Would Africa Have Flourished Had Europeans Not Interrupted Its Evolutionary Journey?

Added: 2026-05-12

[00:00:00]How would Africa look had Europeans not interrupted its natural evolutionary process? The exact date of the first Europeans arrival in Africa is unclear.

[00:00:11]However, there is evidence that the ancient Greeks and Romans interacted with North Africa. Modern European contact with the continent began in the early 15th century, specifically with the Portuguese conquest of Chuta, pronounced Suta in English in 1415. The Portuguese were the first Europeans to sail along most of the African coastline from northwest Africa to the southern tip. Many African countries and cities got their names from the Portuguese. For example, Lagos in Nigeria was named by the Portuguese. A man named Rui Dosakira who visited the area in 1472 named it Lago do the Kuramo or Lake of Kuramo due to the abundance of lagoons and lakes in the area. The original pronunciation is Lagos not Lagos. Other places renamed by the Portuguese include Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea, Bisau, Mozambi, Shaoto and Precip and Rios do Camarus for Cameroon, Armina a port town in Ghana, Costa Din, Ivory Coast and Gabo for Gabon and many other African cities and countries. The whole of western coast of Africa stretching all the way to the southern tip of South Africa, Namibia, all this area could have been Portuguese colony if the Portuguese were foresighted enough. Three notable European figures come to mind during the European conquest of Africa. They are Balum Diasokao and Vasco Deama who discovered the first direct maritime route between Europe and India via the Cape of Good Hope. They were all Portuguese who historians consider explorers, but I consider them the first European illegal immigrants to Africa. This illegal immigration thing was long started by the Europeans. If the Europeans had stayed in their homeland in Europe like every other race did, the word racism would not have existed in every lexicon. There would have been no need for the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement ICIS or the Australian Border Force ABF or the Canadian Border Services Agency CBSA as everyone would have stayed in their homeland. White South Africans along with other white communities worldwide often argue that when the white people arrived in present day South Africa, the only inhabitants were the Koisen people who supposedly allowed them to settle on their land. However, it is important to note that only about 25% of Russia is populated by humans. Does this mean anyone can invade those lands and claim them simply because they are unoccupied?

[00:03:07]But medias documented in his account that the Koi Koy people over a 100 years ago he documented this. He said in February 1488 the Koi Koi in Mosul Bay in present day Western Cape province of South Africa were initially peaceful but quickly became defensive of their territory. This was documented over 100 years before the bows arrived. The Scottish Museum suggests that around 1440, Portuguese marinas were the first to establish sustained European trade with West Africa. This effort was led by Prince Henry the Navigator, who aimed to bypass Mediterranean Muslim middlemen.

[00:03:53]The Portuguese traded European manufactured goods, textiles, and wheat for African gold, ivory, and slaves. The Europeans set up a fortified trading post such as the Auin in present day Moritania in 1443 and Elmina in present day Ghana in 1482. These early Africans had clothes, towns, communities, and a system of life outside European influence. In the late 15th century, Portuguese explorers described the kingdom of Benin located in present day Nigeria as a wellorganized society with a clear court hierarchy, strong political authority and a disciplined administration. The city featured large planned street and orderly layout and a significant population. The inhabitants traded in commodities such as pepper, ivory, cloth, slaves and metal work and craft. This information was documented by Europeans themselves, not Africans.

[00:04:56]This evidence highlights that Africans had a functioning society within their established tribal systems. There is a documented history of clo dying in Cano also in present day Nigeria dating back to the 15th century. Additionally, the Benin wall, which spans over 16,000 kilometers, was constructed long before the first Europeans set foot in subsaharan Africa. This impressive structure built with deep moat, massive earn embankments, and defensive boundaries demonstrate a distinct construction technology. Many people may not be aware that there is a wall in Africa built by Africans comparable to the Great Wall of China. Note that this video takes a hypothetical viewpoint.

[00:05:47]What might the continent be like today if Europeans had never set foot in Africa? To explore this, I delved deeply into history to understand how early Africans lived before European colonization. The people of West Africa formed kingdoms and city states, each with its own language and culture. From the empire of Sunai to the Kingdom of Mali, the Kingdom of Benin to Congo and Mapuku to the Kingdom of Zimbabwe, Africans thrived within their organic systems of governance. While I cannot definitively say whether these systems were as advanced as those in Europe, it is clear that they operated under their own rules, cultural, and languages without engaging in global conquest or colonization which has led to the interracial mix we see today in the world. If Europeans had not interfered with Africa's natural evolutionary process, the continent would likely be thriving with its own distinct languages, cultures, and traditions. The people would have been very different from those influenced by Western lifestyle today. While they may still have lacked high-end technology and advanced cities like those found in Europe and East Asia, they would likely have developed towns and cities that reflected their own capacities and intelligence. They would still have engaged in farming and hunting, which was the main stay at the time. Another angle to consider is trade. Europeans were trading with Africa before this relationship devolved into greed, exploitation, slavery, and colonialism.

[00:07:33]Had they not intervened, allowing Africa to trade its natural resources as it had before the continent could have maintained a more organic cultural identity supported by its distinct way of life and revenues from global trade.

[00:07:49]Africa would have benefited from European advancement in medicine and technology by battering or selling its natural resources. This pattern is evident in the trade that existed before the onset of European invasion. A culture does not need to be as technologically advanced as European cultures to thrive. Africans viewed the world differently from Europeans. Their way of life was simpler and was still in an early stage of its evolutionary process. Over time, all human societies would reach a level similar to that of Europeans and East Asians. The African climate allowed for a more measured pace of development. It was conducive to sustaining life as the land provided what was needed and the warm climate was largely free of natural disasters.

[00:08:43]Additionally, it's worth noting that the southern hemisphere has a winter season.

[00:08:49]Many African countries such as South Africa, Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Malawi experience winter that range from mild to quite cold, particularly in places like South Africa. This fact challenges the notion that Africa's climate uniformly makes it lazy, particularly in countries such as South Africa, Botswana, Lutu, Esatini, and Namibia where the winter season can get quite cold. Yes, without the European advancement in engineering, technology and medicines, Africans would not have benefited from many development.

[00:09:31]However, happiness and the development of civilization do not depend solely on these factors. If Europeans had remained in their homeland, the world might have been a more homogeneous and peaceful place where people lived among their own kind and did not interfere in each other's internal affairs. Different cultures have traded with one another for centuries without resulting to invasion or imposing their systems on others. In conclusion, Africa's evolutionary process was interrupted. It was not as advanced as Europe which introduced system that were beyond the capabilities of many African society at the time. Lacking the tools and knowledge to defend themselves, Africans were easily conquered by small European nations. The leap from the peripheral to the European modern era requires centuries that African nations have not yet had. Africa cannot revert to its original state before European interference. Nor can it easily adapt to the advanced systems introduced by Europeans. Progress may take time, but eventually African nations will find their way. Time is on their side. Unlike the rest of the world, Africa is experiencing significant growth while the rest of the world is dying at an exponential rate. If you think we're wrong, if you think we missed anything, please leave them in the comment section below. And also don't forget to like, share, and subscribe. Thanks for watching.