When the LMS began working in the area, it was ruled by the Nama chiefs Vigiland and Orlam, vice-captains of captain Kido Witbooi, at the time the predominant leader of Little Namaqualand between Buffelsrivier and the Orange River.

When the railway was built to carry copper from the mines near Okiep, it passed through Steinkopf on the way to Port Nolloth, growing the mission town considerably.

Around 10 km north of town on the road to Port Nolloth, near Klipfontein, there remain graves of soldiers killed in the war and ruins of the railway station and hotel that served passengers on the copper line.

The town has a population of around 7,850 and lies in the northernmost portion of the Namaqualand floral region, where winter rainfall is strongest but summer rains sometimes occur.

Livestock are also pastured in the area, and the mountains around the town feature three distinct plant biomes, namely Cape fynbos, Kamiesberge, and Richtersveld.

Steinkopf was once a major educational center and featured what was for decades the only high school in Namaqualand for those the National Party government deemed Cape Coloureds.