I think of it like Shaka 'Romanized' his infantry. Genghis Khan and the mongols were more cavalry oriented, tactics and weapons were different to infantry ones.
Shaka led a highly mobile Infantry regimental system, made use of the shield wall and short stabbing weapons of the Romans. European use of cavalry took advantage of a weakness Rome had, when they took warfare to the Parthians, they had few long range missile weapons, and horse archers massacred the Romans. It took 60 years for Rome to evolve with more missile weapons, archers and slingers, and plumbata to supplement the short range heavy Pilum, and with increased cavalry, they then massacred the Parthians. (The Mongols massacred them later on too.)
Shaka's 'Empire' was too small to support a real Legionary armament infrastructure, and no cavalry or artillery, or siege warfare traditions of any kind. The Brits didn't leave them alone long enough to develop (or pay for) any.
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