ɪn ˈæfɹɪkə, pˈoʊɪtɹi hɐz ɐ hˈɪstɚɹi dˈeɪɾɪŋ bˈæk tə pɹˌiːhɪstˈɔːɹɪkəl tˈaɪmz wɪððə kɹiːˈeɪʃən ʌv hˈʌntɪŋ pˈoʊɪtɹi, ænd peɪndʒˈɪɹɪk ænd ˈɛlɪdʒək kˈoːɹt pˈoʊɪtɹi wɜː dɪvˈɛləpt ɛkstˈɛnsɪvli θɹuːˈaʊt ðə hˈɪstɚɹi ʌvðɪ ˈɛmpaɪɚz ʌvðə nˈaɪl, nˈaɪdʒɚ, ænd vˈoʊltɚ ɹˈɪvɚ vˈælɪz.
In Africa, poetry has a history dating back to prehistorical times with the creation of hunting poetry, and panegyric and elegiac court poetry were developed extensively throughout the history of the empires of the Nile, Niger, and Volta river valleys.