Part of the African Cuisine Hub — discover traditional recipes, ingredients, and culinary stories from across Africa.

The Food of Africa — Four Easy African Recipes and Their Stories

African food is as diverse as its culture and language. Each of the 54 nations on the continent has its own unique cooking traditions, ingredients, and methods that reflect local geography, trade, and history. From savory goat meat dishes to the vibrant flavors of jackfruit stew and tomato fish, African recipes celebrate resourcefulness and community.

Try four easy African recipes from The African Gourmet.

Africa’s Ingredients and Culinary Roots

African cuisines rely on staple foods such as cassava, yams, sweet potatoes, millet, sorghum, and rice. Meals are often flavored with bold combinations of spices — turmeric, garlic, cumin, curry, and coriander — and cooked using local methods like open-fire grilling, clay pot simmering, and wood stove steaming.

Fishing remains the lifeblood of many African communities. Africa’s coastline stretches nearly 19,000 miles, and its lakes and rivers, including the Nile, provide rich sources of fish for countless regional dishes.

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Turmeric Goat Meat Recipe

Turmeric Goat Meat — an aromatic favorite across Africa

• ½ pound goat fillets, cut into 1-inch strips
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon curry powder
• ½ cup fresh coriander leaves
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• Oil for sautéing

Directions: Heat oil in a skillet. Mix spices and goat meat in a bowl, then sauté for 5 minutes. Add broth, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve over rice or with chapati.

Discover more in our Goat Recipe Collection.

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Jackfruit Vegetable Stew Recipe

• 2 cups fresh diced jackfruit
• 2 handfuls kale
• 2 cups cauliflower
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 5 scallions, thinly sliced
• 2 large carrots, diced
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• ½ cup water
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions: Add all ingredients to a large pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Serve warm with bread or rice.

About Jackfruit

Jackfruit is the largest tree-borne fruit in the world, often weighing over 50 pounds. It’s rich in potassium, calcium, and iron and is a popular meat substitute across Africa, especially in Kenya, Uganda, and Zanzibar.

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Obe Eja Tutu — African Tomato Fish Stew

• 3 fish fillets
• 2 onions, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 3 tomatoes, diced
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• Hot peppers, to taste
• Salt, to taste

Directions: Sauté garlic and onions in oil. Add all ingredients and simmer 30 minutes. Serve with boiled yams or rice.

Explore the African Seafood Recipe Collection.

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Boiled Yams — A Simple African Side

Yams are not sweet potatoes. African yams are white, starchy, and mild — perfect for pairing with savory stews.

• 1 medium yam, diced
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions: Boil salted water, add diced yam, cover, and simmer 15 minutes. Drain and serve as a side dish.

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Frequently Asked Questions — African Food and Recipes

What makes African food unique?

African cuisine is defined by its regional diversity, spice blends, and deep connection to the land. It often combines indigenous ingredients with influences from Arab, European, and Asian trade routes.

What are common staples across Africa?

Staples include cassava, millet, sorghum, yams, rice, and plantains — often served with soups, sauces, or relishes.

Is African food spicy?

Many African dishes use hot peppers for heat and balance them with earthy or citrus flavors, but spice levels vary widely by region.

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African Recipes by Chic African Culture

Cassava is a root vegetable cooked like potatoes. 

The cassava plant is known under many names manioca, yucca, mandioca, manioc, tapioca, and cassada.

Cassava is grown and cultivated in around 40 African countries. The first Portuguese colonists saw the native Indians in Brazil growing the cassava plant used in the preparation of bread. 

It is believed that cassava was introduced to the western coast of Africa in about the 16th century by Portuguese slave trading merchants.

Cassava flour

Root vegetables are grown underground and cassavas are tuberous root vegetables. Cassava are usually grouped in two main categories: Manihot palmata and Manihot aipi, or bitter and sweet cassava. 

Currently, about half of the world production of cassava is in Africa. The cassava plant is known under many names such as ubi kettella, kaspe, manioca, rumu, yucca, mandioca, aipim, manioc, tapioca, and cassada.

Cassava is grown and cultivated in around 40 African countries, stretching through a wide belt from Madagascar in the Southeast to Senegal and to Cape Verde in the Northwest. Around 70 percent of Africa's cassava output is harvested in Nigeria, the Congo, and Tanzania.

Traditionally, cassava is produced on small-scale family farms as the roots are processed and prepared as a subsistence crop for home consumption and for sale in village markets and shipment to urban centers.

Growing Cassava 

Grown throughout the tropical world, cassava is second only to the sweet potato as the most important starchy root crop of the tropics. Throughout the forest and transition zones of Africa, cassava is either a primary staple or a secondary food staple.

Cassava is a perennial plant and can grow in poor soils on marginal lands where other crops cannot. It requires minimal fertilizer, pesticides and water. 

Also, because cassava can be harvested 8 to 24 months after planting, it can be left in the ground as a safeguard against unexpected food shortages.

Cassava produces bulky storage roots with a heavy concentration of carbohydrates, about 80 percent and is rich in carbohydrates, calcium, vitamins B and C, and essential minerals. Cassava roots are rich in protein and can be toxic if grown in poor soils and in dry conditions.

If not cooked correctly cassava will create cyanide, a deadly chemical. The taste of cyanide has been described as a bitter burning sensation when consumed. Cyanide prevents the cells of the body from using oxygen. When this happens, the cells die.

