It is situated in the southwest corner of the Sarah Baartman District Municipality along the Indian Ocean coastline, in the southwestern sector of South Africa's Eastern Cape province.

Settlements tend to be scattered, which has posed challenges to the provision of infrastructure and basic services such as water, sanitation, and electricity.

The Kou-Kamma Municipality is composed of two distinct regions: the coastal belt (referred to as the Tsitsikamma or the Western Coastal Zone, which includes settlements such as Coldstream, Stormsrivier and Clarkson), and the inland area of the Langkloof (including settlements such as Kareedouw, Tweeriviere, Joubertina and Louterwater).

The area has greater challenges in terms of sufficient water supply, with additional pressure due to a high population growth related to migrant labour.

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