Since 1990, more than 30 sub-Saharan states have introduced multi-party electoral systems to choose their national governments. This development, normally understood as part of the post-cold war ‘wave of democratisation’, has led many to think that there is something intrinsically new about such a competitive process in Africa, which is not the case. This article looks at some elections that have been held in various states and studied, both before and after their independence.