 

Cooking cassava fritters

Fried Cassava Fritters Recipe. 

Cassava fritters served with homemade soups and stews recipes. Golden brown cassava fritters are a favorite recipe of Africa made with ground cassava flour and spices fried into delicious snacks.

Serves 8
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min

Fried Cassava Fritters Recipe

Ingredients
2 cups cassava flour
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 - 1/3 cups water
1-2 cups oil for frying

Directions
In a large frying pan heat vegetable oil. Add all ingredients, mix well and form small fritters, fry until golden brown about 3 minutes on each side. Sprinkle with extra salt or curry powder before serving. 

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At the Chat Market

Khat is a stimulant drug derived from a shrub named Catha edulis.

Khat (pronounced cot) is an evergreen shrub that grows in areas bordering the Red Sea, including countries in the horn of East Africa particularly Ethiopia. The Khat leaves are chewed by men, women, and children. Cathinone and cathine are chemicals similar to the effects of amphetamines and result in similar stimulant effects in the brain and body. Khat is the locally chewed social drug in places such as Ethiopia and has a long history as social routine dating back thousands of years.

Khat plant is widely cultivated and known by a variety of names in Yemen, the Horn of Africa, the Arabian Peninsula and many other places in and around Africa. Khat is grown in groves and three to four hours per day is devoted to striping the branches chewing the leaves releasing the drug. Other Names for Khat are Abyssinian Tea, Arabian-Tea, Chat, Jaad, Kat, Qaat and, Tohat. The khat chewer plucks the tender leaves from the branches and tucks the leaves into their cheeks, eventually forming a wad similar to chewing tobacco.

Khat is a stimulant that speeds up the heart and breathing and increases blood pressure. Khat makes a person feel alert and relieves stress, that makes it a popular simulate among students. In some countries, 15–20% of children under the age of 12 are also daily users of khat. Khat is a controlled substance in some countries, such as the United States, Canada, and Germany, while its production, sale, and consumption are legal in other nations, including Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia and Yemen.

Khat leaves

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Sirocco and Harmattan Dust Winds Facts

Sirocco winds of coastal North Africa reach a peak in March and in November. Harmattan wind season in West Africa is November to March. Sirocco and Harmattan dust winds affects the entire worlds respiratory health. Fine particles of African dust can penetrate more easily into the human respiratory and circulatory system than larger particles.

Dust Wind Blows

Sirocco winds of coastal North Africa

The Sirocco wind is a hot, dry sirocco wind blowing north from the Sahara is frequent during the summer season, bringing blinding sand and dust storms to North African coastal regions of Libya, Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco. 

They reach a peak in March and in November when it is very hot. Sirocco winds originate in hot, dry air over the Saharan desert. The Sirocco wind picks up a lot of the moisture in the air over the Mediterranean Sea and becomes a humid warm wind. 

The wind began as a hot dry wind from the Sahara desert and blows northward. Sirocco winds are strong with wind speeds of up to 62 miles per hour.

 
Harmattan winds of West Africa

West Africa is well known for African dust laden Harmattan winds. The Harmattan wind is strongest from the end of November to March and is a very dry and very dusty trade wind that blows from the Atlantic Ocean across West Africa. Harmattan trade winds also steer African dust and fine sand westward across the Atlantic ocean into the Southeastern part of the USA and the Caribbean Sea.

In Texas and many other Southern US states, African dust has become a real issue in recent years. Allergy sufferers health worsens from health-related issues that come with the onslaught of the Africa red dust from the Sahara desert.

African red dust storms can cause air pollution to increase and can aggravate breathing problems. Health professionals warn the dust may irritate lung tubes and cause asthma to flare up. African dust clouds from the Sahara are often so big they can be seen from space.

Harmattan winds in West Africa are cold, dry, dust-laden winds. Harmattan wind temperature fluctuates from cold to temperate. Humidity drops by 10 to 15 percent during the Harmattan season. The dry dusty wind is capable of causing a variety of infrastructure troubles. This fine dust covers the entire atmosphere causing limited visibility comparable to heavy rain or snowstorm. This condition is called the Harmattan haze.

A harmattan wind brings very dry weather conditions, lower humidity, scatters cloud cover, prevents rainfall formation and creates clouds of dust resulting in dust storms. These dust storms have grave medical consequence, as it consists of fine dust particles between 0.5 micrometers and 10 micrometers that is 17 times smaller than the width of a single strand of human hair. The skin can become dry during Harmattan season as a result of the dry wind. When the skin is dry, it becomes wrinkled. The skin can also have cracks, which can degenerate into bruises.

People especially sickle cell anemia patients also have the tendency to develop skin rashes during the season, which can also induce itching, whereby they may inadvertently introduce infections to the skin. In West Africa, people breathe dry air dusty particles leading to an increased incidence of sneezing, nose bleeding, and cough, mucus, sore throat, as well as trigger attacks in asthmatic patients.

The Harmattan, a wind that plays such an important part in the climate of the Guinea coast. The Harmattan winds blow during the winter months along the coast of Guinea to the Cameroons. The Harmattan winds blows from the Northeast, with dust particles brought from the Sahara desert.

The severity of the Harmattan has been attributed to the encroaching desert due to deforestation. It is exceedingly dry and brings with it fine sand which enters the crevices of doors and windows, covering everything with a film of dust including thick deposits of dust on buildings and furniture. It is generally accompanied by thick fog or mist and the sun is partially obscured blowing erratically from November to March.

