Africa is a big place

and stories that lump it all together don't give a very enlightening picture of what diets are like in any one place. You're not likely to get local Fufu (from cassava) and Fura (fermented millet) in the same place.

This article is about fermenting for preservation, not alcohol. Preservation matters: "The climate makes the preservation of fresh farm products such as milk, fruits, and vegetables very challenging, resulting in reports of over 70% loss of some products yearly"

That 70% sounds a bit high.