The continent of Africa is considered by scientists to be the

"Cradle of humankind"  has a captivating oral tradition and a

body of written literature shaped by colonial and postcolonial
experiences, As such, African literature has several linguistic
flavors, ranging from local languages to tongues brought by
the colonizers such as English Portuguese, and French.
“THE CRADLE OF HUMANKIND”
 4 types of African literature 
1. Oral Literature
simple means "literature delivered by word of mouth"
2 Pre-Colonial African literature 
means literary works done before the coming of the white men to the
African continent
3 colonial African literature 
written during the colonial period or speaks about the colonial period in
Africa
4 postcolonial African literature 
refers to writings produced after the political independence of various
African states which were formerly subject to European colonial rule.
The Oral literature of Africa served the purposes of documenting
the exploits of communities folk heroes, reminding the members
of the community about their traditions, and entertaining the
youth while also educating them. Genres of this oral tradition
included myths stories, riddles, proverbs, and dramas. to
enhance narrative praise singers called griots performed
accompanying music. oral tradition flourished and multiplier
culture across the continent from ancient times and well into the
15th century CE, the interaction of African empires with trade &
cultural partners from Europe and Asia was a key contributor to
this literary growth.
These are The Portraits of African Tradition.