The Lesedi Local Municipality (Lesedi is a Sesotho word meaning “light”) is situated south east of Johannesburg and has its main offices in Heidelberg and Ratanda. Located in the eastern part of the Sedibeng district municipality it is the second largest of the three Sedibeng local municipalities in terms of population and the largest in terms of area.  It was previously called Heidelberg Municipality. The major towns/areas include Heidelberg, Devon and Ratanda. Heidelberg traces it's origins back to 1861, and is a blend of Victorian character and style with historic buildings dating back to 1885.

Lesedi is mainly a rural area used for agricultural and commercial farming. The dominant land use is mainly dry land cultivation of maize, grain sorghum, soya, dry beans, groundnuts, sunflower seeds and vegetables. Animal production includes milk, beef, pork, lamb, eggs and poultry.

The major industries in Lesedi are: British American Tobacco (BAT) (largest cigarette manufacturing facility in the southern hemisphere); Ven Driels Construction (structural engineers and fabricators); Karan Beef (largest feedlot in the southern hemisphere); and Vamco Engineering (large diameter gear cutting).
Strategic national routes – the N17 and the N3 (which is the main access to the Durban coast) – give Lesedi a high economic potential status for future development.