Mariental is home to a large number of Nama-speaking people, descendants of the early Khoi inhabitants of Namibia.

Hardap Dam has a capacity of 320 million cubic metres (420,000,000 cu yd) and a surface area of 25 km2 (2,500 ha).

Since then, the dam's water level is kept at a maximum of 70% of its capacity to prevent both an overflow and an uncontrolled outflow through fully opened sluices.

[7] The nearby Hardap Dam is the second largest reservoir in Namibia and provides water for irrigation, making it possible to cultivate animal fodder, as well as corn, fruits and vegetables.

Sitting astride the main route into the Kalahari and Namib Deserts, Mariental services the needs of farmers in these areas.

Available game include springbuck, blesbuck, giraffe, ostrich, leopard, zebra, kudu, gemsbuck, hartebeest, eland, blue- and black wildebeest.

Second-hand Bicycles are being sold at low prices to the inhabitants of the region, allowing easy travel and transportation, while the income from the workshops is used to finance local aid projects.

[11] The 2020 local authority election was won by the newly formed Landless People's Movement (LPM) which scored well all over Hardap.