Even though I joked about them earlier they really are a useless hat. Personally I don't like wearing a hat at all and wear one for its insulation or shade benefits when necessary which a beret doesn't really give much of. Under a hot sun they do not look very useful.

Didn't they start off as a uniform requirement for tank crews and I suppose airborne and special forces adopted them also because they could be squashed up and still worn as Iqbal mentions.

Also some were designed to fit over a small helmet for tank crews.

I think the African hunters wearing one would have done so because maybe they had them from old units or for their 'look' and association with those units.