| Country | Language | Speakers (approx.) | Remark |
|---|
| Algeria | Arabic | 20,000,000 | Official language |
| | Kabyle | 2,000,000 | In the mountains east of Algiers |
| | Shawia | 150,000 | Aurès |
| | Tamashek | 10,000 | In the extreme south |
| Angola | Portuguese | | Official language |
| | Umbundu | 2,000,000 | Central Angola |
| | Kimbundu | 1,500,000 | North Angola |
| | Kongo | 500,000 | North Angola |
| | Chokwe | 500,000 | Northeastern Angola |
| | Lwena | 250,000 | Eastern Angola |
| | Lunda | 50,000 | Northeastern Angola |
| Botswana | English | | Official language |
| | Tswana | | 1,000,000 |
| | Bushman | | 25,000 |
| Burundi | Rundi | 4,000,000 | Official language |
| | French | | Co-official with Rundi |
| Cameroon | French | | Official language |
| | English | | Official language |
| | Fang | 1,500,000 | Southern Cameroon |
| | Bulu | 1,500,000 | Southern Cameroon |
| | Yanundé | | Around the city of Yanundé |
| | Duala | | Around the city of Duala |
| | Mbum | | Central regions |
| | Fulani | | Northern Cameroon |
| Cape Verde | Portuguese | | Official language |
| Central African Republic | French | | Official language |
| | Sango | | |
| | Gbaya | | Western C.A.R. |
| | Banda | | Central and eastern C.A.R. |
| Chad | French | | Official language |
| | Sara | 750,000 | Southern Chad |
| | Arabic | 500,000 | Northern Chad |
| | Maba | 200,000 | Wadai |
| | Teda | 100,000 | Northern Chad |
| | Mbum | 100,000 | Southern Chad |
| Congo-Brazzaville | French | | Official language |
| | Lingala | 500,000 | Northern Congo |
| | Kongo | 500,000 | Northern Congo |
| Congo-Kinshasa | French | | Official language |
| | Swahili | 3,000,000 | Northeast, east and south |
| | Luba | 3,000,000 | Southeast |
| | Kongo | 2,000,000 | West |
| | Mongo | 2,000,000 | Central Congo |
| | Lingala | 1,500,000 | North and northwest |
| | Ruanda | 1,000,000 | East |
| | Mangbetu | 500,000 | North |
| | Zande | 500,000 | Near the border with the Sudan |
| | Lunda | 200,000 | South |
| Dahomey | French | | Official language |
| | Fon | 1,000,000 | Southern Dahomey |
| | Bariba | 500,000 | Northern Dahomey |
| | Yoruba | 500,000 | Along the eastern border |
| Djibouti | French | | Official language |
| | Arabic | | Official language |
| | Somali | 125,000 | |
| | Afar | 100,000 | |
| Egypt | Arabic | 50,000,000 | Official language |
| Equatorial Guinea | Spanish | | Official language |
| | Fang | 220,000 | Río Muni |
| | Bubi | 20,000 | Fernando Po |
| Eritrea | Tigrinya | | |
| | Tigre | 500,000 | |
| | Beja | | |
| | Afar | | |
| | Saho | | |
| Ethiopia | Amharic | 10,000,000 | Official language |
| | Galla | 8,000,000 | West, south and east of Addis Ababa |
| | Sidamo | 4,000,000 | Southwest |
| | Tigrinya | | Tigre |
| | Somali | 1,500,000 | Southeast |
| | Gurage | 350,000 | Southwest of Addis Abeba |
| | Harari | 50,000 | Harar |
| Gabon | French | | Official language |
| | Fang | 300,000 | Northern Gabon |
| Gambia | English | | Official language |
| | Malinke | 300,000 | |
| | Fulani | 100,000 | |
| | Wolof | 75,000 | |
| | Dyola | 50,000 | |
| | Soninke | 50,000 | |
| Ghana | English | | Official language |
| | Twi | | West of the Volta |
| | Fanti | | West of the Volta |
| | Ewe | 1,500,000 | Volta region |
| | Ga | 1,000,000 | Accra plains |
| | Adangme | 1,000,000 | Accra plains |
| | Gurma | 250,000 | Northern Ghana |
| | Dagomba | 250,000 | Northern Ghana |
| Guinea | French | | Official language |
| | Fulani | 1,250,000 | Central Guinea |
