The history of the Italian presence in Africa has received little attention from scholars. Although migratory flows to Africa have been relatively limited (especially when compared with those to other destinations), the story of the Italians on the continent is certainly not inconsequential. A recent resumption of Italian emigration also involves Africa. Although the continent is still not among the main destinations, in certain contexts, such as the tourism sector, the Italian presence is today significant. Starting with the history of this presence, this paper – which is based on primary sources - focuses on recent migration to the continent, using two case studies: Tunisia and Zanzibar. In Tunisia, the Italian presence is not new: the country has hosted one of the largest Italian communities of the Mediterranean. The Italian presence in Zanzibar, however, is very recent and linked to the development of the tourism sector, to which Italians have contributed in significant ways.