The Sahara desert wind and dust

The Sahara desert is one of the most prolific sources of dust in the world. Saharan dust, in particular, can be transported and deposited as far as the Caribbean and the Amazon basin, and may affect air temperatures, cause ocean cooling, and alter rainfall amounts. One of the largest sources of dust in the Sahara is the Bodélé Depression, a dried lakebed in northern Chad that is rich with silt and fine-grained dust.

The average home in the United States collects 40 pounds of dust each year. Fine particles of African dust can penetrate more easily into the human respiratory and circulatory system than larger particles. Water clarity also decreases during harmattan seasons. Air pollution from African dust storms is of overwhelming importance to public health in Africa, yet it is hardly on the radar in most West African countries.

In legend, the Harmattan season has a positive side since a severe Harmattan season means a fruitful harvest for fruit trees like mangoes, avocado, and guava. Trees and plants in the Amazon Rainforest rely on the nutrient-rich dust, which helps to keep the area fertile.

Learn to Make West African Super Hot Pepper Water Stew

Making the super hot West African Pepper Water Chicken Stew is essential African food cooking. Pepper water stew is a fiery stew filled with meats and veggies. This is an African recipe you should always have on hand for family and friends who love flaming hot stews.

Super Hot Pepper Water Stew

Ingredients

2 pounds cut up stew chicken

1 pound cubed veal

4 cups cold water

2 large onions, sliced

1 tablespoon butter

3 hot chili peppers

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

4 stalks celery, diced

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Juice of one lemon


Directions

Cut up the chicken and veal, add the cold water to them, and place over a slow fire. Slice the onions and brown them in the butter. Add them and the peppercorns, cloves, chopped celery, and curry powder stirred to a smooth paste with a little water to the meat.

Simmer together slowly until the chicken is tender. Remove the meat from the bones and cut it into small pieces. Put the bones into the kettle and simmer for another hour.

Strain the liquid from the veal and bones and remove the fat. Add the salt, pepper, chicken, and the juice of the lemon. Return to the fire and cook for a few minutes. Serve with a tablespoonful or two of cooked rice in each soup dish.

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Mental illness and mental health are widely neglected on African health and development policies.

Article Topics.

Depression in Africa, Mental illness in African culture, Chaining the mentally ill.

Africa is ripe with war, sexual violence and rape, famine, displacement, and natural and manmade disaster but the epidemic of mental illness and mental health problems are taboo subjects that leave people stigmatized in much of Africa. The epidemic of mental illness and mental health issues in Africa often come last on the list of national and local importance.

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Banksy Follow Your Dreams

Depression is not an illness. Most developing countries dedicate less than 2 percent of governmental healthcare budgets to mental health care. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 56 percent of African countries have community-based mental health facilities, 37 percent have mental health facilities for children and 15 percent for the elderly.

Mental illness is a taboo subject that is stigmatized in much of Africa but people in Africa don’t suffer any less because they are African and believe mental illness is caused by the wrath of God, witchcraft, or possessed by spirits.

We don’t often think about the long-term mental health impact of the issues that they are living through such as conflict, homeliness, famine, drug use, and disaster.
Former child soldiers in Africa did not go back to being happy school children when the conflict ended, however, when the peace agreements were signed people went about their daily lives as if it was over. Most developing countries dedicate less than 2% of government health budgets to mental health care. 

Mental health issues are usually given very low priority in health service policies and services that are funded are poorly staffed. Mental health issues often come last on the list of priorities for policy-makers. Where mortality is still mostly the result of infectious diseases and malnutrition, the morbidity and disablement due to mental illness receive very little attention from the government. 

Superstition accused of mental health diseases. In parts of Africa, people’s attitudes towards mental illness are still strongly influenced by traditional beliefs. These beliefs are sometimes so prevalent it affects the policy funding of mental healthcare services. In Uganda, "Locally people say Mulalu, which literally means you're mad, you're useless" says Jimmy Odoki, who also has bipolar disorder. "Where I come from people say 'that one he's a walking dead'." according to the BBC. 

This belief system often leads to unhelpful or health-damaging responses to mental illness, and to the stigmatization of the mentally ill. Young girls and women that are from families that are known to have a history of mental illness marriage prospects are severely limited. Fear means people with mental illnesses and their family can end up being abandoned by society.

In some areas of Africa, the solution for caring for the mentally ill is to chain mentally ill people by the ankle and hide them away. At home, people with mental illness are commonly chained by their parents or other relatives to control the mentally ill person. Many volunteer organizations provide only temporary psychological care to the vulnerable citizens of Africa in humanitarian emergencies.

The African Mental Health Foundation (AMHF) was established in 2004 by Professor David M. Ndetei, Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Nairobi. AMHF was created in the response to national tragedies such as the school fire tragedy in 2002 in which 67 school children were burnt to death. Members of AMHF saw a great need to provide mental health services to survivors and victims’ families.

Conflict situations also fuel sexual violence and rape which require specialized psychological care which is urgently needed in some parts of Africa. Governmental and non-governmental agencies must work together to ensure a comprehensive approach towards a solution to suitable mental healthcare in Africa Mental health is neglected on Africa's health and development policy agenda.

 

Mental Illness Are Evil Spirits and Demonic Possession. Mental illness and you believe that the person is possessed by demons gets in the way of treatment. People often focus on trying to get evil spirits out instead of working on the real issues that lie within. Most Africans have a natural Affinity towards the supernatural but mental illness is not Supernatural possession but is treated as such.

