on https://ws.dws.gov.za/IRIS/latestresults.aspx; DWS publishes no reuse terms, and the scores are used with credit. Source: Department of Water and Sanitation (Blue Drop 2023, Green Drop 2025, No Drop 2025 reports).
  • Electricity tariff increase: the National Energy Regulator of South Africa's (NERSA) Decision and Reasons for Decision on each municipality's 2026/27 tariff application (https://www.nersa.org.za/regulator-decisions/150, published 30 June 2026). The figure is the average increase the document states as approved, or else the average increase the municipality applied for, which NERSA approved as recommended in its analysis; the page says which. Municipalities that do not sell electricity (no NERSA decision and no electricity billed in Treasury's figures) show "Eskom supplies directly"; districts that do not sell electricity show "Not a distributor". Source: National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA), Reasons for Decision on municipal tariff applications for 2026/27.
  • Money: National Treasury, Municipal Money API (https://municipaldata.treasury.gov.za/api/cubes), 2024/25 audited figures, read 2026-11-10: the municipalities' own returns, published by Treasury. The ratios and per-resident figures are MzansiData's own calculation from those figures. Billed money collected = cash received from property rates and service charges (service-charge receipts less 15% VAT) / property rates and service charges billed; a simplified form of the MFMA Circular 71 collection rate (norm 95%), which uses debtor balances instead of receipts; values outside 30% to 130% (a sign of receipts booked elsewhere or an incomplete return) are left out. Irregular expenditure is the latest year in Treasury's data, shown as a share of operating spending. Capital budget spent = audited capital spending / capital budget. Cash coverage = cash at year end / a month of operating spending without depreciation and debt impairment (a simplified form of Treasury's MFMA Circular 71 ratio, which also takes off unspent grants). Repairs and maintenance = spending on repairs / property, plant and equipment plus investment property. Revenue shares = property rates, service charges or operating grants / operating revenue. Grant dependence = operating and capital grants / all revenue including capital grants. Employee costs = employee-related costs / operating spending. Days to pay creditors = trade payables / spending other than staff, councillors, depreciation and debt impairment, × 365 (a simplified Circular 71 ratio; norm 30 days). Money owed = current receivables at year end. Per resident = the amount / the Census 2022 population (the Census fact sheet has no household counts, so no per-household figures). Ratios outside a plausible range (a sign of an incomplete return) are left out. Terms: Free to download, copy, publish, distribute, adapt and use, commercially and non-commercially, provided the source and the date of publication are acknowledged; no implied endorsement.
  • Audit outcomes: the Auditor-General's opinions for 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24, as published by National Treasury, each linked to the audit report.
  • Unemployment (metros only): Stats SA's Quarterly Labour Force Survey, trends workbook Table 2.3 (release P0211, 2026-11-10). Official rate (LU1) and expanded rate (LU3). Source of the basic data: Statistics South Africa (Stats SA), Quarterly Labour Force Survey. The selection and presentation are MzansiData's own processing of the data.
  • Council seats and turnout: the IEC's own seat calculation and voter turnout reports for each council, read 2026-11-09. IEC figures are shown with credit and are not in the CSV download (the IEC's terms do not allow republishing its tables without consent).
  • Comparisons: peers are the municipalities in the same National Treasury category (A metros, B1 secondary cities, B2 large towns, B3 small towns, B4 mostly rural, C districts). Province and all-of-SA comparisons put districts with districts and the rest together. Each strip shows the lowest and highest values, the middle half of the group (shaded) and the median (line). Rand totals have no strip.
  • CSV download: every Stats SA, Treasury, Auditor-General, Department of Water and Sanitation and NERSA figure for the municipality, including measures not shown on the page (age structure, education, household make-up, revenue mix, grant dependence, employee costs, days to pay creditors, money owed, capital spending, operating surplus or deficit, unauthorised and fruitless and wasteful expenditure), each with its source, field and date.
  • Sentences in "At a glance" come from fixed rules in the site's code, filled in from the figures. If a figure is missing, its sentence is left out. No text on these pages is written by AI.