This chapter establishes the conceptual and analytical foundation of the book by exploring the nexus between livelihood capital and resilience in Africa. It traces the evolution of resilience as a central theme in African development discourse, particularly in response to climate variability, conflict, and socio-economic volatility. Building on the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework (SLF), it defines the five forms of livelihood capital (natural, human, social, financial, and physical) and explains how their availability, interaction, and distribution influence absorptive, adaptive, and transformative capacities. The chapter emphasizes that resilience is not merely about surviving shocks but about “bouncing forward” toward more equitable and sustainable futures. It contextualizes these ideas within Africa’s ecological and socio-political diversity, contrasting resilience dynamics across rural and urban settings, and highlighting regional drivers such as climate shocks, governance systems, and market integration. The research objectives and guiding questions are then introduced, focusing on which forms of capital matter most in different contexts, and how regional variations shape resilience outcomes. Thus, the chapter positions livelihood capital as both a lens and a lever for understanding African resilience and development pathways, laying a coherent structure for the regional chapters that follow.