An African Shoka. From what is today, Congo, the Mangbetu People would be using shoka, shoka meaning axe in Swahili, as a main trade unit. These pieces were made of raw ore and would be used by native blacksmiths as raw materials to forge axes, knives, spears, and arrowheads. When the British tried to produce their own shoka for trade in the region, the pieces were rejected because being used from commercial sheet iron the use of such pieces would be inferior in blacksmithing in compared to native ore made pieces. As for value, it is documented that one shoka was worth three bundles of plantains.