I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED Intrepid Travel,
http://www.intrepidtravel.com/ . They are Australian based but have several offices in USA.
What part of Africa are you looking at? I did North Africa with Intrepid.
They were very reasonable. I looked at Overseas Adventure Travel, and Intrepid Travel appears to be less expensive.
- The lodging that Intrepid uses is not as nice as Overseas Adventure Travel. However, there is something to be said for less fancy schmancy accommodations.
- Half the time I did not have English TV, let alone any TV.
- Also, not all the meals are included. That can be a pro and a con. The group ate together a lot. I wish that I would have eaten on my own a lot more without the tour; cheaper and less touristy. $15 dinner is expensive in North Africa. I found dinner for $5.
- You will have to book your own flight. Or, you can have Intrepid do it. I did my own so I could use frequent flier miles.
- Not sure if OAT does this, but, you can travel solo at no additional cost. Initially, I was going to go single until a friend decided to come with me.
Other similar companies to Intrepid are;
DO NOT, DO NOT USE Viator. They outsource to other companies and their leaders do not speak much English.
Let me know what else you need help with.