Cacadu District

The Cacadu District, which was formerly the Western district, covers the rural western areas of the province. This district is the largest of the districts and has an area of 58, 242 square kilometers. The coastal parts of the district have temperate winter rainfall, with around 500 -700 mm of rain per year. The Tsitsikamma and Baviaans parks lie in the west of the district close to the Western Cape. The interior of the Cacadu District is mainly dry Karoo and grasslands comprised of commercial farms. In spite of the barren interior, the Sundays and Fish Rivers maintain large irrigated farming and these rivers are supplied by water from the Orange River. The only eco-system not found in the Cacadu District is the true desert. The district is one of the finest game viewing areas in South Africa.

It boast with international quality reserves to the likes of ADDO ELEPHANT PARK, SHAMWARI, MOUNTAN ZEBRA PARK, GREATER BAVIAANS RESERVE as well as the GREAT FISH RIVER RESERVE complex. This complex comprises the Andries Vosloo Kudu Reserve, the Sam Knott Nature Reserve and the Double Drift Nature Reserve. In total these three reserves have an approximate size of 45 000ha. It also host numerous private game farms and lodges

It is the place where major cultures in South Africa came into contact. It has to be stressed that the area is Malaria free

The Cacadu district is ranked as the third largest economy of all the districts. Agriculture dominates the districts economy, and there is also small-stock farming in the interior. Cacadu is the centre of the wool and mohair industry in the Eastern Cape. Cattle and dairy farming is strong around Grahamstown, Cookhouse, Alexandria and Humansdorp. There is citrus farming from the Sundays and Fish Rivers. From St. Francis there is a small fishing industry centered on rock lobster. Tourism is well developed in Cacadu and there is a group of tourism routes established in the district.

The majority of its 388 201 people speak is Xhosa. English and Afrikaans are the next, most widely spoken, languages. Cacadu incorporates nine local municipalities and four portions called District Management Areas (DMAs).

Cacadu’s nine local municipalities and their key towns are:

• Baviaans (Steytlerville, Willowmore)
  
• Blue Crane Route (Cookhouse, Pearston, Somerset East)
  
• Camdeboo (Aberdeen, Graaff-Reinet, Nieu-Bethesda)
  
• Ikwezi (Jansenville, Klipplaat)
  
• Kouga (Hankey, Humansdorp, Jeffreys Bay, Oyster Bay, Patensie, St Francis Bay)
  
• Kou-Kamma (Joubertina, Kareedouw)
  
• Makana (Alicedale, Grahamstown, Riebeeck East)
  
• Ndlambe (Alexandria, Bathurst, Boknes, Bushmans River, Cannon Rocks,Kenton-on-Sea, Port Alfred)
  
• Sundays River Valley (Addo, Kirkwood, Paterson)

Nelson Mandela Bay municipality – a concentrated urbanisation and inter-city activity area comprising Port Elizabeth, Uitenhage and Despatch – is excluded from Cacadu.

Economic Activities

• Mohair from Angora goat farming in Cacadu dominates world production.
  
• Merino wool. Serves world markets in a sector open for more value-added products for niche markets.
  
• Beef cattle. Thrive in the eastern regions.
  
• Dairy. Dominant in the lush coastal strip from Humansdorp in the east to Tsitsikamma in the west.
  
• Citrus farming is irrigated by the Sundays River and Fish River. Citrus is also farmed in Gamtoos Valley. Citrus serves local and international markets including the UK, Europe, Canada and the Far East. The Sundays River valley produces 50% of South Africa’s lemon crop. Kirkwood is the citrus capital.
  
• Lucerne. Prolific in the Sundays River Valley and Fish River Valley
  
• Tobacco and vegetables. Farmed in the Gamtoos Valley.
  
• Fishing. A small fishing industry at St Francis Bay is centred on calamari, hake and rock lobster. Calamari processing for export occurs in Humansdorp.
  
• Chicory. Alexandria area is Africa’s largest chicory supplier (also the area for pineapples). South Africa is the world’s second largest producer of chicory after France. A drying plant at Alexandria processes the chicory for sale to local coffee manufacturers.
  
• Honeybush tea. Grown in the Langkloof, together with chicory it serves the growing demand for healthy caffeine- and tannin-free beverages.
  
• Deciduous fruit. Langkloof farms produce apples, pears and plums.
  
• Commercial forestry. Plantations in Longmore, Tsitsikamma and around Grahamstown.
  
• Sheep. World-famous Karoo mutton and lamb.
  
• Camdeboo Meat Processors in Graaff-Reinet, South Africa’s biggest processor of ostrich and venison products.
  
• Roses/flowers. Preserved roses for export from Addo and ferns from Tsitsikamma. Cut flowers around Somerset East and proteas and strelizias from Longmore Flower Estates.
  
• Cotton. Successful cotton trials at the Agricultural Research Council experimental farm near Addo.
  
• Shoes/fashion. Shoes, Country Feeling lifestyle brand and Billabong South Africa in Jeffrey’s Bay.
  
• Seaweed. A small seaweed (Gelidium) harvesting operation, mainly along the Eastern Cape coast in the seaweed Concession Area from southern Transkei to Plettenberg Bay.
  
• Wood furniture at Kareedouw.