[3] Kokstad serves as the service centre and commercial hub for most of East Griqualand and nearby parts of the Eastern Cape.

[4] The 2011 census for the Greater Kokstad Local Municipality states a population of 65,981 with these most populated main places:[5] The municipal council consists of nineteen members elected by mixed-member proportional representation.

Ten councillors are elected by first-past-the-post voting in ten wards, while the remaining nine are chosen from party lists so that the total number of party representatives is proportional to the number of votes received.

In the election of 1 November 2021 the African National Congress (ANC) won a majority of twelve seats on the council.

The ratepayers association stated that the municipality has wasted the money, as it is being constructed in a wetland against the wishes and warnings of the community.