Africa Screams only time that Shemp Howard and Joe Besser appeared together in a film; Besser would replace Howard as one of the Three Stooges following the latter's death in 1955. The main character's name Stanley Livington is suggestive of the surnames of British explorers Henry Morton Stanley and David Livingstone who had a famous meeting in 1871. It is not known whether the change from Livingstone to Livington is the result of a typist's error or a deliberate obfuscation. As this film is in the public domain in the United States, there have been a variety of DVD releases from multiple
Livingstone–Stanley Monument 10 November 1871 as clearly detailed in Stanley's book, "How I Found Livingstone". David Livingstone's journal also confirms Ujiji as the location, with an entry the day before the meeting reading "At dawn, off and go to Ujiji", a town he knew well. Livingstone then details meetings with several Arab residents of Ujiji including one who was supposed to be keeping his goods from his previous visit, before recording Stanley's arrival. From their writings, the visit to Mugere appears to be the one on 25–27 November which Livingstone and Stanley described as being one of the most hospitable they enjoyed.