| | Malinke | 1,000,000 | Northern Ghana |
| | Susu | 250,000 | Southwestern Ghana |
| | Kissi | | Near the border with Liberia and Sierra Leone |
| | Gola | | Near the border with Liberia and Sierra Leone |
| | Loma | | Near the border with Liberia and Sierra Leone |
| Guinea-Bissau | Portuguese | | Official language |
| | Balante | 200,000 | |
| | Fulani | 125,000 | |
| | Malinke | 80,000 | |
| Ivory Coast | French | | Official language |
| | Dyula | | Northern Ivory Coast |
| | Senufo | | Northern Ivory Coast |
| | Anyi | | Southeastern Ivory Coast |
| | Baule | | Southeastern Ivory Coast |
| | Malinkwe | | Northwestern Ivory Coast |
| Kenya | Swahili | | Official language |
| | English | | |
| | Kikuyu | 3,500,000 | North of Nairobi |
| | Luo | 2,500,000 | Lake Victoria |
| | Kamba | 2,000,000 | Southeastern Kenya |
| | Somali | 300,000 | East and northeast |
| | Masai | 150,000 | Along the Border with Tanzania |
| | Turkana | 150,000 | Northwestern corner |
| | Nandi | 150,000 | West-central Kenya |
| | Galla | 100,000 | East and northeast |
| | Suk | 75,000 | Along the border with Uganda |
| Lesotho | English | | Official language |
| | Sotho | | |
| Liberia | English | | Official language |
| | Kpelle | 750,000 | |
| | Vai | | Along the coast |
| | Bassa | | On the coast |
| | Kru | | Southern Liberia |
| | Grebo | | Southeastern corner |
| | Kissi | | Near the border with Guinea and Sierra Leone |
| | Gola | | Near the border with Guinea and Sierra Leone |
| | Loma | | Near the border with Guinea and Sierra Leone |
| Libya | Arabic | 3,500,000 | Official language |
| | Tamashek | | Western Lybia |
| Madagascar | French | | Official language |
| | Malagasy | 10,000,000 | Official language |
| Malawi | English | | Official language |
| | Nyanja | 2,500,00 | Official language |
| | Yao | 500,000 | Southern shore of Lake Nyasa |
| | Tumbuka | 200,000 | Northern Malawi |
| Mali | French | | Official language |
| | Bambara | 2,000,000 | Southeastern Mali |
| | Fulani | 750,000 | Western Mali |
| | Soninke | 500,000 | Western Mali |
| | Malinke | 250,000 | Western Mali |
| | Songhai | 250,000 | Near Timbuktu |
| | Tamashek | 200,000 | Eastern Mali |
| | Dyula | | Near the border with Ivory Coast |
| | Senufo | | Near the border with Ivory Coast |
| Mauritania | French | | Official language |
| | Arabic | 1,600,000 | |
| | Fulani | 150,000 | Southern Mauritania |
| | Soninke | 50,000 | |
| Moçambique | Portuguese | | Official language |
| | Makua | 3,000,000 | Northern Moçambique |
| | Thonga | 1,500,00 | Southern Moçambique |
| | Yao | | Extreme north |
| | Makonde | | Extreme north |
| | Zulu | | Extreme south |
| Morocco | Arabic | 10,000,000 | |
| | Shluh | 2,000,000 | Southern Morocco |
| | Tamazight | 2,000,000 | Central Morocco |
| | Riffian | 500,000 | Northern Morocco |
| Namibia | English | | Official language |
| | Ambo | 450,000 | Northern Namibia |
| | Herero | 50,000 | East and central regions |
| | Hottentot | 50,000 | Northern Namibia |
| | Afrikaans | 50,000 | |
| | German | 30,000 | |
| | Bushman | 15,000 | Northern Namibia |
| Niger | French | | Official language |
| | Hausa | 3,000,000 | Central and southeastern regions |
| | Djerma | 750,000 | Southwest |
| | Fulani | 500,000 | North and central regions |
| | Tamashek | 300,000 | North and central regions |
| | Teda | 50,000 | Northeast |
| Nigeria | English | | Official language |
| | Hausa | 15,000,000 | Northern Nigeria |
| | Yoruba | 15,000,000 | Southwest |
| | Ibo | 15,000,000 | Southeast |
