It is thought that the name derives from the Kosmos which grows wild in great drifts in many parts of the Highveld, and in particular on the roads from the nearby major cities.

Little development of commercial enterprises ever took place, although it is said that in earlier years the 'Sail Inn' on the waterfront was a favourite watering hole.

In more recent years a restaurant immediately outside the original township, Stywe Lyne, (Tight Lines in Afrikaans) was a favourite destination for motorbike enthusiasts to gather on Sundays, and show off their bikes.

Outside Kosmos Proper, on the short road leading to the village, several resort and residential estates have been developed and new ones are being built.

In these shacks, with no proper supplies of electricity, water or sanitation, live hundreds of people who depend for their meagre livelihood on work as servants and jobs with building and construction companies.