The municipality covers an area of 8,784 square kilometres (3,392 sq mi) on the south-western edge of the Great Karoo.

At the end of the apartheid era, the area that is today the Laingsburg Local Municipality formed part of the Central Karoo Regional Services Council (RSC).

As a result of these negotiations the municipality and the management committee were dissolved, and the Laingsburg Transitional Local Council (TLC) was established to replace them in December 1994.

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

The African National Congress (ANC) subsequently formed a coalition with the Karoo Democratic Force (KDF) and the Patriotic Alliance to govern the municipality with the PA's Mitchell John Smith voted in as mayor.