Greetings!
Currently enjoying a mug of good coffee, and smoking a fine *Brick House* cigar. You have posted an interesting topic, a subject that I have also enjoyed contemplating for many years. Years ago now, I simply grew tired of waiting for some company, some game designer, somewhere, to finally produce a quality, thorough African-based campaign book. I was tired of waiting, and frustrated with the few weak and pathetic modules and source-books haphazardly put out over the years. *Nyambe* being a recent, and noted exception. Nyambe is a good product that makes a serious effort to present a comprehensive, quality work on an African-based campaign book.
I resolved finally to just do it myself.
Celebrim, I really appreciate your passion, attitude, and devotion to your campaigns over the years! You have mentioned before how some game designer somewhere, is not going to be likely better at producing something that you have worked on for your own campaign world. I fully agree. People can be quite surprised by what they can do themselves through passion and effort!
I proceeded to gather together the resources to do the job. Lol. I used my own personal library-already quite extensive on history, religion, mythology, geography, gaming, and so on as a basis for research. I added several new history books, prehistory books, world mythology, African mythology, animal books, geography, atlases, books on trees, fish, and so on.
I proceeded to develop an African-based continent for my own campaign world of Thandor, the African-based continent in my world of Thandor is Arghanda. Arghanda features three large empires, a dozen or more kingdoms, a confederation of city-states, a dozen distinct pantheons, various spiritual philosophies and political systems, and 75 different languages and cultures.
In Arghanda, I have developed four major regions dividing the continent, with sub-regions, regional climate and geography tables, different tables of animals and creatures, types of trees, woods, plants, economic resources, and more, region by region. Extensive essays on history, cultures, religion, political development, warfare. Some two dozen cities have been developed, trade routes detailed, major animal populations, as well as numerous special zones, dinosaurs, ancient ruins, mysteries and more.
I have developed an interesting, dynamic African-based continent for my campaign world. It has certainly demanded effort, time, and attention. The good thing is, I now have no real need for any commercial product on the topic. I don't need to wait and hope, endlessly, for a product never to see daylight.
I highly recommend jumping in, and doing it yourself. As to the politically correct nonsense? Yeah, just do what you want. Read, research, write. Be inspired by real history, geography, animals, mythology--mix in fantasy and crazy, and it's good!
African people are no different essentially from anyone else. They eat, conquer, love, build and destroy like people have everywhere throughout history.
Semper Fidelis
Shark