| | Fulani | 6,000,000 | Northern Nigeria |
| | Kanuri | 3,000,000 | Bornu region |
| | Efik | | In and around Calabar |
| | Ibibio | | West of Calabar |
| | Tiv | 2,000,000 | Benue-Plateau state |
| | Ijo | 2,000,000 | Niger River delta |
| | Edo | 1,000,000 | Mid-Western state |
| | Urhobo | 500,000 | Mid-Western state |
| | Nupe | 500,000 | Niger-Kaduna junction |
| | Tiv | 250,000 | Benue-Plateau state |
| Rwanda | French | | Official language |
| | Ruanda | 5,000,000 | Official language |
| Senegal | French | | Official language |
| | Wolof | 2,500,000 | Western Senegal |
| | Fulani | 750,000 | |
| | Serer | 750,000 | |
| | Dyola | 350,000 | |
| | Malinke | 250,000 | |
| Sierra Leone | English | | Official language |
| | Mende | 1,000,000 | South |
| | Temne | 750,000 | Central and northwestern districts |
| | Kissi | 250,000 | Near the border with Liberia and Guinea |
| | Gola | 250,000 | Near the border with Liberia and Guinea |
| Somalia | Somali | 6,000,000 | |
| South Africa | Afrikaans | 4,000,000 | |
| | Zulu | 4,000,000 | Natal |
| | Xhosa | 4,000,000 | Transkei |
| | Tswana | 2,000,000 | Near the Botswanan border |
| | English | 1,500,000 | |
| | Sotho | 1,500,000 | Near the Lesotho border |
| | Pedi | 1,500,000 | Transvaal |
| | Swazi | 500,000 | Near Swaziland |
| | Venda | 350,000 | Northern Transvaal |
| | Bushman | 10,000 | |
| the Sudan | Arabic | 10,000,000 | Official language |
| | Dinka | 1,500,000 | South |
| | Nuer | 750,000 | South |
| | Nubian | 675,000 | Kordofan, Northern Province |
| | Beja | 500,000 | Kassala |
| | Zande | 250,000 | Near the Congo border |
| | Bari | 250,000 | Near the Ugandan border |
| | Fur | 175,000 | Darfur |
| | Shilluk | 100,000 | Upper Nile Province |
| | Lotuko | 100,000 | Near the Ugandan border |
| Swaziland | English | | Official language |
| | Swazi | 600,000 | |
| | Swazi | 600,000 | |
| Tanzania | Swahili | | Official language |
| | English | | |
| | Sukuma | 1,000,000 | North |
| | Nyamwezi | 350,000 | West |
| | Chagga | 250,000 | On the slopes of Kilimanjaro |
| | Hehe | 200,000 | Iringa district |
| | Makonde | 200,000 | Near the Moçambique border |
| | Yao | 200,000 | Near the Moçambique border |
| | Masai | 75,000 | Near the Kenyan border |
| | Sandawe | 25,000 | Near Kondoa |
| Togo | French | | Official language |
| | Ewe | 1,500,000 | South |
| | Kabre | | North |
| | Gurma | | North |
| Tunisia | Arabic | 7,000,000 | Official language |
| Uganda | English | | Official language |
| | Ganda | 3,000,000 | Kampala area |
| | Nkole | 750,000 | Southwest |
| | Teso | 750,000 | Northeast |
| | Lango | 500,000 | North-central Uganda |
| | Acholi | 350,000 | North-central Uganda |
| | Chiga | 350,000 | Extreme south |
| | Gisu | 350,000 | Southeast |
| | Lugbara | 300,000 | Northwest |
| | Toro | 250,000 | Southwest |
| | Karamjong | 250,000 | Northeast |
| | Nyoro | 250,000 | East of Lake Albert |
| | Alur | 150,000 | Northwest |
| | Madi | 100,000 | Northwest |
| Upper Volta | French | | Official language |
| | Mossi | | |
| | Gurma | | Eastern Upper Volta |
| | Fulani | | Northern Upper Volta |
| | Tuareg | | Northern Upper Volta |
| | Dyula | | Western Upper Volta |
| Zambia | English | | Official language |
| | Bemba | 1,500,000 | Northeast |
| | Tonga | 750,000 | South |
| | Nyanja | 750,000 | East and central regions |
| | Lozi | 100,000 | Southwest |
| | Lunda | 100,000 | Northwest |
| Zimbabwe | English | | Official language |
| | Shona | 5,500,000 | |
| | Matabele | 1,000,000 | Southwest |
