5 Most Famous Countries in Africa (Updated 2024)

Do you know the top 5 famous countries in Africa? This article brings to you the most visited places on the continent and why they are quite popular.

Do you know the top 5 most popular countries in Africa? Do you know that Africa is quite popular? Billzonthestreets has taken time out to put together the most popular countries in Africa. Africa has a lot of tourist attractions and brings millions of people in every year. To cut to the chase, check out the top 5 most popular countries in Africa, in no particular order.

Top 5 Most Popular Countries in Africa

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On the African continent, here are the five most famous countries, in no particular order.

Nigeria

Lagos Island

There is no way you would talk about the most popular countries in Africa without mentioning Nigeria. Nigeria (also known as the “Giant of Africa”) is a country on Africa’s western coast.

Despite the fact that English is the official language, the country is home to hundreds of other languages. The popular ones include; Yoruba, Igbo, Tiv, Fula, Hausa, Edo, Ibibio, and pidgin.

The official currency is the naira, and its capital city is Abuja. Some notable natural resources in the country considered to be emerging markets by the World Bank include palm oil, petroleum, and natural gas.

Some of the most famous aspects of Nigeria include;

Lagos is also known as a megacity in Nigeria. It is the most populated city in the country. It is famed for lots of hustling and bustling in the city. The city is known for its multi-story buildings and traffic jams.

Lagos is home to some of Nigeria’s most popular attractions, including Tarkwa Bay and the Lekki Conservation Centre. Lagos is not just one of the most famous cities in Africa but also among the world’s fastest-growing cities.

Wole Soyinka was the first African Nobel laureate in literature. In 1986, he became the first black African playwright to win the Nobel Prize for Literature for an autobiography.

Entertainment: Nigeria has the largest movie industry in Africa. With performers like Wizkid, Burnaboy, Davido, and D’banj, it’s no surprise that it’s a global success.

Jollof Rice; This mouth-watering tomato-based rice dish is a party staple. There are many ways to cook it, involving endless types of meat, spices, chilli, onions, and vegetables. Senegal is credited with inventing this dish, which spread to other West African countries, most notably Ghana and Nigeria.

Egypt

Most Popular Countries in Africa
Pyramid of Giza

Egypt is officially named the Arab Republic of Egypt. It is primarily divided into two parts, Upper and Lower Egypt. Upper Egypt is in the south, and Lower Egypt is located in the north, which is a result of how the river flows.

Its capital is Cairo, its currency is the Egyptian pound, and the official language is Egyptian Arabic. Islam is the major religion practised in Egypt.

Popular attractions in Egypt include the following;

The Pyramids of Giza: These pyramids are also called the Giza necropolis. They were royal tombs for three different pharaohs. They were built throughout three generations by the rulers Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure. It is the largest Egyptian pyramid. They are key touchstones of ancient Egypt.

The Great Sphinx of Giza: This is a statue of a mythical creature that has the head of a human and the body of a lion, with the wings of a falcon. It is made of limestone and is situated near the Great Pyramid of Giza. The face of the Sphinx represents the pharaoh of Khafre.

Temples and tombs: Lots of temples and tombs are available in Egypt. Stones that were thought to be extremely durable were used to build temples and tombs. Furthermore, the tombs were built to bury their dead, while the temples were built to honour their gods.

The Red Sea: This sea is also one of the world’s largest bodies of water. The “Red Sea” got its name from the dead algae (Trichodesmium erythraeum) that can be found in it. It turns the water from blue-green to reddish-brown.

The Giza Museum is also known as the Grand Egyptian Museum. It is still under construction. It will be the world’s largest archaeological museum when it is finished and inaugurated.

Ethiopia

Aksum City

Ethiopia is the oldest independent country in Africa. The official currency is the Ethiopian Birr, and the official language is Amharic. Its capital city is Addis Ababa. Ethiopia is famous for Yeha, the Zion Church, Axum, the unusual calendar, and the Queen of Sheba.

Yeha Temple: Yeha is a town in Ethiopia, famous for retaining the oldest building (the great Yeha temple) in the country.

Axum: Axum is a city in Ethiopia named after a powerful kingdom. Aksum is another name for it.

Unusual Calendar: Ethiopia uses the June calendar, which consists of thirteen months. The country is seven years behind Western times.

Coffee: Some of the world’s greatest coffee is also grown in Ethiopia.

South Africa

Johannesburg

The Republic of South Africa is the official name of the country (RSA). It is the southernmost country in Africa since it is also located at the southern tip of the continent. Furthermore, Its executive capital is Pretoria (Tshwane). The legislative capital is Cape Town and the judicial capital is Bloemfontein.

Its currency is the South African Rand. South Africa has eleven official languages. The most widely spoken languages in South Africa are Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Sotho, Northern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Venda, and Tswana.

South Africa is famous for mining, Cape Town, Johannesburg, and Nelson Mandela.

Mining: South Africa is the world’s largest producer of platinum. Mining is a notable part of their economy.

Johannesburg is the most populated city in South Africa. It is notable as a worldwide centre of commerce. It is the source of a large-scale gold and diamond trade.

Nelson Mandela was South Africa’s first democratically elected president. He was well-known for dedicating his life to helping others. He was imprisoned for 27 years for opposing apartheid’s racist institution.

Kenya

Most popular countries in Africa
Karuru Falls

Kenya is a country in Africa’s east. The Republic of Kenya is the official name, and Nairobi is the capital. Kenya’s currency is the Kenyan shilling. English and Swahili are the notable official languages.

Notable natural resources in Kenya are soda ash, salt, limestone, gemstones, gypsum, and many more. Kenya is well-known for its beautiful scenery, the Big Five, and fantastic safari destinations.

Scenic Landscape: Kenya’s landscape is breathtaking, explaining the countless stock images of the landscape.

The Big Five: These comprise lions, leopards, elephants, black rhinoceros, and African buffalo. On foot, they were thought to be the most difficult of Africa’s big game to hunt. Kenya is home to all of the big five animals.

Great safari destination: Kenya is one of the world’s leading safari destinations. The big five form an important part of the safari market. Masai Mara National Park, Aberdare Park, Samburu Park, and Lake Nakuru National Park are great Kenyan safari must-sees.

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