!Kheis Local Municipality

The !Kheis Local Municipality is a Category B municipality situated within the ZF Mgcawu District in the Northern Cape Province. It is one of the five municipalities that make up the district, accounting for 11% of its geographical area. It was established from the former Groblershoop Municipality, from settlements that were previously part of the ZF Mgcawu and Karoo District Municipalities. These municipalities administrated these settlements and provided them with services up until the demarcation in November 2000. From December 2000, !Kheis Municipality took over services and personnel, and total service provision took place from 1 July 2001. The !Kheis municipal area was initially inhabited by the Khoisan people, who were also the first permanent inhabitants of South Africa. The San, who lived a nomadic life, migrated through the area. !Kheis is a Khoi name meaning ‘a place where you live' or ‘your home'. The existing roads in the !Kheis municipal area are mainly gravel. The main road (N10) from Upington to Groblershoop is a tar road. Groblershoop is also connected by the N8 to Griekwastad and by the N10 to Marydale. Due to the climate of the area, there is huge potential to utilise solar energy more widely, especially in the remote areas of the district. The Orange River stretches through the area, from the south-east to the north-west. The presence of perennial river water contributes to the establishment of table grapes, which are marketed and exported to Western Europe.