[4]: 171  Its origins go back to the early nineteenth century, to the time of the Great Trek or earlier, when imported European stock from Holland was cross-bred with black cattle of Sanga type obtained from nomadic pastoralist Khoikhoi peoples.

[5]: 597  In the early days it was selected for adaptation to the sourveld biome of South Africa, and for black colour; it was kept principally along the Drakensberg escarpment, which gave rise to its modern name.

[4]: 171 [7] The origins of the Drakensberger go back to the early nineteenth century, to the time of the Great Trek or earlier, when imported European stock from Holland was cross-bred with black cattle of Sanga type obtained from nomadic pastoralist Khoikhoi peoples.

[4]: 171 [5]: 625 [7] The Drakensberger is distributed in most provinces of South Africa, in a range extending approximately from Humansdorp in the south-west to Messina in the north-east; it is also present in Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho and Namibia.

[6]: 79  In 2008 the total registered South African population numbered 13355 head in 73 herds, of which all but two were performance-recorded;[4]: 171  in 2022 a breeding stock of 8930 cows and 2660 bulls was reported.