In this chapter, we examine modernization (i.e., the process of adapting something to contemporary needs or habits) in Africa as a complex and multidimensional process. The chapter traces Africa’s paths to modernity by considering both internal and external drivers of change across the continent. The chapter then reassesses modernization and development theories, highlighting their limitations in explaining Africa’s development trajectories, and engages African Renaissance Theory as an alternative framework emphasizing self-reliance, indigenous solutions, and the renewal of African institutions. Finally, it engages the perspective of multiple modernities, focusing on African modernizing agents and the development of an African Sociology of multiple modernities, with attention to the different dimensions through which African modernities are constituted. Our starting point is to outline key conceptualizations of modernization to establish a clear foundation for understanding.