Thc close of the Pan-African was characterized by a change from subduction and arc related magmatism to post tectonic alkaline magmatism in Saudi Arabia and West Africa. For the remainder ol the Phanerozoic, folding and tectonism was more restricted in Africa than on any other continent and was limited to the Caledonian, Hercynian and Alpine orogenies in the extreme north, and the Cape fold belt at the southern tip of the continent, with an equivalent orogenic belt on the extreme east of the Arabian peninsula. Thus Phanerozoic magmatism was dominantly anorogenic in nature and alkaline in character throughout the African Plate. Such magmatism was initiated by reactivation of deepseated lineaments with thc peak of activity during the Mesozoic, which can be correlated with fragmentation of Gondwanaland. The Phanerozoic alkaline magmatism is characterised by small centres of auhvolanic t o plutonic nature often in the form of ring complexes. These can be subdivided into two separate associations consisting of Provinces dominated by centres of ovcrsaturated magmatism such as Nigeria and Sudan. Thcre are also provinces with undersaturated complexes and carhonatites with oversaturated magmatism such as in Namibia. Angola, and the East African rift system. Despite the contrasting nature of undersaturated and oversaturated magmatism many comparisons can bc drawn between carbonatites and granitic complexcs. Such comparisons include thc source of the magmas, the mechanisms of emplacement, the cause and effect of alkali metasomatism and processes of hydrothermal alteration, the trace element geochemistry, the abundance of zircon, uranium. thorium and complex Ti-Zr silicates, the importance o f columbite, pyrochiore, fluorine, and rare earth enrichment in mineralization, and in their current and future economic potential. The common feature is the devclopment and reactivation of deep-seated lineaments which were not only controlled the ernplacement of anorogenic complexes but also acted as channelways for hydrothcrmal mineralizing fluids. Thc development of a fluid phase during crystallisation occurred in both undersaturated and oversaturated alkaline rocks. Subsequent hydrothermal modifications, subsolidus reactions. geochemical variations and mineralization were dependent upon whether this fluid phase was retained or expelled.