Based on the plate tectonic theory, and by studying seismic, geologic data and related documents, this study restored the proto-type basins and lithofacies paleogeography of East African passive margin basins in the major geological periods, and carried out analysis on the basin architecture characteristics and sedimentary filling variance. Based on the dissection of fifteen reservoirs, three hydrocarbon accumulation models were identified to find out favorable plays and the further exploration direction in this region. The East African passive continental margin basins experienced three prototype stages, Late Carboniferous-Triassic Karoo intercontinental failed rifts, Jurassic intercontinental-intracontinental rifts, and passive continental margins since the Cretaceous. The rift sequences are developed in all the basins, forming the “rift type”, “rift depression type” and “delta reconstruction type” passive continental margin basins in line with the different thicknesses of the sediment fillings during the depression period. In the “rift type” basins, the sediment thickness during the depression period was less than 3 000 m, forming “single source - structure type” hydrocarbon accumulation model, where the exploration direction will mainly focus on giant structural traps on the top of the rift sequences. In the “fault-depression type” basins, the sediment thickness during the depression period was more than 5 000 m, forming “double sources - double combinations type” hydrocarbon accumulation model, where the exploration direction will mainly focus on giant slip-collapse-debris flow deposits on the top and middle of the slope. In the “delta-reconstruction type” sediment basins, the thickness is more than 6 000 m, forming constructional delta deposits with four structural belts from onshore to offshore, unique growth faults, mud diapirs, thrust faults and fore deep gentle slope, which are named as “three sources - multi-combinations type” hydrocarbon accumulation model, and all the four structural belts can form giant oil and gas fields.