The history of Eksteenskuil is closely connected to the Orange River and the fertile agricultural land surrounding it. The first families settled in the area during the 1920s. Following the political change from the United Party government of General Jan Smuts to the National Party during the late 1940s, additional families were allocated farming plots in Eksteenskuil during the mid-1950s.

Eksteenskuil covers approximately 2,000 hectares, of which about 600 hectares can be cultivated using irrigation water from the Orange River. The river divides the area into three main islands—North Island, Middle Island and South Island—where generations of families have farmed the land and built their livelihoods under the demanding conditions of the Northern Cape.

The irrigable land was originally divided into approximately 200 small plots. During the 1970s, these plots were consolidated into 147 farming units, with an average size of approximately 3.86 hectares. This land structure helped establish the foundation of the smallholder farming community that exists today.

From Farmers’ Association to Co-operative
The Eksteenskuil Farmers’ Association (EFA) was established in 1994 to contribute to the social and economic advancement of historically disadvantaged small-scale irrigation farmers in the Lower Orange River Valley near Keimoes.

In December 2006, the Eksteenskuil Agricultural Co-operative (EAC) was formally registered to provide its members with a stronger, member-owned structure for agricultural development and collective economic participation. During 2007, the responsibilities and activities of the EFA were gradually transferred to the new Co-operative.

At the EFA Annual General Meeting held on 24 July 2007, members resolved to dissolve the Association on 30 September 2007, completing the transition to the Eksteenskuil Agricultural Co-operative. This marked an important new chapter in the community’s long history of collective farming, cooperation and development.