The 7 African Countries Where English is Widely Spoken
- EF Education First's English Proficiency Index ranked millions of test takers globally and identified seven African countries with high English fluency
- As of August 2026, South Africa and Zimbabwe share the highest position on the index among African nations, both placed 13th globally
- The rankings cover countries where English has become part of daily life, not just a school subject, including Nigeria, Kenya, and Ghana
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Cape Town, South Africa - Seven African countries have emerged as the continent's strongest performers in English fluency, according to the latest EF Education First English Proficiency Index, which draws its data from millions of test takers around the world each year.
The findings reveal a pattern that many observers across the continent have noticed for years: English is thriving well beyond the classroom in several African nations, functioning as a practical everyday language rather than simply a foreign one studied in school. Decades of language education policy and strong media consumption habits are widely credited for this outcome.
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Top African countries by English fluency
South Africa and Zimbabwe lead the group, both ranked 13th globally on the EF index. Kenya follows at 19th, with Zambia at 27th and Nigeria at 29th. Ghana placed 36th, while Uganda rounded out the seven at 53rd globally.
What makes these rankings notable is that several of the countries on the list, including Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Uganda, do not count English as their only official language, yet their populations demonstrate fluency that competes with speakers in countries where English dominates natively.
Why English thrives in certain African countries
The roots of English proficiency in these nations go back to colonial-era education systems that embedded the language into formal schooling from an early age.
Over generations, English became not just a subject on a syllabus but the language of commerce, government, and media.
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In countries like Nigeria and Ghana, English serves as the official national language and is used daily across institutions, news broadcasting, and social media. In Kenya, English holds co-official status alongside Swahili and features prominently in professional and educational settings. This continuous daily exposure is a key driver of the proficiency levels the EF index captures.
The index itself is published annually by EF Education First and is considered one of the most comprehensive measures of English ability among non-native speakers worldwide.
Legit.ng highlights below the seven African countries where English proficiency is highest as of August 2026:
Rank in Africa | Country | EF EPI score | Global rank | Proficiency |
1 | South Africa | 602 | 13 | Very High |
1 | Zimbabwe | 602 | 13 | Very High |
3 | Kenya | 593 | 19 | High |
4 | Zambia | 573 | 27 | High |
5 | Nigeria | 568 | 29 | High |
6 | Ghana | 540 | 36 | Moderate |
7 | Uganda | 518 | 53 | Moderate |
10 most proficient English-Speaking countries
Legit.ng also reported the 10 most proficient countries when it comes to English language, which is spoken by nearly 1.5 billion people worldwide.
Of these, 400 million speak it as a primary language, while over 1 billion use it as their secondary means of communication.
If the number of native and non-native speakers were combined, English would be the single most widely adopted and spoken universal language.
Source: Legit.ng
