Like the High Commission Territories (Lesotho, Botswana, and Eswatini)'s section of this archive, that for Central Africa, which consists of MSS. Afr. s. 1681/230-285, comprises four distinct divisions. The first six boxes, MSS. Afr. s. 1681/230-235, are concerned with the British Central African Federation (Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Malawi); the second division covers Nyasaland (Malawi)'s interests in MSS. Afr. s. 1681/236-242. Papers for Northern Rhodesia (Zambia) are arranged as far as possible in the same way, in MSS. Afr. s. 1681/243-252, while the fourth division, MSS. Afr. s. 1681/253-285, deals with Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe). It was not possible to impose an identical arrangement for the material in each of these four sections because of the major differences in the subjects covered.

The first two boxes of the Central African Federation (Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Malawi) sub-section deal solely with African opposition in all three Territories to the British imposition of federation. The third box, while continuing with this subject, is concerned mainly with the activities of Michael Scott in New York when attempting to make known African opinion in the United Nations Organization. MSS. Afr. s. 1681/233 includes material on the way in which federation worked, once imposed, and is followed by two boxes of pamphlets, official publications, and newspaper cuttings illustrating the general climate of opinion on federation.

The Nyasaland (Malawi) sub-section covers a longer period and has a wider range of interest, though the contents of the first box, MSS. Afr. s. 1681/236, are entirely devoted to the hostility towards federation in Nyasaland (Malawi). During the same period, Nyasalanders (Malawians) were much exercised about land tenure problems; this led to disturbances for which Chief Gomani was held responsible and Michael Scott was blamed for encouraging the chief. Material on these disturbances and the case brought against Gomani by the authorities is contained in MSS. Afr. s. 1681/237, while papers relating to the later disturbances over constitution revision and the Devlin Commission and the fate of those detained as a consequence are held in MSS. Afr. s. 1681/239. The Africa Bureau was one of the bodies to which policy statements of the Nyasaland (Malawi) political organisations were sent, accompanied by correspondence; such material is to be found in MSS. Afr. s. 1681/238, while more general correspondence from African politicians and other contacts there is arranged in alphabetical order in MSS. Afr. s. 1681/240-241. Background material and newspaper cuttings covering the period up to 1961 can be found in MSS. Afr. s. 1681/242.

Most like the Nyasaland (Malawi) sub-section are the papers in the Northern Rhodesia (Zambia) group of boxes. The first contains material on the constitution and local feelings against federation. The succeeding box holds papers on inquiries into land and mineral rights and the problems arising from the building of the Kariba Dam. MSS. Afr. s. 1681/245 contains material emanating from local political parties, while MSS. Afr. s. 1681/249-250 consist of the more personal correspondence of politicians and contacts. In between are the papers concerned with penal legislation, disturbances on the Copperbelt, the fate of those detained as a result of the aid afforded them and their families by the Northern Rhodesian Freedom Fund that was supported by the Africa Bureau. In MSS. Afr. s. 1681/248, in addition to the Bureau's press statements on Northern Rhodesia (Zambia) during the 1960s and correspondence on its attempt to send a deputation to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, papers on all the other Zambian matters that interested it at this time are gathered together. Printed background material and newspaper cuttings relating to the whole division fill MSS. Afr. s. 1681/251-252.

The contents of the Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) sub-section more closely resemble the South Africa papers. As for South Africa and Northern Rhodesia (Zambia), there was a fund supported by the Bureau to aid detainees and their families, and papers concerned with it are arranged in the first box. Publicity and statements issued by the local political parties are held in MSS. Afr. s. 1681/254 while personal correspondence from politicians and contacts can be found several boxes further on in the series, in MSS. Afr. s. 1681/267. The intervening boxes contain the records of meetings and working parties organised by the Bureau, two boxes of United Nations papers on the Rhodesian (Zimbabwean) problem in the 1960s and a run of boxes containing material on the different ways in which the Bureau examined the political situation in Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) and attempted to rouse public opinion on sanctions. A variety of sub-committees were set up, reports on sanctions were published by Guy Arnold and Alan Baldwin, and several campaigns were supported, in addition to the 'Justice for Rhodesia Campaign of 1973' organised by Baldwin for nine months (see MSS. Afr. s. 1681/266). The Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) sub-section ends with three boxes of the usual printed material used as background data for the Bureau's work and a most impressive collection of mounted and unmounted newspaper cuttings that fill fifteen boxes.