Agriculture was at the centre of pre-colonial African development, innovation, and mechanisation. This chapter demonstrates how agriculture was the nucleus and basis for innovation and mechanisation pursuits in the pre-colonial period to argue that agriculture is not a new phenomenon on the continent. The chapter explores the nature of agricultural activities that characterised pre-colonial Africa, the forms of innovations inspired by the activities unfolding in the agricultural sectors, and the mechanisation that emerged from such activities. The chapter relies on secondary literature sources and archival material from various libraries. The chapter shows that Africa was one of the first global regions to engage in crop domestication, with Egypt excelling in agricultural innovation, farm equipment mechanisation, soil fertility improvement, and irrigation. The chapter concludes that agriculture is not a new phenomenon in Africa. It has always been the source of livelihoods, innovation, mechanisation, as well as the source of development. The findings contradict existing European findings that Africa has always been stagnant in its development processes.