This was Linda Kash's last Ernest film. She was also in Ernest Rides Again and Ernest Goes to School. All three times she played a different character.
This is the last time Ernest would dress up as Auntie Nelda. He first dressed up as her in Ernest Saves Christmas (1988).
This film and Ernest in the Army (1998) were shot back-to-back in Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa, respectively, between November 1996 and April 1997. Emshell Producers were doing pre-production on 'Army' while they were shooting 'Africa.' After production on 'Africa' concluded, there was a week down and then they went right into production on 'Army.'
This Ernest film has been on DVD four times. First Look Studios released it on October 1, 2002. Mill Creek Entertainment re-released it on October 31, 2006 as part of the "Ultimate Ernest" and "Essential Ernest Collection" DVD box sets. Image Entertainment released it on June 5, 2012 as part of "Ernest's Wacky Adventures Volume 2" which features Knowhutimean? Hey Vern, It's My Family Album (1983). Image re-released it on October 1, 2013 as part of the "Ernest Triple Feature" along with Ernest Goes to School (1994) and Ernest in the Army (1998).
At one point, Ernest mentions a (fictional) movie called "Illinois Smith and the Curse of Hitler's Brain". The Indiana Jones reference is obvious, but there was actually a movie called They Saved Hitler's Brain (1968).