The municipality, which covers an area of , lies along the Atlantic coast of the Western Cape, extending approximately from north to south. It includes the coastal plain and is generally bounded on the east by the mountains of the
escarpment, though in the case of the
Cederberg mountains the border passes further to the east, along the
Doring River, so that the mountains are included in the municipal area. The principal rivers in the area are the
Berg River, which drains the southern part of the municipality, and the
Olifants River, which drains the Cederberg and the northern part of the municipality. The southernmost part of the district, adjacent to
Cape Town, is known as the
Swartland and is primarily a grain-farming area. The Berg River flows across the Swartland from its sources in the
Boland mountains. On the coast west of the Swartland is the
Cape Columbine peninsula, with a number of coastal holiday resorts as well as the ore-export harbour at
Saldanha Bay. On the north the Swartland is bounded by mountains which separate it from the Olifants River Valley. The upper valley of the Olifants is predominantly a citrus-farming region. The Cederberg mountains, much of which are a protected
wilderness area, rise from the eastern bank of the river, while along the coast to the west are fishing and holiday villages. The Olifants river continues northwards until, on the edge of the
Knersvlakte, it turns west towards the Atlantic. In the lower valley there is a narrow strip of lush agricultural land irrigated by the river's water. The Knersvlakte, which is part of the arid
Namaqualand region, forms the northernmost part of the district. The largest towns in the district are
Vredenburg and
Saldanha on the Cape Columbine peninsula,
Malmesbury in the Swartland, and
Vredendal in the Olifants River Valley. The district is divided into five
local municipalities which are described in the following table. The district borders to the north and northeast on the
Namakwa District Municipality in the
Northern Cape province, to the southeast on the
Cape Winelands District Municipality, and to the south on the
City of Cape Town. ==Demographics==