Eksteenfontein, Namaqualand
Eksteenfontein lies on the southern verge of the Richtersveld World Heritage Site, west of Nababeep, in the north western reaches of the Northern Cape.
It is one of three little settlements within the Richtersveld Community Conservancy. The other two are Lekkersing and Kuboes. All three are linked by the R385 that starts just north of Springbok.
The residents of Eksteenfontein, which lies at the foot of the Rooiberg Mountain, were forcibly removed from the white farming community of Pofadder, in 1945, and supplanted here in the semi-desert in what was originally known as Stinkfontein, after the river that flows alongside the peaceful village.
Today its residents are mostly farmers who keep goats, sheep, cattle and poultry. Others ply their trade as donkey cart drivers, navigating visitors through the Richtersveld; make curios from wood, local textiles or needlework; or sell local roosterbrood made on open fires.
There is a tiny, but helpful, tourist information centre (TIC) in Eksteenfontein that arranges accommodation, if you need it, including a stay at the community-run Kom Rus 'n Bietjie, opposite.
Most of the residents are of Baster descent (Baster means 'mixed' in Afrikaans) who, upon arrival, met with a rather hostile reception by the Nama people who already lived here. The museum gives a detailed account of the month-long trek to their new home, along with the original iron-and-wood church they dismantled and brought with them.
Whilst back then this far-flung part of South Africa felt like the very margins of the earth, today it is one of the leading floral destinations in the world. The Richtersveld became a world heritage site in 2007, bringing thousands of visitors through here every year.
Stay awhile in Eksteenfontein and experience a truly nomadic livestock farming community, the Nama Stap (a traditional dance), dumplings in goats milk and an appreciation both for the remarkable landscape, and for the people who have managed against all odds.
In the vicinity
Hotels & other accommodation options
Elkoweru Guest House
With our quiet and relaxed countryside atmosphere we offer you one of Springbok's first guest houses established since the 1990's. Enjoy a glass ...
Vioolsdrift Lodge
Located about 400 metres for the South African border post in Vioolsdrift, it is the ideal stop over on your way to Namibia or the Richtersveld. ...
Peaceful Place
Peaceful Place has three separate self-catering units. If required, all three units can be rented simultaneously. Every self-catering unit is wel...
Snoek Self Catering
Snoek in McDougalls Bay holiday home offers accommodation for four guests, near Port Nolloth, just 2 kilometers outside the main town. This laid ...
Kokerboom Motel & Caravan Park
The Kokerboom Motel and Caravan Park is situated 4.2 km outside of Springbok directly on the N7 highway between Cape Town and Namibia. With 30 fu...
Apollis Cottage
Apollis Cottage is situated in Concordia, Namaqualand, a beautiful area 17kms from Springbok in the Northern Cape. The guest house boasts three l...
Voetbaai Krefie
Voetbaai Krefie offers accommodation in Port Nolloth just a few steps away from the beach. Port Nolloth is as laid-back as it sounds. Nothing muc...
Frontier River Resort
The Frontier River Resort offers self-catering safari-style tent accommodation in Vioolsdrift, 6km from the border post, on the banks of the Oran...
Voetbaai Hardertjie
Voetbaai Hardertjie offers accommodation in Port Nolloth just a few steps away from the beach. Voetbaai Hardertjie is a comfortably furnished cha...
Noteworthy attractions
Richtersveld National Park
The Richtersveld is a unique mountain desert wilderness of great beauty, tucked in the far north-western corner of the Northern Cape in South Afr...
Goegap Nature Reserve
The Goegap Nature Reserve with its granite peaks and sandy plains are dominated by Carolusberg, the highest point in the area. Goegap's wild flow...
Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape
Inscribed in 2007 as the eighth World Heritage Site in South Africa, the Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape is a remarkable mountainou...
Namaqua National Park
Say Namaqua National Park and people immediately think carpets of spring wild flowers. And they would not be wrong - Namaqualand not only has som...
Namaqualand Flower Route
The spring wild flowers are a phenomenon that never ceases to amaze and delight, even for those who live in what is considered South Africa's "ou...
Skilpad Wildflower Reserve
The Skilpad Wildflower Reserve was established by the WWF in 1988 to raise awareness of the floral kingdom of the Namaqualand. Mainly shrubland a...
Akkedis Pass
The Richtersveld is usually described by the adjectives 'rugged', 'desolate' and 'forbidding'. It's a dry, unforgiving landscape that is at once ...
Messelpad Pass
Messelpad Pass lies on the 104 km gravel road between Springbok and Hondeklip Bay in the Northern Cape, one of two passes through the Tigerkloof....
Wildeperdehoek Pass
Almost inextricably linked to Messelpad Pass (the two are part of the 'Copper Route' between Springbok and Hondeklip Bay) Wildeperdehoek Pass is ...
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