The development of the East African coastal region was greatly influenced by it s excellent strategic position. It became a trading center where goods from three continents were passing by, and lots of money, as well as innovations and technologies were coming in this part of the continent.
If the situation was different, like suggests, if the region was an inland desert or mountainous area in Africa, than it was going to be a very backwards region in every aspect. The people would have steel been living in primitive tribal societies, and there's big possibility that they were going to practice a nomadic lifestyle as well. And those kind of conditions will not allow the formation of developed society, or great empire.
