What is the basis of society in most African countries. How is this changing?

Answer 1

It is difficult to generalize about a continent as vast as Africa, where some countries are making great strides, while others remain enmeshed in violence, civil war, and corruption. Some countries like South Africa have shown great progress in developing their economy, although crime is still an issue. Rwanda is regarded as a country that has made great strides, improving its universities, encouraging investment, and showing great stability; on the other hand, some critics accuse its current president of suppressing dissent, and its government has also been accused of fueling ethnic strife in Congo and Uganda.

Sad to say, Democratic Republic of Congo is a country that, despite many Natural Resources, has shown little forward movement since gaining independence: there is government corruption, lack of infrastructure, child labor, and ongoing problems resulting from conflict minerals, and and a long civil war. Similarly, in Nigeria, ethnic and religious strife between Muslims and Christians shows no sign of letting up. But then, some countries like Liberia that were ruled by brutal warlords for decades, are making an effort to become more democratic. That country now has a president who recently (2011) won a Nobel Peace Prize; but here too, there are factions who dislike her and are dissatisfied with how the country is being run.

To sum up, you need to look at Africa on a country by country basis, and you will see some which have done commendable work in modernizing and moving forward, and others that remain mired in endless war and ineffective governments. It is almost impossible to speak of "African society" in general, since it really does vary greatly.