When Jan van Riebeeck and his men settled in the Cape to establish a replenishment station for passing ships, the Khoikhoi inhabited the broader area. These nomadic herders had large herds of oxen, which were their principal means of food and transport. Van Riebeeck needed oxen to collect wood from the forest at Rondebosch to establish his settlement.
While the Khoikhoi were first reluctant to barter their oxen as they represented wealth and status, trade between Van Riebeeck and the Khoikhoi eventually ensued, allowing Van Riebeeck to build up his herds of oxen. He also discovered that the Khoikhoi had in fact trained their oxen, and were able to respond to their commands.
In his definitive book (available only in Afrikaans), Erik (left) or (right).
