In the 20th century, an immense number of African countries were still under the colonial rule. For instance, countries such as Ghana and Kenya were still under the British rule while other countries like Angola were under the Portuguese. By mid 20th century, a number of the African countries had attained self-rule. The Africans also began to relocate to major towns that were formerly inhabited by the colonialists. As a result, the Africans began to acquire new ideas of nationalism. In regard to the African cultural beliefs, the African people participated in various traditional religious sects. However, with the progression of the 20th century, the Africans began to drop some of the beliefs (Shillington, 2005). The beliefs and practices were oral. They included beliefs in a supreme being, in spirits and ancestors. During this period, people also believed in the use of magic and traditional medicine for medicinal purposes. The inhabitants took an active role in uniting nature with the supernatural (Juergensmeyer, 2006). With time, the African land became overpopulated owing to the traditional religious philosophies.
However, globalization began to take a toll on the African continent in the late 20th century (Cameron, 1993). People began to move from the socialist model to form a free market economy. Other African countries expanded their cultural activities to include mining and manufacturing. They set up factories to process their farm produce. On the other hand, the African countries improved their infrastructure and communication means. Modern forms of transportation and manufacture began to take place. Owing to immense globalization in the 20th century, the Africans began to forsake some of their cultural behaviors.
With time, the African culture continued to change. Various African nations did not allow women to take part in political issues, but towards the end of the 20th century, women had already begun to take active role in political issues (Mbiti, 1990).