Cropland expansion has been identified as one of the major land use pressures in the study area. A statistical GIS model was used to estimate the areas of future agriculture potential in the SKEP domain. Environmental land use drivers namely vegetation type, soil type, and climatic variables were the key determinants identified by the model. The model shows that agriculture potential is high in the Southern Karoo sub-region. This sub-region is believed to have fertile soils on arable foothills and lowlands. According to this model, 31% of the land is suitable for agriculture expansion but this percentage also includes the nonagricultural areas that are  overestimated by the model. Sustainable agricultural intensification and a landscape planning approach to conservation are required to ensure biodiversity and environmental sustainability in Namaqualand and the Succulent Karoo biome. Keywords: Agriculture potential, GIS, conservation planning, land use practices, livestock production, Namaqualand, recommended stocking rate, Succulent Karoo.