The distinctive long-horned cattle of Owambo is a breed of the Sanga, the collective name for southern Africa’s indigenous cattle breeds. Research suggests that they originated in the region of Ethiopia and Somalia around 4,000 years ago and arrived in southern Africa as people migrated southwards from the Great Lakes region.
According to one theory, a later southwestern migration route, took the migrants and their cattle to Owambo and Botswana. Another theory is that the Aawambo acquired the Sanga of Angola after the cattle stocks of Owambo had been depleted following the raids by the Oorlam led by Jonker Afrikaner in the 19th century.
After adapting to the environment for several centuries, the Sanga is ideally suited to survive in the hot climates and high temperatures of Owambo and are resistant to tick-borne diseases. They can walk long distances because of their relative light body mass and thin legs and are selective browsers and grazers.
Oongombe (cattle) play an important role in the livelihood and culture of the Aawambo. A man’s wealth is linked to the size of his herd which is determined by several factors including climatic conditions such as droughts and the wealth of families.
Many families own only a few cattle but wealthy individuals and those with fenced grazing camps can own several hundred cattle. The herds are tended by boys or young men, but hired labour is also used.
Oxen are used as beast of burden to plough fields, while the milk of cows are used to make omaale (traditional fermented buttermilk) which is enjoyed as a drink or served with porridge and oshikandela (thick milk).
Cattle are seldom slaughtered for meat, except for marriages, funerals and special occasions. They are highly prized as wedding gifts and also serve as a form of security that can be converted to cash when times are hard to pay for the education of children or to meet other financial needs.
The seasonal migration of cattle, known as ohambo, has been part of the rhythm of life in Owambo for centuries. Cattle were traditionally moved to temporary posts at the Andoni Plain and the Ombuga grassland, the eastern woodlands of Oukwanyama and Kavango and as far away as the Oshimolo plains in southern Angola when the grazing was depleted at homesteads. They were herded back to the homesteads of their owners, usually between March and May after the summer rains. Here they grazed on the flush of new growth in and around the homesteads and would then be moved to fields where they would feed on the mahangu (pearl millet) stalks and whatever remained of other crops that had been harvested.
Although the ohambo still takes place, it has been disrupted by increased settlement, the erection of fences around farms, the establishment of permanent grazing camps in traditional summer grazing
areas by wealthy farmers and the fencing of the northern boundary of the Etosha National Park which included part of the Andoni Plain in Etosha.
Large herds of cattle were traditionally also moved seasonally to the Oshimolo plains in southern Angola. Following Namibia’s independence, a bilateral agreement was signed between the Angolan and Namibian governments in 1992. The agreement provided for the free movement of people, and allowed Namibian farmers to graze their animals in Angola, within a radius of 60km from the border. Several hundred Namibian farmers took advantage of this agreement seasonally but over time some moved beyond the 60km radius, while others settled on a more permanent basis and built structures – which were not allowed. This created tension between the Namibian and Angolan farmers and a decision by the Angolan government to expel the Namibian farmers. Namibian farmers were allowed to continue grazing their cattle on a seasonal basis following an agreement between the two governments in 2023, provided they adhere to the laws in Angola.