List: Countries and Their Capital Cities in Africa [2024]

Look carefully at any map of Africa and you will notice that there are 54 independent countries in Africa. Continue reading to discover a list of these countries and their capital cities in Africa in alphabetical order. I have also included the size, number or inhabitants, elevation, language, and other interesting info about these African capital cities. 

Even though there are 54 African countries, the number of capitals of Africa total 58. That’s because a handful of countries have more than one capital city. These include South Africa with 3 capital cities, and Eswatini and Burundi with 2 capital cities each. 

Major capitals of Africa include Cairo, Cape Town, Abuja, Dakar Nairobi. Accra, Kinshasa, Addis Ababa, Rabat, and Luanda. Alexandria in Egypt, founded around 331 BC, is among the earliest known cities of Africa.

The largest city in Africa is Lagos with over 20 million inhabitants while Kinshasa is the largest African city by land area. The least populated African city is Maseru while the smallest capital de Africa is Seychelles’ Victoria.

What is the capital of Africa? Africa is a continent, not a single country. This means that there is no one specific African capital.

Rather, these African countries and their capitals are listed in alphabetical order below.

Keep reading to find all capital cities of African countries.

>> If you’re as fascinated with Africa as much as I am…
be sure to check out some of these other posts:

African capital cities ⇩

List of African Countries and Capitals in Alphabetical Order

Ok, let’s get into it. Check out the complete list of the countries and their capitals of Africa in alphabetical order below.

First up…

1. ALGERIA | Capital: Algiers

Algiers info:

Population: 7 896 923
Area: 363 km²
Elevation: 424 m
Currency: Algerian dinar (DZD, دج)
Language: Arabic, Tamazight (Berber)

Did you know: Algeria, encompassing an area of 2,382 million km² (919,595 sq mi), is the biggest country in Africa and the 10th largest nation in the world. Located in North Africa, the Sahara Desert covers almost 90% of the country.

2. ANGOLA | Capital: Luanda

Luanda info:

Population: 2,776,168
Area: 113 km²
Elevation: 6 m
Currency: Angolan kwanza (Kz)
Language: Portuguese

Did you know: Angola, despite being rich in natural resources of oil, diamonds, and agricultural land, remains very poor as a result of a bloody civil war that took place between 1975 and 2002. The smallest city in Africa is Pólo in Angola, with a population of just over 4,000 and covering an area of just 1 km².

3. BENIN | Capital: Porto-Novo

Porto-Novo info:

Population: 234,168
Area: 110 km²
Elevation: 38 m
Currency: West African CFA franc (XOF)
Language: French

Did you know:
The official capital is Porto-Novo, but Cotonou is Benin’s largest city, its chief port, and its de facto administrative capital.

4. BOTSWANA | Capital: Gabarone

Gabarone info:

Population: 232,000
Area: 169 km²
Elevation: 1,014 m
Currency: Botswana pula
Language: English, Setswana

Did you know: Africa’s oldest continuous democracy, Botswana, is the biggest diamond producing country in the world.

5. BURKINA FASO | Capital: Ouagadougou

Ouagadougou info:

Population: 3,056,000
Area: 520 km²
Elevation: 305 m
Currency: West African CFA franc (XOF)
Language: French

Did you know: The first people to settle in Burkina Faso were the Mossi people in the 11th and 13th century who established powerful kingdoms such as the Yatenga, Ouagadougou, and Tenkodogo.

6. BURUNDI | Capital: Gitega

Gitega is the political capital
Bujumbura is the economic capital

Gitega info:

Population: 24,932
Area: 22 km²
Elevation: 1,504 m
Currency: Burundi Franc (BIF)
Language: Kirundi, French, English

Did you know: In March 2007, President of Burundi Pierre Nkurunziza announced that Burundi was planning to bring back its capital city to Gitega, saying that it is in a better location for a capital than Bujumbura.

Continue reading to discover more African cities. Next up is:

7. CAMEROON | Capital: Yaoundé

Yaoundé info:

Population: 4,337,000
Area: 180 km²
Elevation: 726 m
Currency: Central African CFA franc (XAF)
Language: French, English

Did you know: Cameroon is often known as “Africa in miniature” because of its geographical and cultural diversity.

8. CAPE VERDE | Capital: Praia

Praia info:

Population: 113,409
Area: 102,6 km² (39.6 sq mi)
Elevation: 0.9 m
Currency: Cape Verdean escudo (CVE)
Language: Portuguese

Did you know: Independence Day is observed on July 5th each year commemorating the country’s independence from Portugal.

9. CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC | Capital: Bangui

Bangui info:

Population: 933,000
Area: 67 km²
Elevation: 369 m
Currency: Central African CFA franc (XAF)
Language: Sango, French

Did you know: Despite its significant mineral deposits and resources that include gold, crude oil, uranium, diamonds, cobalt, and lumber, the Central African Republic has one of the world’s poorest populations.

10. CHAD | Capital: N’Djamena

N’Djamena info:

Population: 1,533,000
Area: 104 km²
Elevation: 298 m
Currency: Central African CFA franc (XAF)
Language: French, Arabic

Did you know: The flags of Chad and Romania are identical with both flags having the blue, yellow and red stripes. Flag experts, however, say that Chad’s blue is deeper than the Romanian blue.

>> Speaking of flags, check out how many flags from Africa make it onto this list of
the most beautiful flags in the world.

11. COMORES | Capital: Moroni

Moroni info:

Population: 48,543
Area: 30 km²
Elevation: 29 m
Currency: Comorian franc (KMF)
Language: Comorian, French, Arabic

Did you know: Various groups have inhabited the Comoros archipelago going as far back as 800-1000 AD. This tropical island country in Africa was colonised by France in the 19th century and became independent in 1975.

12. DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO | Capital: Kinshasa

Kinshasa info:

Population: 15,628,000
Area: 9 965 km²
Elevation: 240 m
Currency: Congolese franc (CDF)
Language: French

Did you know: With an area of 2.34 million km2, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is one of the largest countries in Africa with people from over 200 ethnic groups and almost 250 languages. Kinshasa is one of the largest cities in Africa.

13. REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO | Capital: Brazzaville

Brazzaville info:

Population: 2,552,813
Area: 263,9 km²
Elevation: 320 m
Currency: Congolese franc (CDF)
Language: French

Did you know: The Congo River is the deepest river in the world with a depth of 220 m (720 feet) in parts.

14. DJIBOUTI | Capital: Djibouti

Djibouti info:

Population: 1,012,950
Area: 630 km²
Elevation: 14 m
Currency: Djiboutian franc (DJF)
Language: French, Arabic

Did you know: Djibouti is home to one of the saltiest bodies of water in the world. Lake Assal, in the Danakil Desert, lies 155 m (509 ft) below sea level in the Afar Triangle, making it the lowest point on the continent of Africa.

15. EGYPT | Capital: Cairo

Cairo info:

Population: 22,183,200
Area: 3 085 km²
Elevation: 23 m
Currency: Egyptian pound (EGP)
Language: Modern Standard Arabic

Did you know: Egypt is home to one of the world’s earliest and most significant civilizations, going all the way back to around 3,200 B.C. It is also home to some amazing Egyptian food. With a population of more than 22 million, Cairo is one of the largest cities in Africa.

16. EQUATORIAL GUINEA | Capital: Malabo

Malabo info:

Population: 155,963
Area: 21 km²
Elevation: 0 m
Currency: Central African CFA franc (XAF)
Language: Spanish, Portuguese, French

Did you know: The first inhabitants of the region that is now referred to as Equatorial Guinea are believed to have been Pygmies. Currently only isolated pockets remain in northern Río Muni. 

17. ERITREA | Capital: Asmara

Asmara info:

Population: 1,035,000
Area: 45 km²
Elevation: 2,325 m
Currency: Eritrean nakfa (ERN)
Language: Tigrinya, Tigre, Standard Arabic

Did you know: The number of archeological sites and historical places in Eritrea exceeds 80,000 and the country has one of the highest archeological discoveries in Africa.

18. ESWATINI | Capital: Mbabane

Mbabane is the administrative capital.
Lobamba is the legislative and royal capital

Mbabane info:

Population: 62,630
Area: 81,76 km²
Elevation: 1,245 m
Currency: Swazi lilangeni (SZL)
Language: Swati, English

Did you know: Eswatini is the last remaining absolute monarchy in Africa and one of the few left in the world. This form of government, ruled by King Mswati III, gives a monarch supreme reign.

>> Speaking of languages,
this is how you say hello in Africa and I love you in African languages

19. ETHIOPIA | Capital: Addis Ababa

Addis Ababa info:

Population: 5,228,000
Area: 527 km²
Elevation: 2,355 m
Currency: Ethiopian birr (ETB)
Language: Afar, ‎Amharic‎, ‎Oromo‎, ‎Somali‎, ‎Tigrinya

Did you know: Ethiopia is Africa’s oldest country and is the only African country that evaded colonial rule.

