The Africanis has almost always been attached to human settlement in southern Africa, it was used variously to assist in herding sheep, goats and cattle, guard against the many predators found in Africa and to assist in hunting. It has been known by a number of names including the Bantu dog, umbwa wa ki-shenzi ("traditional dog" in Kiswahili), the Hottentot hunting dog, the Khoekhoe dog, the Tswana dog, the Zulu dog, other local names include Sica, Isiqha, Ixhalaga, Ixalagha, Isigola, I-Twina and Itiwina.