Other way around. Especially in West Africa, the Malian and Ghanian empires had massive amounts amounts of gold. The story of Musa Mansa is a reflection of this. On his pilgramage to Mecca in the 14th century, it was said that he spent so much gold that he single singlehandedly destroyed the economy of Egypt through spending so much gold as to cause hyperinflation

Can you be a bit more specific on which region you are talking about? Africa is a HUGE place, with lots of cultures, so there are some who fit this description.

Is their a specific country or region you are curious about?