20. GABON | Capital: Libreville

Libreville info:

Population: 857,000
Area: 258 km²
Elevation: 2 m
Currency: Central African CFA franc (XAF)
Language: French

Did you know: Almost 90% of Gabon is covered with rainforest and the country contains about a quarter of Africa’s entire fauna in these rainforests alone.

21. THE GAMBIA | Capital: Banjul

Banjul info:

Population: 470,000
Area: 12 km²
Elevation: 3 m
Currency: Gambian dalasi (GMD)
Language: English

Did you know: Of all the countries from Africa found on the mainland, The Gambia is the smallest, measuring less than 30 miles wide at its widest.

22. GHANA | Capital: Accra

Accra info:

Population: 2,605,000
Area: 225,7 km²
Elevation: 61 m
Currency: Ghanaian cedi (GHS)
Language: English

Did you know: Ghana, formerly known as the Gold Coast, became the first self-governing country on Africa in 1957, under president Kwame Nkrumah.

23. GUINEA | Capital: Conakry

Conakry info:

Population: 2,049,000
Area: 450 km²
Elevation: 2 m
Currency: Guinean franc (GNF)
Language: French

Did you know: Guinea is richly endowed with minerals, possessing the largest deposits of bauxite and iron ore in the world. This African nation is also a gold and diamond producer.

24. GUINEA-BISSAU | Capital: Bissau

Bissau info:

Population: 642,564
Area: 77 km²
Elevation: 8 m
Currency: West African CFA franc (XOF)
Language: Portuguese

Did you know: Guinea-Bissau was once part of the kingdom of Gabu from the Mali Empire until the 19th century when it became a colony of Portugal.

25. IVORY COAST | Capital: Yamoussoukro

Yamoussoukro info:

Population: 194,530
Area: 3 496 km²
Elevation: 214 m
Currency: West African CFA franc (XOF)
Language: French

Did you know: Ivory Coast is the world’s leading producer of cocoa beans, supplying almost a third of the world’s total.

26. KENYA | Capital: Nairobi

Nairobi info:

Population: 5,119,000
Area:  696 km²
Elevation: 1,795 m
Currency: Kenyan shilling (KES)
Language: Swahili, English

Did you know: Kenya was part of the British Empire in Africa from 1920 to 1963. The country gained independence from Britain on the 12^th December 1963, and this date now represents Jamhuri Day, the country’s National Day. Nairobi is one of the best cities for digital nomads in Africa.

27. LESOTHO | Capital: Maseru

Maseru info:

Population: 118,355
Area: 138 km²
Elevation: 1,600 m
Currency: Lesotho loti
Language: Sesotho; ‎English

Did you know: Lesotho is known as Africa’s “Kingdom in the sky,” as 80% of this high altitude Africa country lies above 1800 m. The nation’s lowest point is at 1,400 metres (4,593 ft), the highest lowest point of any country. Maseru is the least populous capital city in Africa.

We’re halfway through this list of countries of Africa and their capitals. Let’s take a look at:

28. LIBERIA | Capital: Monrovia

Monrovia info:

Population: 1,623,000
Area: 194,2 km²
Elevation: 8 m
Currency: Liberian dollar (LRD)
Language: English

Did you know: Liberia is Africa’s oldest republic and was established in 1821 on land acquired for freed U.S. slaves by the American Colonization Society.

29. LIBYA | Capital: Tripoli

Tripoli info:

Population: 1,176,000
Area: 1 507 km²
Elevation: 80 m
Currency: Libyan dinar (LYD)
Language: Arabic

Did you know: While 90% of the country is located within the extensive Sahara desert, Libya is the country in Africa with the largest proven oil reserves.

30. MADAGASCAR | Capital: Antananarivo

Antananarivo info:

Population: 3,700,000
Area: 85,01 km²
Elevation: 1,275 m
Currency: Malagasy ariary (MGA)
Language: Malagasy; French

Did you know: Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world. It is home to some of the world’s most unique flora and fauna, with most of Madagascar’s wildlife found nowhere else on Earth.

31. MALAWI | Capital: Lilongwe

Lilongwe info:

Population: 1,276,316
Area: 727,8 km²
Elevation: 1,050 m
Currency: Malawian kwacha (MWK)
Language: English; ‎Chewa

Did you know: Even though Malawi is landlocked, a fifth of the country is water. Lake Malawi contains the largest number of fish species of any lake in the world.

32. MALI | Capital: Bamako

Bamako info:

Population: 2,817,000
Area: 245 km²
Elevation: 330 m
Currency: West African CFA franc (XOF)
Language: French, Bambara

Did you know: Mali was once one of the richest countries in the world. The nation was part of the three west-African Empire that controlled the Trans-Saharan trade.