It is difficult to separate religion from mental health treatment for some prayer is the answer and not treatment. Traditional treatments are also used but medication and talk therapy are looked down upon.

Educating individuals is necessary for the proper treatment of certain types of mental illness for it is harmful to confuse mental illness and demonic possession. Religious leaders often set the tone for African communities which includes traditional Healers and talking about Mental Health is not always communicated effectively to their congregation.

Most people are not able to process or work through their issues with a doctor or talk about it to anyone in the community because of stigmatism around mental illness. It can be a long dark struggle with many difficult days the person with the mental illness may feel like they are falling apart and have no help in their corner.

It is important to separate religion from psychology Society needs to be rid of the shame towards mental illness and stop saying that people are weak or not perfect Believers but possessed. Spirituality is important but it does not mean that you deny what is really going on inside because it will only get worse.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Internally Displaced Persons (IDP’s).
Over 27,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed since 2009, when Boko Haram launched its violent uprising to try to impose Islamist rule. Because of the Boko Haram insurgency in Chad, around 135,000 people are internally displaced from around the lake to makeshift camps scattered around the Chadian shoreline, competing for scarce resources with an already vulnerable host community.

Post-traumatic stress disorder is a disorder that can occur after someone experiences a traumatic event. Anyone who has gone through a life-threatening event can develop post-traumatic stress disorder and this includes women who are raped, terrorist attacks, child soldiers, and natural disasters. After the trauma, a person feels scared confused and angry and these feelings do not go away they only get worse. 

Post-traumatic stress disorder is not usually attributed to people in Africa however with the disruption of everyday life many find it hard to continue. Many people throughout the 15 countries who are currently at war in Africa are in fear of their lives; they have seen horrible things and feel helpless. Many strong emotions caused by the traumatic event create changes in the brain that result in post-traumatic stress disorder.

An internally displaced person or IDP’s stay within their own country and remain under the protection of its government however if the government is unstable there is no safe place to run. IDP’s are among the most vulnerable people in the world because unlike refugees they are on the run in their own homeland. Over 41 million people where are internally displaced due to armed conflict, civil and tribal war and human rights violations.

IDP’s have to leave the home because of conflicts or persecution however; refugees leave the country they live in across the border. IDP’s stay inside the country to find a safer place because many simply do not have the money or the physical strength to undertake a dangerous journey.

However, often IDP’s stay in conflict areas where violence or other threats simply cut them off from reaching the border. IDP’s are among the most vulnerable displaced persons in the world because they continue to be trapped in areas of armed conflict and receive little to no therapy for their PTSD.

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Mental Health Connection: Explore how culture and compulsion merge in Night Running in Africa: Tribal Art, Witchcraft, or Sadism — a story linking traditional beliefs with mental wellness in Kenya.

Africa’s Five Most Important Agricultural Products

Across Africa, livestock, maize, cassava, cotton, and coffee form the backbone of rural economies and food security. The average African diet gets about 46 percent of its calories from cereals such as rice, wheat, maize, millet, and sorghum. Roots and tubers — potatoes, cassava, yams, and taro — provide about 20 percent. Animal products such as meat, milk, eggs, cheese, and fish contribute around 7 percent.

Explore more stories in the African Coffee Hub .

Millet, oil palm, okra, sorghum, teff, wheat, yams, and coffee remain among the most consumed foods on the continent. These staple foods supply much of Africa’s daily energy and essential nutrients.

Out of more than 50,000 edible plants worldwide, only a few hundred contribute significantly to global food supplies. Wild plants remain vital for rural households; at least 100 million people depend on them. In Ghana, for example, people eat leaves from more than 100 wild species and fruits from another 200.

Reaping crops in Algeria

About Africa’s Top 5 Agricultural Products

Livestock

For millions of rural Africans, livestock—chickens, goats, pigs, and cattle—are a lifeline. Families rely on animals for food and as a source of income through the sale of milk, eggs, meat, hides, and other by-products. Livestock also serve as savings and security. As Africa’s population grows and urban incomes rise, the demand for animal-source foods will surge over the next 30–40 years. Community-led farming models and groups such as the National Black Farmers Association highlight livestock’s value as an economic asset.

Maize

Maize is a key staple across Africa. It feeds households, supports livestock, and powers industries such as starch, sweeteners, and biofuels. Though maize originated in Mexico—archaeologists found 7,000-year-old maize in Teotihuacan—it is now one of Africa’s most important food crops.

Cassava

An edible root rich in carbohydrates, cassava feeds an estimated 500 million people across Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Africans consume about 176 pounds (80 kg) per person each year. First brought from tropical America to the Congo Basin by the Portuguese around 1558, cassava is now a staple food for over half a billion people. Nigeria leads global cassava production. Beyond food, cassava starch and derivatives are used in confectionery, glues, textiles, paper, biodegradable products, and even medicines. Cassava chips and pellets also feed livestock and fuel alcohol production.

Cotton

Cotton is West Africa’s key cash crop, especially in Benin, Burkina Faso, and Mali. But production has faced setbacks: Burkina Faso lost nearly $90 million over five seasons after adopting genetically modified cotton seeds. Cotton is still hand-picked in much of Africa—a demanding job often done by women and children. Pickers must meet daily quotas to earn enough, and pay to have their cotton milled. While harvesting remains manual, processing is increasingly done in state-run mills.

