Top 10 Best English Speaking Countries In Africa 2024

Filed in Article, Education by on October 30, 2023 0 Comments

Do you know the best English-speaking countries in Africa? If not, then this informative article is for you. You will be given detailed information on the list of the best English-speaking countries in Africa.

Africa is the second most populous continent in the world. It was put at the staggering amount of 1.3 billion people, a number which makes up about 16% of the total human population of the whole world.

And this number is growing every second. Twenty-three countries in Africa are English-speaking, and in many of them, residents speak English, in some this language is the official language.

When colonialism on the African continent came to an end, a large number of countries began to use official languages that were mostly of outside influence. There are, still, some African nations that also legally identify native languages as well. English and French are spoken almost everywhere in Africa.

They are commonly used as a means of overall communication, mainly when dealing with education, juridical, and business matters. More than 23 African countries use English as one of their official languages while 26 use French.

Top 10 Best English-Speaking Countries In Africa

1. Uganda

English is the official language in the Ugandan educational, juridical, and business system. There are 60 other languages and dialects spoken among the population. If in the case of the second and third places on this list, there are different opinions (some sources place Zambia in second place and South Africa in the third respectively), all agree that the first position belongs to Uganda.

Uganda is landlocked and is well-known for its diverse landscapes that cover the Rwenzori Mountains with their snowy tips. Uganda has a beautiful large Lake Victoria. Uganda is famous for an extensive range of various animals including chimpanzees. You can find here an enormous variety of birds.

2. South Africa

This beautiful country is located in the southernmost part of Africa and is the second-best English-speaking country on the continent. You can also hear many other languages here, including Afrikaans and isiZulu.

The general number of official languages is 11 in this country. South Africa is well-known for having diverse ecosystems that are distinct. Kruger National Park is an Inland Safari destination that is visited by thousands of tourists because of the high population of big animals.

3. Nigeria

Nigeria is considered to be the third-best English-speaking nation in Africa. However, like the situation with Ghana, Nigeria is often criticized for its heavy dialects, and some sources do not include Nigeria on the list of the best English-speaking countries in Africa. Nigeria is located in the Gulf of Guinea.

It is famous for its variable wildlife and incredible landmarks. One of the most recognizable places is Zuma Rock which is a monolith reaching a height of 725 meters located outside Abuja, the federal capital territory of the country.

4. Kenya

Kenya is located in Eastern Africa. Nairobi is the capital as well as the largest city in this country. There are various ethnic groups in Kenya that prefer the native language. Nevertheless, the official one is English and Swahili. You can hear both languages commonly. But English is only used in government, education, and commerce matters.

5. Zambia

You can find this country in the south-central part of Africa. English is the official language, and it is always used in education and business communication. The primary local language is Nyanja. You can also hear the Bemba dialect in this area. The people speak a total of 73 languages, including Lozi, Kaonde, Lunda, as well as Tonga.

6. Botswana

Botswana is another landlocked African country on our list. It is in the Southern part of the continent. While Setswana is ordinarily spoken in this area, English remains the official language of the country.

7. Zimbabwe

The English language is commonly spoken in both the education and judiciary systems. Shona and Sindebele, both Bantu languages are also ordinarily spoken as native languages in the country. 70% of the population speaks Shona while a relatively smaller 20% chose Sindebele. Venda, Tonga, Shangaan, Sotho, Kalanga, Nambya, and Ndau are other Bantu languages that are also spoken by the people.

8. Malawi

The country is located in Southeast Africa. The majority of the population speaks English fluently.

9. Ghana

There are eleven widely spoken languages in Ghana, but English remains the language of the State and its commonly used Lingua Franca. The French language is also trained in several schools in the country because predominantly French-speaking nations surround this nation.

Ghana is on the list despite the widespread criticism over their ‘thick’ accents. Here, English words are often mixed with a heavy tone of pidgin, which perhaps, confuses many foreigners. However, Africa was colonized, and it is difficult to prevent the influence of the native languages on the English language.

10. Rwanda

This is a landlocked country. It is located in central and eastern Africa. Rwanda is one of the smallest countries on the African continent. English, Kinyarwanda, French, and Swahili are the official languages in Rwanda. While English is the main language that is used for educational purposes, Kinyarwanda is the leading national language in the country.

What’s your take on this? We believe this article was helpful, if yes, don’t hesitate to share this information with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, and other Social Platforms.

Leave a Reply