The municipality of Essen has had an official town twinnning with the municipality of Witzenberg in the Western Cape since 2002. The programmes of the town twinnings are subsidized by the Flemish and federal government of Belgium. The schools WIGO of Essen and Mooi-Uitsig Primary school of Bella Vista, Witzenberg are twinned within this agreement. In October 2022, Essen and Witzenberg celebrate the twentieth anniversary of their twinning. Moreover, WIGO and Mooi Uitsig celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of their school twinning.