Coffee

Africa—especially Ethiopia’s Rift Valley—is renowned for world-class coffee, thanks to its highland soils and ideal climate. Two processing methods are common:

• Dry method: beans are sun-dried whole, turned regularly, and sometimes finished in mechanical dryers. Overheating ruins flavor.
• Wet method: pulp is removed, beans ferment, are rinsed, and dried — the preferred approach for mild coffees.

Small Ethiopian farms usually stop at the “parchment coffee” stage and sell to larger buyers or mills. Big plantations often handle all steps — including roasting and polishing. All exported coffee moves through the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange. Programs such as Fair Trade initiatives and the National Black Farmers Association advocate better prices and rights for African coffee farmers.

Growing crops in Uganda

Listing of Major African Crops and Products

Algeria: Wheat, barley, oats, wine and table grapes, olives, citrus, fruits, livestock.

Angola: Bananas, sugarcane, coffee, sisal, corn, cotton, cassava, tobacco, vegetables, plantains, livestock, forest products, fish.

Benin: Cotton, corn, cassava, yams, beans, palm oil, peanuts, cashews, livestock.

Botswana: Livestock, sorghum, corn, millet, beans, cut flowers, groundnuts.

Burkina Faso: Cotton, peanuts, shea nuts, sesame, sorghum, millet, corn, rice, livestock.

Burundi: Coffee, cotton, tea, corn, beans, sorghum, sweet potatoes, bananas, cassava, beef, milk, animal hides.

Cabo Verde: Bananas, corn, beans, sweet potatoes, sugarcane, coffee, peanuts, fish.

Cameroon: Coffee, cocoa, cotton, rubber, bananas, oil-seed, grains, cassava, livestock, timber.

Central African Republic: Cotton, coffee, tobacco, cassava, yams, millet, corn, bananas, timber.

Chad: Cotton, sorghum, millet, peanuts, sesame, corn, rice, potatoes, onions, cassava, livestock.

Côte d'Ivoire: Coffee, cocoa beans, bananas, palm kernels, corn, rice, cassava, sweet potatoes, sugar, cotton, rubber, timber.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber, tea, cotton, cocoa, cassava, bananas, plantains, peanuts, corn, fruits, wood products.

Djibouti: Fruits, vegetables, livestock, animal hides.

Egypt: Cotton, rice, corn, wheat, beans, fruits, vegetables, water buffalo, livestock.

Equatorial Guinea: Coffee, cocoa, rice, yams, cassava, bananas, palm oil, livestock, timber.

Eritrea: Sorghum, lentils, vegetables, corn, cotton, tobacco, sisal, livestock, fish.

Eswatini: Sugarcane, corn, cotton, citrus, pineapples, livestock.

Ethiopia: Cereals, coffee, oil-seed, cotton, sugarcane, vegetables, khat, cut flowers, animal hides, livestock, fish.

Gabon: Cocoa, coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber, livestock, timber, fish.

Gambia: Rice, millet, sorghum, peanuts, corn, sesame, cassava, palm kernels, livestock.

Ghana: Cocoa, rice, cassava, peanuts, corn, shea nuts, bananas, timber.

Guinea: Rice, coffee, pineapples, mangoes, palm kernels, cocoa, cassava, bananas, potatoes, sweet potatoes, livestock, timber.

Guinea-Bissau: Rice, corn, beans, cassava, cashew nuts, peanuts, palm kernels, cotton, timber, fish.

Kenya: Tea, coffee, corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables, cut flowers, dairy products, livestock, fish, eggs.

Lesotho: Corn, wheat, pulses, sorghum, barley, livestock.

Liberia: Rubber, coffee, cocoa, rice, cassava, palm oil, sugarcane, bananas, livestock, timber.

Libya: Wheat, barley, olives, dates, citrus, vegetables, peanuts, soybeans, livestock.

Madagascar: Coffee, vanilla, sugarcane, cloves, cocoa, rice, cassava, beans, bananas, peanuts, livestock.

Malawi: Tobacco, sugarcane, tea, corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cassava, sorghum, pulses, cotton, groundnuts, macadamia nuts, coffee, livestock.

Mali: Cotton, millet, rice, corn, vegetables, peanuts, livestock.

Mauritania: Dates, millet, sorghum, rice, corn, livestock.

Mauritius: Sugarcane, tea, corn, potatoes, bananas, pulses, livestock, fish.

Morocco: Barley, wheat, citrus fruits, grapes, vegetables, olives, livestock, wine.

Mozambique: Cotton, cashew nuts, sugarcane, tea, cassava, corn, coconuts, sisal, citrus and tropical fruits, potatoes, cut flowers, livestock.

Namibia: Millet, sorghum, peanuts, wine and table grapes, livestock, fish.

Niger: Cowpeas, cotton, peanuts, millet, sorghum, cassava, rice, livestock, camels, donkeys, horses.

Nigeria: Cocoa, peanuts, cotton, palm oil, corn, rice, sorghum, millet, cassava, yams, rubber, livestock, timber, fish.

Republic of the Congo: Cassava, sugar, rice, corn, peanuts, vegetables, coffee, cocoa, forest products.

Rwanda: Coffee, tea, pyrethrum insecticide, bananas, beans, sorghum, potatoes, livestock.

Sao Tome and Principe: Cocoa, coconuts, palm kernels, coconut products, cinnamon, pepper, coffee, bananas, papayas, beans, poultry, fish.

