THE BREED FROM

THE PAST ...

The Original African Livestock

For a very long time the Nguni cattle formed the wealth of many African peoples. But with the event of colonialism these cattle were sidelined, despite the fact of their wonderful characteristics. Today Nguni cattle are gaining in popularity again.

The Nguni cattle count amongst the oldest cattle breeds in the world. Rock paintings, as old as 8000 years, discovered in Libya and the Sahara desert, depict African Sanga-type longhorn cattle. These were the progenitors of the current Nguni cattle. The name Nguni is derived from the Bantu speaking Nguni peoples who today live in certain areas in Southern Africa, to which grouping belong the Xhosa, Zulu and Swazi.

Well-adapted to the Environment

The Nguni peoples gradually wandered with their cattle herds from North-, Central- and East Africa in southern direction and crossed the Zambezi River in the years between 590 and 700 A.D. into Southern Africa. Today’s Nguni cattle have adapted over a 1200 year period to the climate and vegetation extremities of Africa. The breed has migrated through areas rife with Nagana, East Coast Fever and many other endemic diseases, and has survived seasonal as well as periodic droughts.