As of January 1, 2024, the leadership landscape across Africa presents a fascinating range of ages among its presidents and heads of state. This analysis breaks down the key insights into the ages of African leaders, highlighting the youngest and oldest leaders, and providing an overview of the average age.
Country President Name/ Head of State In office since Age President sex
Cameroon Paul Biya 1982 90 Male
Namibia Hage Geingob 2015 82 Male
Equatorial Guinea Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo 1979 81 Male
Ivory Coast Alassane Ouattara 2010 81 Male
Zimbabwe Emmerson Mnangagwa 2017 81 Male
Republic of the Congo Denis Sassou Nguesso 1997 80 Male
Uganda Yoweri Museveni 1986 79 Male
Ghana Nana Akufo-Addo 2017 79 Male
Algeria Abdelmadjid Tebboune 2019 78 Male
Eritrea Isaias Afwerki 1993 77 Male
Djibouti Ismaïl Omar Guelleh 1999 77 Male
western sahara/ Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic Brahim Ghali 2016 74 Male
Ethiopia Sahle-Work Zewde 2018 73 Female
South Sudan Salva Kiir Mayardit 2011 72 Male
South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa 2018 71 Male
Nigeria Bola Tinubu 2023 71 Male
Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi 2014 69 Male
Angola João Lourenço 2017 69 Male
Malawi Lazarus Chakwera 2020 68 Male
Somalia Hassan Sheikh Mohamud 2022 68 Male
Mauritania Mohamed Ould Ghazouani 2019 67 Male
Rwanda Paul Kagame 2000 66 Male
Central African Republic Faustin-Archange Touadéra 2016 66 Male
Benin Patrice Talon 2016 65 Male
Tunisia Kais Saied 2019 65 Male
Lesotho Sam Matekane 2022 65 Male
Mozambique Filipe Nyusi 2015 64 Male
Camoros Azali Assoumani 2019 64 Male
Mauritius Prithvirajsing Roopun 2019 64 Male
Seychelles Wavel Ramkalawan 2020 64 Male
Sao Tome and Principe Carlos Vila Nova 2021 64 Male
Sudan Abdel Fattah al-Burhan 2021 63 Male
Tanzania Samia Suluhu Hassan 2021 63 Female
Cape Verde José Maria Neves 2023 63 Male
Niger Abdourahamane Tchiani 2023 63 Male
Senegal Macky Sall 2012 62 Male
Botswana Mokgweetsi Masisi 2019 62 Male
Morocco Aziz Akhannouch 2021 62 Male
Zambia Hakainde Hichilema 2021 61 Male
Democratic Republic of the Congo Félix Tshisekedi 2019 60 Male
Sierra Leone Julius Maada Bio 2018 59 Male
Gambia Adama Barrow 2017 58 Male
Togo Faure Gnassingbé 2005 57 Male
Liberia George Weah 2018 57 Male
Kenya William Ruto 2022 56 Male
Burundi Évariste Ndayishimiye 2020 55 Male
Guinea-Bissau Umaro Sissoco Embaló 2020 51 Male
Eswatini Russell Dlamini 2023 50 Male
Madagascar Andry Rajoelina 2023 49 Male
Gabon Brice Oligui 2023 48 Male
Libya Mohamed al-Menfi 2021 47 Male
Guinea Mamady Doumbouya 2021 43 Male
Mali Assimi Goïta 2021 43 Male
Chad Mahamat Déby 2021 39 Male
Burkina Faso Ibrahim Traoré 2022 35 Male
Youngest Leaders: Africa’s youngest leader is Ibrahim Traoré of Burkina Faso, who at 35 years old, represents a new generation of leadership. Following him, Mahamat Déby of Chad is 39 years old. Leaders under the age of 50 are relatively rare, with Andry Rajoelina of Madagascar (49), Brice Oligui of Gabon (48), Mohamed al-Menfi of Libya (47), and Mamady Doumbouya of Guinea and Assimi Goïta of Mali both at 43.
Oldest Leaders: At the other end of the spectrum, Paul Biya of Cameroon is the oldest African leader at 90 years old, having been in office since 1982. He is followed by Hage Geingob of Namibia (82), Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea (81), Alassane Ouattara of Ivory Coast (81), and Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe (81). Leaders over 80 years old remain influential in several countries.
Average Age of Leaders: The average age of African leaders as of early 2024 is 64.3 years. Notably, a significant majority, 72.73%, are over the age of 60, suggesting a predominance of older, experienced leaders. Only 27.27% of the leaders fall within the 35-59 years age bracket, indicating fewer younger leaders at the helm.
Gender Distribution: Among the current leaders, Sahle-Work Zewde of Ethiopia and Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania stand out as the only female heads of state, aged 73 and 63 respectively.
Inclusion, the current leadership in Africa is characterized by a mix of venerable experience and youthful dynamism, with a notable skew towards older leaders. As Africa continues to navigate its socio-political and economic challenges, the generational dynamics of its leadership will play a critical role in shaping the continent’s future. This diverse age range among leaders reflects the varying approaches and perspectives that are influencing governance across the continent.