Cowpeas seeds  are indigenous to Africa. It is also known as dinawe (Ndebele), dinaba (Shangaan), imbumba (Zulu), monawa or nawa (Pedi) and dinawa (Tswana).
Cowpeas is a protein-rich bean crop that leaves nitrogen in the soil and therefore has a beneficial effect on the follow-up crop.

Cowpeas can be planted as an intercrop or in rotation and can tolerate drought.