African Food and Art

Thank you to our latest donor, Esther. Thank you, Esther. We were able to purchase a new cutting board.

Funny African Proverbs That Will Put a Smile on Your Face

Discover some hilarious African proverbs that are sure to make you chuckle.

Using humor to convey wisdom and life lessons can be a powerful tool. Amusing proverbs often contain important underlying truths and moral lessons, presented in a memorable and entertaining way. They present a fun and engaging method of teaching values, cultural norms, and practical advice.

Smiling Shinyanga Tanzania woman photo

Life can be challenging and stressful, but humor has a way of lightening the mood and providing relief. Funny proverbs provide a moment of levity and laughter, offering a break from the seriousness of everyday life. They serve as a reminder not to take everything too seriously and to find joy even in difficult circumstances.

Funny African Proverbs That Will Put a Smile on Your Face

Manure does not turn into chocolate. - South Africa

Dress up a stick, and you get a doll. -eSwatini

The one who suffers from diarrhea is the one that fights with the door at night. -Zambia

You should never spit in your own well; you might come back for a drink. - Nigeria

The mosquito that perches on the scrotum must be chased away with caution. - West Africa

Man cannot live by bread alone, which is correct, but man can also not live without bread. -South Africa

A blind man already has his foot on the stone he threatens to throw at you. -North Africa

An onion shared with a friend tastes like roast lamb. - Morocco

Believe the liar up to the door of his house and no further than that. - Ethiopia

Two women telling a joke smiling

Proverbs with a humorous twist play an important role in upholding African culture and oral traditions. These wise sayings are transmitted from one generation to the next, serving as a means of keeping alive the legacy and accumulated knowledge of African societies. By acknowledging and exchanging these proverbs, we pay tribute to and safeguard the unique cultural identity of Africa.

Memorable African Proverbs with a Touch of Humor

The hyena can laugh, but it doesn't mean the goat is funny.  - Nigeria

When the lion starts telling jokes, even the elephants will laugh. - South Africa

If you want to know how heavy a hippopotamus is, try putting it on a scale. - South Africa

A bird that flies off the earth and lands on an anthill is still on the ground.  - Nigeria

A squirrel that runs in front of a chicken is just looking for trouble. -eSwatini

Don't try to teach a fish to climb a tree, or it will spend its whole life thinking it's stupid.  - Nigeria

If you think you're too small to make a difference, try sleeping in a room with a mosquito.

When a mosquito lands on your testicles, you realize there is always a way to solve problems without using violence. -eSwatini

No matter how long a log stays in the river, it doesn't become a crocodile. - South Africa

The one who tries to catch a fart ends up with nothing but a handful of air.  - Nigeria

You cannot stop a pig from wallowing in the mud. - African Proverb

Maasai villagers in traditional clothing and jewelry in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
  1. African Country Names Your Saying Wrong
  2. What do Waist Beads Symbolize in Africa?
  3. About African Healers and Witchdoctors
  4. Hurricanes are Angry African Ancestors
  5. Highest Temperature and Lowest Temperature in Africa
  6. About African Night Running


Chic African Culture and The African Gourmet=

Week’s Best African Culture Posts

What is the difference between ugali and fufu

Image
How to make the popular African recipes Ugali and Fufu and what is the difference.  Ugali is a starch dish in Kenya and Tanzania made of fine cornmeal cooked in boiling water into a soft dough. Fufu is a thick, dough-like West African food made by boiling then pounding a starchy vegetable such as yam, plantain, or cassava or a mixture of starchy vegetables. The main difference between fufu and ugali is fufu is boiled first then pounded while ugali is simply boiled. Ugali recipe. Easy Ugali Recipe Prep time 5 minutes Cook time 30 minutes Total time 30 minutes Ingredients 4 cups finely ground cornmeal 8 cups water Directions Heat water to boiling in a saucepan. Slowly pour cornmeal into boiling water stirring continuously. Add more cornmeal if necessary until it is thick as soft bread dough. Serve immediately with vegetables, stew, or any dish you would use a spoon with to soak up the sauce, ugali is purposely bland tasting on its own. What is the difference between ugali and
Learn More About Africa

Top 20 Largest Countries in Africa

Image
African Country by Size List. Africa Which are the top twenty largest, smallest, and territorial country in Africa by land area? 1. The continent of Africa is the world’s second largest based on land area and population just after Asia. 2. Top five largest countries of Africa are Algeria, Congo Democratic Republic of the, Sudan, Libya and Chad. 3. Top five smallest African countries and territories are Mauritius, São Tomé and Príncipe, Seychelles, Saint Helena and Mayotte. African Country from largest to smallest Area sq mile Area sq km Algeria 919,595 2,381,740 Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) 905,568 2,345,410 Sudan 718,723 1,861,484 Libya 679,362 1,759,540 Chad 495,755 1,284,000 Niger 489,191 1,267,000 Angola 481,354 1,246,700 Mali 478,767 1,240,000 South Africa 471,011 1,219,912 Ethiopia 435,186 1,127,127 Mauritania 397,95
Learn More About Africa

The Equator passes through Nanyuki Kenya

Image
There are seven African countries that are on both sides of the Equator. The Equator passes about 4 miles south of the town Nanyuki in Laikipia County, Kenya. An equator is an imaginary line around the middle earth, seven African countries  are on both sides of the Equator An equator is an imaginary line around the middle earth. The equator is halfway between the North Pole and the South Pole at ‘0’ degrees latitude. The equator divides the planet into a Northern Hemisphere and a Southern Hemisphere. Areas located on the Earth’s equator have the fastest sunrises and sunsets. The time it takes for the sun to set and rise at the Equator is the fastest on Earth. The transition from day to night takes only a few minutes. Kenya is slightly more than twice the size of the U.S. state of Nevada. Kenya is located in Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Somalia and Tanzania. Nanyuki Kenya is sort of like the main office for people pursuing the adventure of climbing t
Learn More About Africa

Africa has six time zones

Image
How many time zones in Africa How many time zones in Africa. Africa has six time zones and thirteen standard time zone names. Three African countries recognize daylight savings time. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is in two time zones. Time Zones are a geographical world globe division of 24 sections, 15 degrees each, starting at Greenwich, a town in England. The time at Greenwich is called Greenwich Mean Time (GMT/UTC). As you move west from Greenwich, every 15 degrees section or time zone is an hour earlier than GMT, while each time zone to the east is an hour later. Time zones were created to help people know what time is in another part of the world. In the late 1800’s, a group of scientists figured out a way to divide the world into different time zones. UTC stands for coordinated universal time. UTC is the primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks and time and does not observe daylight saving time. All but three African countries are on Standard Time thr
Learn More About Africa