There are two main factors behind the limited population growth in Africa in the past: unfavorable environment and the spread of deadly diseases. As for the former, the challenge for reproduction is predominantly explained by soil conditions and the frequency and quantity of rainfalls. Except for some regions such as central Africa and Ethiopian highlands, most of the other areas suffered from poor land fertility and low levels of precipitation. For instance, the Sahara desert, which covers around 8.5 million square kilometers accounting for 25% of the continent’s surface, is unsuitable for farming and hunting and lacks fresh water. Also, the northern and southern areas of Africa, where the temperature can sometimes reach 122 °F, experience slower decomposition of organic materials in the soil. That leads to a reduced presence of nutrients and minerals in the land than in the regions with a milder climate. For that reason, it is fair to conclude that lesser food availability restricted population growth.
As mentioned above, the other reason for relatively low population growth rates in Africa includes the spread of deadly diseases. The most significant ones among them are malaria, yellow fever, and trypanosomiasis. The former two can severely affect human beings causing various negative symptoms and sometimes death. Mosquitos spread both and, thus, there is a high risk of contingency for people. However, if malaria predominantly leads to children’s death, yellow fever is equally dangerous for younger and older individuals. On the other hand, trypanosomiasis mostly impacts cattle, although humans also can have it. It can either cause such symptoms as fever, weight loss, and decreased fertility or lead to immediate death. As a result, the aforementioned diseases are not only associated with population reduction due to death but also due to their impact on food availability.