The municipality is a multi-ethnic administration, formed through the merging of the predominantly Afrikaans-speaking western part of the Eastern Cape, together with Xhosa areas near the Fish River, and the English district of Albany (with its own distinctive local culture, dating back to the 1820 settlers).

The river rises in the Parsons Vlei and runs to the sea close to the Gqeberha industrial suburb of Deal Party.

In 2015, the municipality was renamed for Saartjie "Sarah" Baartman (1789–1815), a Khoekhoe woman who was taken to London to perform at freak shows and after her death her remains were exhibited until 1974.

The Sarah Baartman district covers an area of 58,243 square kilometres (22,488 sq mi) in the southwestern part of the Eastern Cape province.

In the southeastern part (east of Port Elizabeth) is the Albany region around the city of Grahamstown.