Both scientific authorities and governments of nations worldwide were found lacking in their COVID-19 response and management, resulting in significant distrust by the gen-eral public in 2020. Scientific and medical bodies often failed to give the right counsel on the appropriate course of action on COVID-19, because proven steps were not known, while many governments around the world took ineffective, late or inappropriate COVID-19 control and containment strategies. If the 2020 COVID-19 incidence rates are to be believed, much of sub-Saharan Africa had a lower disease prevalence than expected. We put forwards six factors peculiar to much of sub-Saharan Africa that may have accounted for the pandemic landscape there in 2020. We also discuss why the situation has become more serious in 2021.