I work for Esri Community Basemaps. I would suggest getting a login to the USGS Global Data Explorer (http://demex.cr.usgs.gov/DEMEX/). Here you can download the GDEM v2 which is an improvement over the original GDEM data. It's a 30m DEM derived from stereo imagery of ASTER data. We have used that data for contours and hillshades for Community Basemap in Africa.
Jon, are you working on Community Basemaps? Please email me at acrawford@esri.com if you are mapping a part of Africa.
