Olifantshoek is small rural town situated at the foot of the Langberg on the N14 route, the town has a long, rich and interesting history.

The name is said to be derived from the payment method which was used to purchase the land on which the town was build – namely an elephant tusk.  There is also said that other elephant bones was also found in the area.

The earliest known people to inhabit the area were the Bushmen (San).  Later the Tswana tribes inhabited the area with the British annexing the land in 1885.  The Tswana people came in rebellion with the British, and quite a few battles ensued with war graves preserved to this day.  The British confiscated the land and it formed part of the Cape Colony.

The first brick buildings were the office of the magistrate and also the police holding cell build in 1906.  These buildings and the holding cell is still to be seen today behind the current police station.  The first houses were built in 1909 by the Cape Mounted Police, sgt Hubert Warren.  Camels were used by the police instead of horses due to the arid and dry surroundings.  The camels were obtained from the Witdraai police station near Askham.  Camels were used by the mounted police up until 1946.

The town was officially founded in 1912.  Today the town consists mainly of a farming and mining community with churches, schools, a hospital, retails stores, service stations, cooperation, mechanical services and even a dam with the surrounding zoned as a bird sanctuary!