33. MAURITANIA | Capital: Nouakchott

Nouakchott info:

Population: 1,431,539
Area: 1 036 km²
Elevation: 7 m
Currency: Mauritanian ouguiya (MRU)
Language: Arabic

Did you know: Mauritania is the last country to abolish slavery in 1981. Nonetheless, the country still has the largest number of slaves of any place in the world.

34. MAURITIUS | Capital: Port Louis

Port Louis info:

Population: 156,720
Area: 46,7 km²
Elevation: 19 m
Currency: Mauritian rupee (MUR)
Language: English; French

Did you know: Of all the countries from Africa, Mauritius has the highest population density, with over 1.2 million people living here. This small African island nation currently holds the title as the safest African country.

35. MOROCCO | Capital: Rabat

Rabat info:

Population: 1,931,930
Area: 117 km²
Elevation: 11 m
Currency: Moroccan dirham (MAD)
Language: Arabic, Standard Moroccan Berber

Did you know: The area of what is now called Morocco has been inhabited since at least Paleolithic times, beginning between 190,000 and 90,000 BC.

36. MOZAMBIQUE | Capital: Maputo

Maputo info:

Population: 1,138,960
Area: 347,7 km²
Elevation: 47 m
Currency: Mozambican metical (MZN)
Language: Portuguese

Did you know: Dia da Independência Nacional, Independence Day, is a national holiday celebrated on June 25th, commemorating Mozambique’s independence from Portugal on June 25th 1975.

37. NAMIBIA | Capital: Windhoek

Windhoek info:

Population: 461,123
Area: 5 133 km²
Elevation: 1,655 m
Currency: Namibian dollar (NAD)
Language: English, German, Afrikaans

Did you know: Namibia, the world’s second least densely populated country, is home to the oldest desert in the world. The Namib desert is 80 million years old.

38. NIGER | Capital: Niamey

Niamey info:

Population: 1,383,909
Area: 239,3 km²
Elevation: 207 m
Currency: West African CFA franc (XOF)
Language: French, Hausa

Did you know: Located across some of the hottest points of the Sahara, Niger is considered one of the hottest countries in the world and is aptly nicknamed the “Frying Pan of the World.”

39. NIGERIA | Capital: Abuja

Abuja info:

Population: 3,652,000
Area: 1 769 km²
Elevation: 355 m
Currency: Nigerian naira (NGN)
Language: English

Did you know: Nigeria, the most populous and wealthiest country in Africa, was formed in 1914 and gained independence from colonial rule in 1960.

40. RWANDA | Capital: Kigali

Kigali info:

Population: 1,208,296
Area: 730 km²
Elevation: 1,565 m
Currency: Rwandan franc (RWF)
Language: Kinyarwanda, French, English

Did you know: Often referred to as, “the Land of a thousand hills,” Rwanda is one of the most densely populated African countries. It also has the world’s highest percentage of women in parliament.

41. SÃO TOMÉ AND PRINCIPE | Capital: São Tomé

São Tomé info:

Population: 226,225
Area: 17 km² (7 sq mi)
Elevation: 137 m
Currency: The dobra (STD)
Language: Portuguese

Did you know: The country was founded by Portuguese in 1470 who named the island Sao Tome after Saint Thomas as they arrived here on Saint Thomas’ day. Sao Tome gained independence in 1975 while Principe became autonomous in 1995.

42. SENEGAL | Capital: Dakar

Dakar info:

Population: 3,326,000
Area: 83 km²
Elevation: 21 m
Currency: West African CFA franc (XOF)
Language: French

Did you know: Senegal is the westernmost country of the African continent. The African Renaissance Monument in Dakar, standing 160 feet tall on top of a 100 metre hill, is the tallest statue in Africa. It was completed in 2010 to mark 50 years of independence.

43. SEYCHELLES | Capital: Victoria

Victoria info:

Population: 98,462
Area: 20,1 km²
Elevation: 4 m
Currency: Seychellois rupee (SCR)
Language: Seychellois Creole, English, French

Did you know: Seychelles, occupying an area of only 451 km² and with a population of less than 100,000, is the smallest African nation.

44. SIERRA LEONE | Capital: Freetown

Freetown info:

Population: 1,272,145
Area: 81,48 km²
Elevation: 26 m
Currency: Sierra Leonean leone (SLL)
Language: English, Krio

Did you know: Sierra Leone was named Serra Lyoa (Lion Mountains) as a reference to the range of hills that surrounds the harbour. The capital, Freetown, was founded as a home for repatriated former slaves in 1787.

