Cathcart named after Sir George Cathcart, governor of the Colony of the Cape of Good Hope 1852–1853. The town is situated on the N6, 48 km’s north of Stutterheim en route to Queenstown.

October 1876

Windvogelberg, named after a San chief, is renamed Cathcart in honour of Sir George Cathcart, Governor of the Cape Colony.

Cathcart is located to the east of the Windvogelberg, 146 km north-west of East London. Developed after 1856 from a military camp established in 1850.  It became a municipality in 1881. Centre of a wool-producing area.

Key Statistics 2011

Total population 2,310
Young (0-14) 30,8%
Working Age (15-64) 60,6%
Elderly (65+) 8,7%
Dependency ratio 65,1
Sex ratio 85,4
Population density 48 persons/km2
No schooling aged 20+ 6,5%
Higher education aged 20+ 15,1%
Matric aged 20+ 26,4%
Number of households 652
Average household size 2,9
Female headed households 49,9%
Formal dwellings 79,9%
Housing owned/paying off 27,6%
Flush toilet connected to sewerage 61,2%
Weekly refuse removal 78,1%
Piped water inside dwelling 56,7%
Electricity for lighting 80,7%

 

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