In this study cowpea parental lines selected for specific desirable characteristics, were crossed in a diallel design, and the parents and F1 progeny were planted at two locations for two seasons in South Africa. Yield and yield related characteristics as well as seed quality and nutritional characteristics were evaluated. General and specific combining ability and narrow and broad sense heritability were determined for measured characteristics. The parental lines were screened with microsatellite markers to determine genetic distances between them.