Senegal: Peanuts, millet, corn, sorghum, rice, cotton, vegetables, livestock, fish.

Seychelles: Coconuts, cinnamon, vanilla, sweet potatoes, cassava, coconut products, bananas, fish.

Sierra Leone: Rice, coffee, cocoa, palm kernels, palm oil, peanuts, cashews, livestock, fish.

Somalia: Bananas, sorghum, corn, coconuts, rice, sugarcane, mangoes, sesame seeds, beans, livestock, fish.

South Africa: Corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables, livestock, wool, dairy products.

South Sudan: Sorghum, corn, rice, millet, wheat, Arabic gum, sugarcane, mangoes, papayas, bananas, sweet potatoes, sunflower seeds, cotton, sesame seeds, cassava, beans, peanuts, livestock.

Sudan: Cotton, groundnuts, sorghum, millet, wheat, Arabic gum, sugarcane, cassava, mangoes, papaya, bananas, sweet potatoes, sesame seeds, animal feed, livestock.

Tanzania: Coffee, charcoal, sisal, tea, cotton, insecticide, cashews, tobacco, cloves, corn, wheat, cassava, sweet potatoes, bananas, fruits, vegetables, livestock, timber products.

Togo: Coffee, cocoa, cotton, yams, cassava, corn, beans, rice, millet, sorghum, livestock, fish.

Tunisia: Olives, olive oil, grain, tomatoes, citrus fruit, sugar beets, dates, almonds, beef, dairy products.

Uganda: Coffee, tea, cotton, tobacco, cassava, sweet potatoes and potatoes, corn, millet, pulses, cut flowers, beef, goat meat, milk, poultry, fish.

Zambia: Corn, sorghum, rice, peanuts, sunflower seeds, vegetables, flowers, tobacco, cotton, sugarcane, cassava, coffee, livestock, milk, eggs, animal hides.

Zimbabwe: Tobacco, corn, cotton, wheat, coffee, sugarcane, peanuts, livestock.

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The Southern African Country of Swaziland no longer exists, King Mswati III renamed Swaziland eSwatini. The monarch Mswati II announced the official change in a stadium during celebrations for the 50th anniversary of Swazi independence. He explained that the name had caused some confusion, stating,"Whenever we go abroad, people refer to us as Switzerland."

King Mswati III of eSwatini addressing the UN

The King gave no reason for the name change except Swaziland’s new name is easier for foreigners to pronounce. How do you pronounce eSwatini well say ea-swa-tea-knee, pronounce the short e in eSwatini like the letter e in bed.

ea-swa-tea-knee
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eSwatini

eSwatini Facts

eSwatini is a landlocked African country almost completely surrounded by South Africa besides a small area of land neighbored by Mozambique.

The eSwatini King, King Mswati III, has been head of the Swazi Royal Family since 1986 since he was 18 years old.

Africa’s last absolute monarch, King Mswati III, rules the nearly 1.5 million Swazi of eSwatini in South Africa.

"Land of the Swazi" people; the name "Swazi" derives from 19th century King MSWATI II, under whose rule Swazi territory was expanded and unified.

eSwatini residence are called liSwati, singular and emaSwati, plural.

Mbabane is the capital and largest city.

Approximately 30% of adults aged 15-49 are HIV positive, eSwatini has the highest HIV prevalence rate in the world.

Music and dance are entrenched in traditional Swazi culture, the Umhlanga or Reed Dance and Incwala are popular traditional ceremonies.

There are traditional songs for every occasion: weddings, royal rituals, coming-of-age ceremonies, and national festivals.

Sibhaca dance is the best-known dance in eSwatini.

In eSwatini 90% of the populatoin are Christian.

In eSwatini, women, who under traditional Swazi law are treated like children and are in effect owned by their husbands or fathers, are expected to live lives devoted to their men and families.

King Mswati III currently has 19 wives; his predecessor, his father had 125.

The King spends millions on diamond watches with a matching diamond suits, two private jets and spent 24.4 million US dollars buying his 19 wives custom Rolls Royce’s in late October 2019.

In eSwatini, around 65% of the population lives below the international poverty line of $1.90 a day.

eSwatini has a high unemployment rate of 47% and an uneven distribution of resources.

Swazi ethnic group account for 84% of the population.

Despite the name change from Swaziland to The Kingdom of Eswatini on May 25, 2018 this African county remains embattled economically, socially and politically.

Through the security assistance program the USA brings around six members of eSwatini military forces per year to the United States for education and training purposes.

In 1973 political parties were banned and declared terrorists by the king.

King Mswati III of eSwatini and one of his 19 wives

Read about the African Countries With The Highest HIV AIDS Rates

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6. What is back to Africa

Unclean water in Africa is a crisis. The clean water shortage in Africa kills hundreds of people a day.

Africa is rich in freshwater: large lakes, big rivers, wetlands, and groundwater but only 4% of the continents available freshwater is currently being used.

Clean water shortage in Africa is not simple as water must be safe, easily reached and affordable; millions of people drink water that is not clean.

Safe clean drinking water in Africa is a major health crisis. The clean water shortage in Africa kills hundreds of people a day. For the most part, people in the USA can turn on a tap and have access to safe drinking water whenever they like, but the situation is very different in many parts of rural and urban areas of Africa.

The people of Africa face a number of issues in attaining increased access to clean water. These include an insufficient number of skilled personnel, effective institutions, water scarcity, and pollution.

