The Divisional Council of Ceres was constituted on 1 August 1889 under provision of Proclamation No 130 of 1889 in terms of Act No 4 of 1965 (The Cape of Good Hope Government Gazette No 7107 of 2 August 1889).

On 1 January 1980 the Divisional Council of Ceres was reconstituted together with the Divisional Council of Tulbagh to form the amalgamated Divisional Council of Witzenberg (The Province of the Cape of Good Hope Official Gazette No 4061 of 20 July 1979, Proclamation No 174 of 18 July 1979).

The Municipality of Ceres was constituted on 11 October 1864 under Proclamation No 53 of 1864 in terms of Ordinance No 9 of 1836.

In terms of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act, 1998 (Act 117 of 1998) the existing Ceres Municipality together with the Municipality of Wolseley, Matroosberg Transitional Representative Council, Municipality of Prince Alfred’s Hamlet, Witzenberg Transitional Representative Council and Municipality of Tulbagh was disestablished and the Witzenberg Local Municipality established (Province of Western Cape Provincial Gazette Extraordinary No 5590, 22 September 2000, Provincial Notice No 487, 22 September 2000). The Witzenberg Local Municipality forms part of the larger Cape Winelands District Municipality.