According to Western historical hypothesis, Nguni cattle descend from both bos taurus and bos indicus cattle and penetrated into the African continent around 8 000 years ago, extending slowly southwards through the continent during the Bantu Migration.
As the various tribal groups settled in different areas, distinctive cattle eco-types developed.
Here, through natural selection and environmental interaction, the various cattle breeds developed to suit the geography in which the people settled.
As with the other indigenous cattle breeds, these evolved into the hardy breed we know today as Nguni cattle that derive their name from the indigenous Africa ethnic group, collectively known as the Nguni people.
Nguni cattle adapted to the African environment over many centuries and form part of the Sanga group in southern Africa.
Known for their stable temperament, Nguni cattle are adaptable and hardy; they are both heat and light-tolerant and can handle extreme climatic conditions.
They possess excellent resistance to internal and external parasites with natural immunity to tick-borne diseases.
These multi-purpose animals were used for milk, meat and leather production as well as various cultural purposes, more commonly lobola and cultural sacrifices.
Due to their colours and variety of patterns, Nguni hides are extremely popular.
Their docile nature allowed bulls to be used as draught power by the indigenous people in communal areas in KwaZulu-Natal and other indigenous southern African people.
The number of animals held by a village or individual determined his importance to the rest of the world. In the past, pure white Nguni cattle were kept as ‘royal’ herd by King Tshaka of the Zulus.
His elite personal guard the ‘inyonikayiphumuli’, was recognised by their pure white hides from animals of the royal herd.
King Tshaka of the Zulus understood this cultural and economic importance and seized control of the Nguni herds in his dominions. He bred Nguni cattle according to colour patterns to produce uniform hides for his army of several regiments that were recognised by them.
Patterns on the cow hides also serve as inspiration for many folk tales, cultural lore and analogies of life and the constellations of the night skies!
The Nguni cattle’s sleek and glossy hide prevents ticks from attaching to the animals. Their thin and flexible tail with a full tail-brush that extends to below their hocks is used effectively to swish away flies.
The cattle’s slightly smaller size enables them to survive on the African highvelds and their strong legs and hoofs enable the animal to wander and climb to forage for grazing.
Their horn shapes and hide patterns are varied; no two animals are alike, giving the Nguni cattle breed its distinctiveness from other breeds.
Owing to their heterogeneity in colour, horn shape and small conformation, which notwithstanding ensures its adaptability to its environment, the early white settlers rejected Nguni cattle as inferior ‘scrub’ cattle which they considered to be poor performers.
With this in mind, the colonial Government passed an act in 1934 that empowered inspectors to inspect bulls in communal areas and to castrate them, if they thought the bulls to be inferior.
Most European colonists, who started to arrive in South Africa between the 16th and 17th centuries regarded all indigenous cattle as inferior with the exception of the Afrikaner cattle, which were developed as trek (draught) animals, and for which a breed society was formed in 1912.
The settlers, who had a bias for larger breeds, these indigenous cattle for them appeared poor performers and were not as uniform as accepted European breeds.
Fortunately the 1934 act was rarely carried out. In 1932, a Professor H.H. Curzon made the initial effort to breed ‘true to type’ Nguni cattle that resulted in the formation of the Bartlow Combine Breeding Station in the late 1940s.
The appreciation of this adapted breed was further highlighted in the Bonsma Report of 1950 on Indigenous Cattle in South Africa, marking another milestone in the recognition of the Nguni breed.
In 1985, the Nguni Cattle Breeders Society was accepted as a member of the South African Stud Book and Livestock Improvement Association.
‘Pure’ Nguni cattle numbers declined significantly in South Africa from 1 800 000 in 1992 to only 9 462 by 2003.
The United Nation’s Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), listed the Nguni as an endangered breed, with only 1 000 pure bred breeding cows remaining.
Currently, 140 registered Nguni breeders in Africa possess 1 400 registered cattle between them; not counting the Nguni in the area where they occur naturally.
The South African Government has since successfully set up over 100 open nucleus breeding sites in efforts to improve communal Nguni cattle production.
The muscular medium-sized Nguni bulls display typical male characteristics with well developed, muscular, cervico-thoracic humps – meaning the hump is in front of the forelegs, and well developed scrotum with good pigmentation and thermo-regulatory function.
Nguni cows are small with sleek, delicate lines around the neck and forequarters and a prominent wedge shape with their weight mainly in the areas of the stomach and hindquarters.
Their sloping rump — a distinctive characteristic of the Nguni cow — ensures ease of calving, with 10 or more calves produced.
Their small-to-medium-sized udder is well attached with small, functional teats.
Though productivity of cattle in communal areas is affected by diseases and parasites, lack of feed resources and poor management, production related problems for Nguni farmers are in general, minimal due to the breed’s natural resistance to tick-borne diseases and ability to survive under harsh environmental conditions.
The Nguni cattle can be fattened on natural grazing and performs well in the feedlot, producing quality carcasses with an even distribution of fat and excellent marbling; finished carcasses dress out at roughly 180-220 kg.
In 1986, a Nguni cattle breeding society was formed which presently has almost 200 members and the cultural dimension of keeping Nguni cattle has also strengthened in recent times; the traditional herd of pure white Nguni of the Zulu King is being re-established.
Given Zimbabwe’s Command Livestock Programme, the iconic southern African Nguni cattle are a breed worth investing in.
Dr Tony Monda holds a PhD. in Art Theory and Philosophy and a DBA (Doctorate in Business Administration) and Post-Colonial Heritage Studies. He is a writer, lecturer, musician, art critic, practicing artist and corporate image consultant. He is also a specialist art consultant, post-colonial scholar, Zimbabwean socio-economic analyst and researcher. He can be contacted through his e-tonym.MONDA@gmail.com