Complex states existed in Africa before widespread European activity in sub-Saharan Africa. Some of the most well-known examples include the empires of the Songhai, Mali, Ghana, etc. Others in different areas of the continent include the civilizations of Great Zimbabwe and the complex city-states of Eastern Africa, such as Kilwa, Lamu and Mombasa.

There is a discrepancy in how these pre-colonial states and their accomplishments were treated in the Western historical mindset in recent times. In the era of more colonial historiography, when use of race-centric Hamitic Theory prevailed, there were many attempts by European scholars to discredit or underplay the gravity of pre-European states and accomplishments. For the example of Mali and the Timbuktu manuscripts, there was made common the notion of an 'Arab stimulation' that was responsible for all the development of these complex large African states, and that the natives had little part in their development. For the example of the walls of Great Zimbabwe for instance, there was a long-held idea that the walls were constructed by foreigners, and that such complex architecture was simply out of reach for the civilization. The city-states on the African east coast developed extensive trade routes across the Indian ocean that facilitated regular trade and cultural and social interaction with the Arab world. There is even ancient Chinese artesian work that has been unearthed in Kilwa, modern day Tanzania, showing that these trade routes were very complex and far-reaching, and in turn, helped make very complex and relatively modern civilizations in Swahili East Africa. These city-states suffered and retarded heavily once a regular Portuguese presence appeared in the Indian ocean in the 1500s however. Growing Portuguese presence disrupted long-standing trade routes, and also introduced punitive tribute on African city-states, which hastened their decline and ultimate demise.

It has only been in relatively recent times that serious Western academic study of pre-colonial Africa has really developed to examine and study the history of pre-colonial African civilizations, which were often very diverse and developing in very unique manners, but was stunted and disrupted for centuries by European imperialism. This is not to say that the entire continent was on an equal ground of development. In central Africa, the presence of extensive states/empires was comparatively nil. There were however, rapidly developing and advancing states existent on the African continent before widespread European contact.