From 1864 onwards, Don Bosco was in correspondence with St Daniel Comboni (1831-1881), passionate missionary in Africa, and Archbishop Charles Lavigerie (1825-1892), the great apostle of Algeria, concerning possible Salesian initiatives in Africa. The very first foundation in the African continent was established in 1891, three years after the death of Don Bosco, when a group of French Salesians arrived in Algeria. Slowly other countries (such as DRC, South Africa, Egypt, and other North African countries) began to see some Salesian presences.

However, only during their 21st Century General Chapter (1977-78), did the Salesians decide to begin large-scale missions in the African continent, through what was termed as ‘Project Africa’. As part of this initiative the Salesians arrived in Kenya on 10th January 1980, in the person of Fr Dario Superina from Italy.

A few months later, on 6th October 1980, three Salesians from India started the mission in Korr, in the present Marsabit county in Kenya. Meanwhile, 15 Salesians reached Tanzania on 13th October 1980 to start three communities: in Mafinga, Iringa, and Dodoma. These communities would only get formally started in the subsequent years. And in January 1981, three other Salesians also from India, started a mission in Maridi, the then Sudan; within a year the Salesians had to withdraw from this mission.

In the following years, other works started in Kenya: Don Bosco Upperhill, Nairobi (October 1981), Embu (March 1983), Don Bosco Boystown, Nairobi (1984), Don Bosco Utume, Nairobi (August 1987), Makuyu (January 1989), Nzaikoni (1991), Bosco Boys (1995), and Kakuma (1998), DBYES, Karen (2000), Kitale (2023), and Meru (2024).

In the Sudan and the later in South Sudan, the Salesian works have been marked by a varying tide of challenges and opportunities. After the exit from Maridi, works started in Juba and Tonj, which started in 1983. Tonj had to be temporary closed in 1985 due to the civil war, and Juba in 1988. With this, attention shifted to Khartoum also to cater to the people who had moved from the south. By 1989, we had two communities in Khartoum – St Joseph Tech and the Kalakala parish. The works in Wau were formally started 1987. Later a work was started in El Obeid. In South Sudan, following the peace accord, four communities were opened, besides Wau that had now become part of South Sudan.

Juridically, initially the communities under the care of the Salesians from India were part of the Salesian province of Bombay, even if the Salesians had come from various provinces; and from those from Italy belonged to the Italian Central Province (ICP). In 1982, the Delegation of Eastern Africa was created subject to the Province of Bombay, with Fr. Tony D’Souza as the Delegate. Eventually, in 1994, Eastern Africa was established as a province comprising of all communities in Kenya – including the communities run by the Italian Salesians, the Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda – where the Salesians from Poland had started the mission. By 2006, Uganda joined with Rwanda and Burundi to form another circumscription. Meanwhile, the South Sudan had become a sovereign state. Eventually, in 2023, Tanzania became a province of its own. Currently (2024), the Salesian province of Eastern Africa (AFE) consists of the communities and Salesians ministering in Kenya, and the Delegation of South Sudan and the Sudan.