This study examined the prevailing dominance of Scopus-indexed journals in African scholarly publishing and interrogated its implications for the development and sustainability of local journal ecosystems across the continent. Using a quantitative cross-sectional survey design, data were collected from 420 academic researchers drawn from universities in five African sub-regions: East Africa, West Africa, Southern Africa, North Africa, and Central Africa. The study was guided by three specific objectives: to assess the level of awareness and utilisation of local versus Scopus-indexed journals among African scholars; to identify the key institutional, socio-economic, and epistemological barriers that impede the growth of local journal ecosystems; and to determine the principal components of a supportive policy and infrastructure framework for strengthening local journals. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, means, standard deviations), bivariate analysis (Pearson chisquare and correlation), exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and principal component analysis (PCA). Findings revealed that while awareness of local journals was moderately high (overall mean = 62.4%), their utilisation remained constrained by institutional pressure to publish in Scopus-indexed outlets, inadequate indexing infrastructure, limited editorial capacity, and low perceived impact factors. The PCA extracted four principal components explaining 88.6% of the total variance, namely: Institutional Prestige Pressure, Resource and Infrastructure Deficit, Epistemological Marginalisation, and Policy and Governance Gaps. The study concluded that the Scopus imperative, as currently operationalised in African institutions, systematically undermines indigenous knowledge production and perpetuates epistemic dependency. The study recommended the establishment of continental journal accreditation frameworks, integration of local journal metrics into academic appraisal systems, and increased funding for open-access local publishing infrastructure. These findings contribute to growing scholarly discourse on decolonizing academic publishing and advancing knowledge equity in the Global South.