A Municipality was established at Franschhoek on 28 June 1881 under the provisions of Ordinance No 9 of 1836.
In terms of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act, 1998 (Act 117 of 1998) the existing Municipality for the Area of Franschhoek together with the Stellenbosch Transitional Local Council, Nuweberg Transitional Representative Council, Paarl Transitional Representative Council, Pniel Transitional Local Council and Stellenbosch Transitional Representative Council was disestablished and the Stellenbosch Local Municipality established (Province of Western Cape Provincial Gazette Extraordinary No 5590, 22 September 2000, Provincial Notice No 489, 22 September 2000). The Stellenbosch Local Municipality forms part of the larger Cape Winelands District Municipality.
District municipalities administer and make rules for a district, which includes more than one local municipality. The purpose of district municipalities and local municipalities sharing the responsibility for local government in their areas is to ensure that all communities, particularly disadvantaged communities, have equal access to resources and services. This will help some local municipalities that don't have the capacity (finances, facilities, staff, or knowledge) to provide services to their communities. It will also help to cut the costs of running a municipality by sharing resources with others. The "richer" areas will allow the "poorer" areas. District municipalities are seen as successors to former Regional Services Councils/District Councils.
Some of the functions and powers of district municipalities include: • To plan for development for the district municipality as a whole. • Bulk supply of water that affects a large proportion of the municipalities in the district. • bulk supply of electricity that affects a large proportion of the municipalities in the district • Bulk sewerage purification works and central sewerage disposal. • Waste disposal sites for the whole district municipality area. • Municipal roads for the whole district municipality area. • Regulating passenger transport services. • Municipal health services for the whole area. • Firefighting services for the whole area. • Control of fresh produce markets. • Control of cemeteries. • Promoting local tourism for the whole area. • Municipal public works.
In terms of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act, 1998 (Act 117 of 1998) the existing Breërivier District Council, Matroosberg Transitional Representative Council, Witzenberg Transitional Representative Council, Winelands District Council and Wynland Transitional Representative Council was disestablished and the Boland District Municipality established with its seat in Worcester (Province of Western Cape Provincial Gazette Extraordinary No 5590, 22 September 2000, Provincial Notice No 486, 22 September 2000). The Boland District Municipality was divided into five local municipalities, namely Witzenberg with its seat in Ceres, Drakenstein (Paarl), Stellenbosch (Stellenbosch), Breede Valley (Worcester), and Langeberg (Ashton).
In August 2004, the name Boland District Municipality was changed to the Cape Winelands District Municipality.
The Municipality of Riversdale was constituted on 6 June 1849 under provision of Ordinance No 9, 1836 (Cape of Good Hope Government Gazette, No 2271, 7 June 1849, Proclamation dated 6 June 1849).
In terms of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act, 1998 (Act 117 of 1998) the existing Municipality of Riversdale together with the Municipality of Albertinia, Gouritsmond Transitional Council, Heidelberg Transitional Council, Langeberg Transitional Representative Council, Mossel Bay Transitional Representative Council, Slangrivier Transitional Local Council and Municipality of Stilbaai was disestablished and the Langeberg (later Hessequa) Local Municipality established (Province of Western Cape Provincial Gazette Extraordinary No 5592, 22 September 2000, Provincial Notice No 499, 22 September 2000). The Hessequa Local Municipality forms part of the larger Garden Route District Municipality.
The Village Management Board of Bredasdorp was created by Proclamation No 155 of 1881 in terms of the provisions of the Village Management Act of 1881.
On 3 April 1917 the Village Management Board of Bredasdorp was dissolved. The first meeting of the Municipality of Bredasdorp, created under Proclamation 17 of 1917, took place on 10 April 1917.
On 22 September 2000 the Municipality of Bredasdorp together with the Bredasdorp Transitional Representative Council, Caledon Transitional Representative Council, Napier Transitional Council and Struisbaai Transitional Local Council were disestablished and the Cape Agulhas Local Municipality was established in terms of sections 12 and 14 of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act 1998 (Act 117 of 1998) (Province of Western Cape Provincial Gazette No 5591 of 22 September 2000, Provincial Notice No 495 of 22 September 2000). The Cape Agulhas Local Municipality forms part of the larger Overberg District Municipality.
On 31 March 1989, the Divisional Council Area of Wynland and portions of the Divisional Council Areas of Witzenberg and Matroosberg were established as the Breërivier Regional Services Council (The Province of the Cape of Good Hope Official Gazette No 4580 of 31 March 1989, Provincial Notice No 331 of 31 March 1989).
In terms of Proclamation No 152 of 15 December 1995 (Establishment of Rural Local Government Structures), the Breërivier Regional Services Council was disestablished and replaced by the Breërivier District Council (Province of Western Cape Provincial Gazette Extraordinary No 5004 of 15 December 1995).
The Swellendam Municipality was created by a proclamation dated 23 June 1843 published in Government Gazette No 1958 of 30 June 1843. The municipality was proclaimed under the provisions of Ordinance No 9 of 15 August 1836.
In terms of the Local Government: Municipal Structure Act, 1998 (Act 117 of 1998) the existing Swellendam Municipality together with Barrydale Municipality, Bredasdorp Transitional Representative Council, Infanta Transitional Local Council, Langeberg Transitional Representative Council, Suurbraak Transitional Local Council, Swellendam Transitional Representative Council, and Wynland Transitional Representative Council was disestablished and Swellendam Local Municipality established (Province of Western Cape Provincial Gazette Extraordinary No 5591, 22 September 2000, Provincial Notice No 496, 22 September 2000). The Swellendam Local Municipality forms part of the larger Overberg District Municipality. «
Under Ordinance No 11 of 1921, the Kleinmond Local Board was declared on 30 July 1929 (Province of the Cape of Good Hope Official Gazette No 1223, 23 August 1929, Proclamation No 147, 30 July 1929). In terms of Ordinances Nos 10 and 11 of 1921, the Local Board of Kleinmond ceased to exist in December 1947, and the Village Management Board of Kleinmond came into existence (Province of the Cape of Good Hope Official Gazette No 2327, 24 December 1947, Proclamation No 198, 22 December 1947). Under Municipal Ordinance, 1951 (Ordinance No 19), the Village Management Board of Kleinmond was declared a municipality from 1 August 1959 (Province of the Cape of Good Hope Provincial Gazette No 2969, 1 May 1959, Proclamation No 58, 21 April 1959). In terms of the Local Government Transition Act, 1993 (Act 209 of 1993) the local government bodies within the Kleimond/Hangklip Forum Area, namely the Municipalities of Kleinmond and Hangklip was dissolved with effect from 1 January 1995 and the Hangklip/Kleinmond Transitional Local Council established (Province of Western Cape Provincial Gazette Extraordinary No 4915, 30 December 1994, Proclamation No 122, 29 December 1994). In terms of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act, 1998 (Act 117 of 1998), the existing Hangklip/Kleinmond Transitional Local Council, together with other municipalities, was disestablished, and the Overstrand Local Municipality was established (Province of Western Cape Provincial Gazette Extraordinary No 5591, 22 September 2000, Provincial Notice No 492, 22 September 2000). The Overstrand Local Municipality forms part of the larger Overberg District Municipality. Despite numerous attempts from 1964 – 1999 for the Municipality of Kleinmond to transfer its records (and those of the Village Management Board) to the archives, only four boxes of correspondence files were moved in April 1991 (volumes 3/KMD 2/1 – 2/5). In 2017, the Overstrand Municipality transferred the records of the previous Municipality of Kleinmond.
