It was named for the farm Daggaboersnek, which up to 1752 was known as Knapzakfontein.[2] The pass has been in regular use since the 19th century, and a blacksmith, trading post, police station and small hotel were established there. The voortrekker Louis Tregardt for a time (c.1814–1820s) farmed in its vicinity, as did Piet Retief on the northern approach to the crest.[3] In 1837 Benjamin D'Urban determined that the boundary between districts Cradock and Somerset would run over Daggaboers Nek.[4] The 8th Frontier war (1850–1853) took place in the general area,[2] and on old year's eve 1851, deserters from the Cape Corps ambushed and killed two young men, Henry and Edward Trollip, at Sunnyside farm near the nek.[5] The Trollips were British Settlers whose graves can still be seen here, the earliest dating to 1856.[3]
The Daggaboer Farm Stall opened in November 2006 on the northern approach, some 3 km from the crest,[3] and Daggaboer safaris on the southern approach offers overnight accommodation. SANRAL started a major upgrade of the pass in January 2013, which was expected to take 5 years.[3]
"Dagga" is a South African word for wheat, grass or cannabis, while "boers" means farmers', and "nek" is a saddle, yet the origin of this place name is not known. It is speculated that cannabis may have been cultivated here, perhaps as a supplement to horse feed. "Dagga" was however also a Khoisan word for game, while "Daggaboer" may be a concatenation of a greeting like "dag ou boer."[3]
