Africana Smith was Sarah-Jane Smith's uncle and the brother of Lavinia and Eddie Smith. He was an archaeologist and spent most of his life exploring lost tombs and cities. Smith died alone while trapped in a tomb he was exploring in the middle of a jungle. While his niece was distressed by this death, his sister Lavinia felt that it was a fitting end for a man who lived for adventure. After his death, Africana bequeathed the many archaeological treasures he collected to his sister, who along with Sarah-Jane travelled on a train to bring them to London. Among these treasures was an idol belonging to the Indian sect of Kanbo-Ala. This drew the wrath of the sect, whose members travelled to England to recover it after Africana's death. (PROSE: The Curse of Kanbo-Ala)