Abstract in XiTsonga Lindima ezininzi zemfuyo kwiinkqubo zokutya zaseAfrika zibhalwe ngokubanzi. Iinjongo zokwandisa imveliso kunye nokwandisa inzuzo, nangona kubaluleke kakhulu, ngamanye amaxesha ayingoyena mqhubi uphambili wokuthathwa kwezigqibo kwiinkqubo zemveli zemfuyo. Nangona kunjalo, injongo idla ngokuba sisiphumo esiphambili ekujoliswe kuso kwiiprojekthi zophuhliso lwemfuyo kunye neendlela zokuphila ezizinzileyo ezisetyenziswa ngabaphandi, imibutho engekho phantsi korhulumente (NGOs) kunye noorhulumente. Kwiinzame zokusuka kwiinkcazo ze-Eurocentric zeendima zemfuyo ezisekelwe kwimarike kunye nemveliso-egxile kwimveliso , esi sahluko sixoxa ukuba. uphando lwemfuyo e-Afrika kufuneka luqale kwifilosofi African. Ngoko ke, esi sahluko sibhengeza ukubaluleka kokufuywa kweenkomo zemveli ngokusekwe kulwazi oluphuma kuncwadi lwefilosofi yaseAfrika ekhatshwa luphando lobungqina ngeencoko namafama eenkomo kwiilali zaseMhinga - indawo ehlala abantu abantetho isiTsonga kwiPhondo laseLimpopo, eMzantsi Afrika. Iziphumo zityhila imixholo emihlanu ephathelele ukufuywa kweenkomo: (1) imibhiyozo yokugcina ulwalamano oluhle, (2) ukwabelana kunye nokubuyiselana, (3) ulwalamano olomeleleyo lwamafama neenkomo, (4) ukukhuselwa kweenkomo ngokwenyama nangokomoya, (5) kunye ukutshintsha kwamandla ezizukulwana. Ngaphezu koko, ezi ziphumo zibonisa ukuba ngokwembono yobuntu, ukufuya iinkomo yinxalenye yenzululwazi ngobudlelwane ngomhlaba, equka ubudlelwane obuthungelwano beenkomo ,nehlabathi elibonakalayo ,nelingabonakaliyo, elifana nabaphilayo, abafileyo, abaseza ,kuba- sezizelwe, ezinye izilwanyana, kunye nezityalo ,nemithi. Ngenxa yoko ke, ukubaluleka komhlaba akunakugxininiswa ngokugqithiseleyo, njengoko isisongelo kumhlaba sisisongelo esingqalileyo kwindlela yokuphila yabantu nakubomi babo. Abstract in English The multiple roles of livestock in African food systems have been extensively documented. The motive to increase productivity and maximise profit, is not the main driver of decision making in most Indigenous livestock systems, whereas this motive is often the main intended outcome of livestock development projects and sustainable livelihood approaches as frequently used by researchers, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and governments. In an attempt to move away from Eurocentric interpretations of livestock roles that are market-based and input-output-centred, this chapter argues that livestock research in Africa should start from African philosophy. Therefore, this chapter unpacks the importance of Indigenous cattle keeping based on insights from literature on African philosophy complemented with empirical research through conversations with cattle farmers in Mhinga villages—a Tsonga-speaking community in Limpopo Province, South Africa. The results reveal five themes regarding cattle keeping: (1) celebrations to maintain good relations, (2) mutual sharing and reciprocity, (3) a strong farmer-cattle relation, (4) protection of cattle both physically and spiritually, and (5) changing intergenerational dynamics. Moreover, these results illustrate that from an ubu-ntu perspective, cattle keeping is part of a relational ontology through land, which includes cattle’s intertwined relations with the visible and invisible world, such as the living, the living dead, the yet-to-be-born, other animals, plants and trees. Hence, the importance of land cannot be overemphasized, as a threat to land is a direct threat to people’s way of life and their existence.