45. SOMALIA | Capital: Mogadishu

Mogadishu info:

Population: 2,497,463
Area: 637 km²
Elevation: 9 m
Currency: Somali shilling (SOS)
Language: Somali, Arabic

Did you know: The Republic of Somalia was formed in 1960 by the federation of a former Italian colony and a British protectorate. Mohamed Siad Barre held dictatorial rule over the country from October 1969 until January 1991, when he was overthrown in a bloody civil war waged by clan-based guerrillas.

46. SOUTH AFRICA | Capital: Pretoria

Pretoria is the administrative capital.
Cape Town is the legislative capital.
Bloemfontein is the judicial capital.

Pretoria info:

Population: 2,739,768
Area: 687.54 km² (265.46 sq mi)
Elevation: 1,340 m
Currency: South African Rand (ZAR)
Language: English, Afrikaans, isiZulu, isiXhosa, isiNdebele, Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, siSwati, Tshivenda, Tsonga

Did you know: The name South Africa is derived from this African country’s geographic location at the southern tip of the continent. The first modern humans are believed to have inhabited South Africa more than 100,000 years ago.

47. SOUTH SUDAN | Capital: Juba

Juba info:

Population: 439,993
Area: 52 km²
Elevation: 550 m
Currency: South Sudanese pound (SSP)
Language: English

Did you know: South Sudan is the youngest country in the world. It became the African Union’s 55th member country on July 9, 2011. Prior to 2011, South Sudan was part of Sudan.

48. SUDAN | Capital: Khartoum

Khartoum info:

Population: 6,344,348
Area: 1 010 km²
Elevation: 382 m
Currency: Sudanese pound (SDG)
Language: Arabic, English

Did you know: Sudan was the largest country in Africa prior to the secession of South Sudan in 2011. It is now the third largest African country, after Algeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

A couple more countries and their capitals in Africa below…

49. TANZANIA | Capital: Dodoma

Dodoma info:

Population: 180,541
Area: 2 576 km²
Elevation: 1,125 m
Currency: Tanzanian shilling (TZS)
Language: Swahili, English

Did you know: Mount Kilimanjaro, a dormant volcano located in the United Republic of Tanzania, is the highest mountain in Africa and the highest single free-standing mountain above sea level in the world with a height of 5,895 metres.

50. TOGO | Capital: Lomé

Lomé info:

Population: 1,925,517
Area: 333 km²
Elevation: 63 m
Currency: West African CFA franc (XOF)
Language: French

Did you know: Togo, one of the smallest countries of Africa, used to be the heart of slave trade in Africa. It was located in the region of West Africa that was known as the “Slave Coast” because of how many Africans were taken from that region.

51. TUNISIA | Capital: Tunis

Tunis info:

Population: 2,439,404
Area: 212.63 km² (82.10 sq mi)
Elevation: 4 m
Currency: The Tunisian dinar (TND)
Language: Arabic

Did you know: Cape Angela is the northernmost point of Africa. Tunisia was colonised by France in 1881 and became a French protectorate in 1883. In 1956 the monarchy was abolished and independence was attained.

52. UGANDA | Capital: Kampala

Kampala info:

Population: 3,651,919
Area: 189 km²
Elevation: 1,190 m
Currency: Ugandan shilling (UGX)
Language: Swahili, English

Did you know: Uganda, populated by dozens of ethnic groups, has the world’s youngest population with over 78 percent of its population below the age of 30. Uganda is also home to half of the world’s remaining mountain gorilla population. 

53. ZAMBIA | Capital: Lusaka

Lusaka info:

Population: 3,042,000
Area: 360 km² (140 sq mi²)
Elevation: 1,280 m
Currency: Zambian kwacha (ZMW)
Language: English, Nyanja, Bemba

Did you know: Zambia was once inhabited by the Khoisan and Batwa peoples until around AD 300, when migrating Bantu began to settle the areas. The territory was known as Northern Rhodesia from 1911 to 1964. It was renamed Zambia in October 1964 on its independence from British rule.

54. ZIMBABWE | Capital: Harare

Harare info:

Population: 1,578,128
Area: 960.6 km² (371 mi²)
Elevation: 1,490 m
Currency: Zimbabwe dollar (ZWL)
Language: Shona, English, Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Kalanga, Tshwana, Nambya.

Did you know: Zimbabwe was the last of all the African countries to gain independence from British colonial rule in 1980. Zimbabweans celebrate Independence Day on the 18th April.

>> Learn more about the countries in this:
World geography quiz

There you go. All 54 African countries and capital cities. A complete list of all the capital cities of Africa.

If you have any other questions or need any additional info about any of these Africa cities, be sure to let me know.

Sincerely,

Rai