The most common hindrance is the limited money and resources put towards water infrastructure. Sadly, there is not one single solution to ensuring everyone gains access to water in Africa.

“Inadequate financing is the single most important factor affecting the continent’s freshwater delivery abilities,” Peter Akari, chief water policy officer of the African Water Facility at the African Development Bank.

Due to a lack of water infrastructure in rural settlements, there may be a water pump or well in a village, but if it is not maintained, they quit working.

It is not enough to build a well or water pump in African communities, they must be maintained or the water becomes useless to the community. In rural Ethiopia, women and children can walk up to six hours to collect water.

According to Scripps, in South Africa, around 19% of the rural population lacks access to a reliable water supply and 66% have no basic sanitation services. In addition, over 26% of urban and rural schools and 45% of clinics, have no water access.

The public water utility, the Ghana Water Company, Ltd. had previously been able to provide water to about half of the country’s population of 20 million. Nevertheless, it started losing money for a variety of reasons, including unpaid bills and illegal connections.

As a result, it could not make any significant repairs or further extend the system and lost half of its water through leakages from old pipes.

According to Scripps, in South Africa, around 19% of the rural population lacks access to a reliable water supply and 66% have no basic sanitation services. In addition, over 26% of urban and rural schools and 45% of clinics, have no water access.

Ethiopia has one of Africa’s lowest rates of access to water supply and sanitation despite abundant surface and groundwater resources.

Out of Ethiopia’s 96 million people, 86.5 million people or 83% live in rural areas, that is 49 million people or 51% lack safe water and 76 million or 79% have no sanitation services. At most, 49% of people have access to safe water, while proper sanitation facilities are available to about 21%.

Inadequate access to safe water and sanitation services negatively impact health and productivity, especially for children.

“There is not one single solution to ensuring everyone gains access to water,” says the UK charity WaterAid.

Ironically, Africa is rich in freshwater: large lakes, big rivers, wetlands, and groundwater but only 4% of the continents available freshwater is currently being used.

Together we build awareness that boost harmony, education, and success, below are more links to articles you will find thought provoking.

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For centuries, African hair is treated as an artist’s canvas. Unique African hairstyles were a fashion and status statement for women and men. Taking care of black hair is an iconic tradition from Africa to America. Take care of black coils and curls with conditioned scalp and drinking water.

Black hair care in Hamar, Ethiopia

Love Yourself and Your Gravity Defying Hair.

Everywhere we look, we are bombarded with images of beautiful women with long straight hair, selling us just about everything from makeup, cars, jewelry, music, movies and more.

Magazines and television sell us the latest fashion trends with beautifully constructed images in Adobe Photoshop, leaving little trace of the women whose photo is actually being taken.

What can you do to fall in love with your natural hair? It is important to understand that the images of women portrayed in the media do not correspond to reality.

This can help you accept yourself as you are and feel better about your own hair. Identify the social messages that wrongly associate physical appearance with health, happiness and success, and the strategies used by the media to communicate these messages.

Take Care of Black Hair with a Conditioned Scalp and Drinking Water

Two issues impeding the growth of natural black hair is taking care of the scalp and drinking plenty of water. Many black hair naturals ask questions on how to grow hair very long and quickly; well the normal rate of growth is actually 1/2 inch per month on average. Black hair tends to break more easily hence, the myth black hair does not grow.

Just know your hair scalp is the foundation of hair growth. The first step is to clarify your hair and condition your scalp, here why it is important. Your scalp is where your hair is growing out of so you want to make sure that you are giving the hair that is coming out of your scalp the best chance that it has to grow.

Collecting dirt, product build-up especially if you like to use hair butter like shea, otjize paste and oils are not only the clogging the pores on your scalp but also making it difficult for your follicles to come out healthy.

It also can become an irritant to your scalp and if your hair follicles or roots become irritated or the skin on your scalp becomes irritated you are susceptible to issues such as alopecia or dandruff from blocking sebum on your scalp.

So many things can happen when you do not wash your hair more than once a month. You have to clarify your scalp every week or two weeks. Natural hair it tends to be drier due to all those curls and coils make it hard for the sebum from your scalp to travel all the way down the hair because it has all these loops to go down.

You really have to make sure that you moisturize your hair inside and out so internally make sure you are drinking enough water. If you do not have enough water in your body you are really you are really messing your natural hair care routine up, your hair going to get dry brittle.

Himba Otjize Skin and Scalp Protectant

Himba Otjize Skin, Scalp and Hair Protectant

Hair in Africa is an iconic statement treated like an artist’s canvas. Himba women spend hours creating the iconic hairstyles. Himba women, as well as Himba men, are famous for covering themselves with otjize paste, a cream mixture of fat and ochre pigment clay.

Otjize is a paste of fat and red ochre sometimes mixed with scented oils. Himba women apply otjize each morning and afternoon to their skin and hair, giving them a distinctive red hue.

Otjize is used as a scalp and skin protectant to protect from sunburn; it forms a protective barrier to prevent irritation from the harsh sun and wind.

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African Folklore Science: Cooking the Dual-Natured Lablab Bean Stew

African Food Science Folklore: Discover how Africa’s lablab bean bridges myth and chemistry. This short article and video reveal how traditional African cooks mastered the art of transforming a poisonous bean into a protein-rich meal through ancestral knowledge and science.

