At the time of the South African National Census of 2022, the population of the municipality was 72,972 people, a 47.2% increase from 2011.

The towns of Beaufort West and Murraysburg were governed by municipal councils elected by their white residents, while the coloured residents of the towns were governed by management committees subordinate to the white councils.

Kwa-Mandlenkosi was governed by a town council established under the Black Local Authorities Act, 1982.

The transitional councils were initially made up of members nominated by the various parties to the negotiations, until May 1996 when elections were held.

Transitional representative councils (TRCs) were also elected to represent rural areas outside the TLCs on the District Council; the area that was to become Beaufort West Local Municipality included Beaufort West and Murraysburg TRCs.

The Beaufort West Local Municipality was established as a single local authority covering the area of the Beaufort West TLC and TRC, except for the Karoo National Park which became a District Management Area (DMA).

The African National Congress (ANC) has formed a coalition with the Patriotic Alliance (PA) and the Karoo Democratic Force (KDF) to govern the municipality.

The current composition of the council as of 20 June 2024 is as follows: DA 7, ANC 3, PA 1, KDF 1, Good 1.