I understand the need for OpSec here in an open forum - but perhaps you could clarify the locality. "Here in Africa" is awfully vague.
Are we talking about dense, urban environments (Lagos, Cairo, Pretoria), or some bushmen settlements on the edge of civilization?
Frankly, I cannot believe that illegitimacy would be smilingly accepted / function in anything but a rich, advanced society with plenty of resources to squander. (It barely functions here, in First World Countries - actually, it isn't functioning; rather, it is a cancer eroding our society to the core.) But it definitely wouldn't be feasible in a Turd World environ, where resources are stretched thin to begin with.
A village where unwed mothers with multiple baby-daddies are welcomed would soon fall prey to and be wiped out of existence by healthier neighboring tribes.
You reference "high bride-prices" - Yes, high bride-prices are a good thing, keeping the riff-raff down and forcing young men to accumulate resources instead of contemplating their navels. But high bride-prices must be coupled with severe social stigma for those (loose women and baby-daddies) who don't tow the line.
Regards,
Toe the line