Which African regions commonly use 12-pulse time-line patterns?

In African music, 12-pulse time-line patterns are primarily utilized in the following regions:

• West Africa: These patterns are commonly found along the West African coast, particularly in the music of the Yoruba, Fon, and Ewe peoples.1
• Central Africa: These patterns are prevalent in Congo (Kinshasa), Congo (Brazzaville), and Angola.1
• Southern Africa: They are also found in Zambia and Malawi.1

These time-line patterns serve as a regulative, percussive core for musical performances, often acting as a rhythmic ostinato against which other performers phrase their melodies and rhythms. While they are prominent in these areas, they are notably absent from most of East and southern Africa, with the exception of specific regions like the Zambezi River valley.1