Akin to colonisation of the Americas, Australia or India. Even Scotland, Denmark, Courland and Sweden tried establishing colonies in the Amercas. It seems Europe left it fairly late to colonise Africa, especially if the Congress of Berlin provides any indication.
In Africa and Africans in the Making of the Atlantic World, 1400-1650 john thornton explains how it was difficult to create inland colonies in africa due to malaria. A land posting in africa was seen as almost a death sentence and merchants often traded on ships or by leaving goods on the beach and sailing back, being too afraid to set foot in land. There wouldn't be an interest in putting europeans in africa until quinine was discovered.
Also, most europeans were able to sate their economic appetites through trade with african nations, like the Ashanti in the gold coast. Because europeans couldn't move inland and the ashanti were able to supply gold and slaves, cooperation and trade became the form of interaction.
It is important to remember however, the colonization of the Azores and canary islands, which are off the coast of africa and became templates for the extractive sugar plantation colonies of south and Latin America.