Explore more traditional knowledge in the African Science & Folklore Hub .

In African folklore, the lablab bean is a bean of two spirits — one that feeds and one that warns. Farmers say it listens to the soil’s thirst and returns what it drinks, storing drought’s memory inside its pods. But to eat its gift safely, you must respect its hidden power.

Across Africa, lablab beans — also called njahi in Kenya, gerenge in Ethiopia, and poor man’s bean in Egypt — hold both science and spirit. They thrive in harsh climates, enriching the soil with nitrogen and sustaining families during lean seasons. Yet, like the cassava, their seeds hide tannins and trypsin inhibitors, chemical shields that protect the plant but challenge the eater.

The Science Behind the Story

The lablab bean’s chemistry mirrors its folklore. Tannins cause the tongue to pucker; trypsin inhibitors slow protein digestion. African cooks neutralize these defenses through soaking and double boiling, ancient chemistry disguised as kitchen wisdom. Each traditional recipe encodes a science lesson: heat transforms hazard into nourishment.

Learn more about Africa’s traditional healing plants and their ecological wisdom in the African Tree & Plant Lore Hub .

Cooking Lablab Bean Stew

African Njahi (Lablab Bean) Stew Recipe

Ingredients

• ½ cup dried lablab beans
• 1½ cups dry corn
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 3 peeled green bananas
• 2 peeled ripe bananas
• 2 tablespoons salted butter
• Water to cover
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Soak beans and corn overnight with baking soda.
2. Boil one hour in fresh water until tender.
3. Add green bananas and cook 15 minutes, then drain.
4. Stir in ripe bananas and butter; season with salt and pepper.
5. Purée into a thick mash and serve with vegetable or meat stew — similar to stiff mashed potatoes.

African lablab bean stew — science, flavor, and folklore in one pot.

The Bean That Teaches Balance

In African science folklore, the lablab bean represents balance between survival and wisdom. Its poison guards the plant; its protein feeds the people. The lesson is timeless — respect the process, and the Earth rewards you.

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Watch: African Food Six Facts

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More African Recipes and Food Science Stories

• Curried Tanzanian Coconut Okra — Spice chemistry and tradition.
• Senegalese Chicken Vermicelli — African-Asian flavor fusion.
• The Poison That Feeds: Lablab Bean Folklore Science — Explore its chemistry and legend.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is the lablab bean poisonous?

Raw lablab beans contain tannins and trypsin inhibitors. Traditional soaking and double boiling neutralize these natural toxins.

Why is lablab an important African crop?

Lablab resists drought, restores soil nitrogen, and provides affordable protein for rural communities.

What does African folklore say about lablab?

It teaches patience and respect — that food and danger can share the same root, and only wisdom separates the two.

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African proverbs are common African sayings used by honored ancestry. African proverb quotes are not only used by regular folks but also by the wisest and brightest of world scholars. 

By using African proverbs parents encourage their children, teachers instructed their pupils, authors impressed their readers, orators moved their auditors and preachers warned and guided their congregations in ways of uprightness and truth.

Leaders of men in all departments of life have used African proverbs with confidence and power and quoted them freely in their meetings and counsels. African proverbs have enriched the tales of travelers, strengthened the convictions of moralists, been received as warnings by the wayward, furnished rules of conduct for tradesmen, consoled the downtrodden and depressed and stimulated the young to an earnest endeavor.

In ancient times, the influence of African proverbs over the hearts and lives of kinsmen was second only to the words from God. Few people dared to question the African proverb truthfulness and authority. African proverbs enabled them not only to win their independence but to overcome the many trials and disappointments inseparable from the task of building up a new kingdom.

Through African proverbs as through African folklore, songs, traditions, rhymes, superstitions, and customs, we trace the moral and ethical development of African wisdom and learn the workings of the mind. 

They are the wisdom of the ages, but their wisdom is not found in their depth of thought or breadth of vision but rather in what Samuel Taylor Coleridge called their "common sense in an uncommon degree." Their wisdom is not the wisdom of the schools but of the village, the farm, and the elder.

It is hard for a grown-up person to admit they know nothing and what they did know means absolutely nothing, but that is exactly the plight of millions who do not see value in wisdom words from Africa. African advice proverbs do not have the meaning for him that they have for those who understand learning is not based on someone’s race or class.

He also finds himself in a world where he cannot always get what he wants even by using all the ways he has learned. As the feeling becomes more and more familiar and hearts and minds are opened, the wise person begins also to remember that knowledge is color neutral. 

However, by this time problems have doubled and tripled: he must learn how to get what he wants when he can get it and how not to want what he wants when he cannot get it. The ability to understand African proverbs is basic to living useful, happy lives in worldwide society. 

Without this ability to communicate with Africans on an internal level, we are restricted in countless ways. As the interdependence, characteristic of world community and national life has grown, so the role of communication of ideas has increased in meaning, highlighting the importance of the African proverb in world culture.

More African Proverbs to learn from today.

Wisdom is like a baobab tree; no one individual can embrace it.

If you are filled with pride, then you will have no room for wisdom.

He does a good day’s work who rids himself of a fool.

To wash a donkeys tail is loss of time and soap.

He who loves you loves you with your dirt.

Love attracts happiness; it brings near that which is far.

Love and smoke are two things that cannot be concealed.

Unstringing the bow does not cure the wound.

An enemy does not sleep.

The eagle does not hunt flies.

A good swimmer is not safe against drowning.