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| Nguni Cattle at the Wild Coast |
The
Nguni cattle breed is indigenous to Southern Africa.
A hybrid of indigenous and Indian cattle they were introduced by the
Bantu tribes of southern Africa from the north of the continent. They
are medium sized, adapted to grazing on the
Highveld. The ancestors of Nguni cattle were brought by the
Xhosa,
Zulu and
Swazi people, during their migration to Southern Africa
between 600 and 1400 AD.
Since then, the Nguni have played an
important social and economic role in the development of these societies
and are used as a bride's dowry (lobola).
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| Nguni Cattle on high mountain slopes at the Wild Coast |
Nguni cattle are known for their fertility and resistance to diseases. They are characterised by their multicolored skin, that can show
many different patterns, but their noses are always black-tipped.
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| The Wild Coast - The Land of the Xhosa People |
The number of animals held by a village or an individual determined much of their importance to the rest of the world.
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| Nguni Cattle on their way back to the mountains after a lazy morning at the beach |
The skins of the Nguni cattle have many different patterns and colors such as white, brown, golden black and yellow, dappled and spotty.
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| Nguni cows at the beach at the Wild Coast |
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| Spotted beauty |
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| Resistant to many diseases |
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| Nguni on their way home |
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| Africa's Pride |
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| The Nguni are famous for their skin |
To understand the culture of the Xhosa people better one has to reflect on the value and importance of cattle in the African society in general.
Even today in urban regions like Mdantsane and other towns cattle can be seen on the streets. They are slaughtered on ceremonial days and on most of all important family happenings.
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