Top 10 African countries with the best education system (2024)

No doubt, education is the bedrock of development in any nation. Top Economists believe that sound education is one of the important things to put in place to alleviate poverty and improve the living standard of people in a country.

The World Education Forum ranked about 38 countries in Africa out of 140 countries as being the countries with the best education development based on skills development. This shows that the majority of African countries are still lagging in terms of educational advancement.

This is not to say it’s impossible to acquire quality education in Africa, because we can still pick out a few African countries where you can find schools that can compete with their counterparts in the developed countries.

If you are searching for an African country with the best education system to study, this guide will provide you with 10 choices.

1. Seychelles

Currently, Seychelles is ranked as one of the countries with the top education system in Africa owing to the series of developments made in their educational sectors. Even though Seychelles is a small island with a population of about 95,000, its educational system is better than most other African countries. 

It is the only country that attains the level of “education for all” in Africa. Seychelles has a 95.87% literacy rate and 28% world teaching and critical thinking. 

The World Education Forum also ranked the country 69.3 in terms of countries with the finest education. Without any doubt, Seychelles ranks the best in African countries with free and compulsory education.

2. Mauritius

Mauritius is one of the African countries with a high level of educational development. The country offers free and compulsory education for all students below 16 years of old till their secondary education level. 

Mauritius has a population of over a million and they adopt the British educational system. The World Economic Forum rated this country as the 2nd best country in Mathematics and Science globally. 

Mauritius has a literacy rate of 84.40% and offers free transport for all its students to support educational growth.

3. South Africa

South Africa, ranked 84th in the global education system, is one of the African countries with awe-mazing educational advancement. The country is located on the southern tip of Africa with more than 18% of its budget spent on education.

South Africa has a 94% literacy rate making them one of the countries in the world with low illiteracy levels and a good place to go to school.

4. Tunisia

Tunisia ranks 71st among countries with the best educational system in the world with a rate of 61.4%. They invest about 20% of their country’s budget in education.

Tunisia ranks as the most educated Arab country in the world. This is because its government prioritizes reforming the educational system with the help of its substantial oil resources. 

Tunisia also offers free and compulsory education for all.

5. Kenya

Another country in Africa known for its good educational system is Kenya. This country is famous for its wildlife and tourist attractions and contributes 71% of the revenue earned from tourism to education.

Kenya is located in the eastern part of Africa and has a strong quest for educational growth. The country is ranked 94th in the global educational system and has a 78.7% literacy rate.

The Kenyan government makes it compulsory for all Kenyans between the age of 6-17 years to attend a school which is part of what accounted for their fast educational growth. 

Various studies from the year 2017 point out that the Kenyan government invests 17.58% of the country’s budget in the educational system and has more than thirty tertiary institutions with sophisticated facilities.

6. Botswana

Some people are confused about whether Botswana qualifies to be among the top 10 or not. However, their relentless effort toward education is why the country has made this list. 

With a literacy rate of 88% and a score of 56.7, Botswana has also been ranked as the 92nd country in the world for the best education system, and the 67th best country in Africa for educational staff training.

These rates were gained as a result of the country’s efforts to make education mandatory for all within the age range of 4 to 18, thereby encouraging citizens to be passionate about education. Botswana also has good educational facilities to make learning effective.

7. Egypt

Egypt is also part of the African top 10 countries because of its strong passion for education. The country has a score of 52.8 points and was ranked 99th global which places her as one of the top countries with the best education system in Africa. Egypt also has a literacy rate of 71%. 

8. Algeria

A visit to Algeria provides insight into what their existing educational systems look like. Algeria is located in North Africa. 

It is ranked as having the 88th best educational system in the world. With 57.4 points, the nation also holds the eighth-place spot in Africa.

Algeria has a population of 41.3 million with many standard primaries, secondaries, and tertiary institutions. The country also offers free and compulsory education for all its citizens in a bid to make them more education conscious.

9. Cape Verde

Cape Verde is an island located on the Central Atlantic Ocean and one of the African countries with huge educational development. Their government also offers free education for students within the age range of 6 to 14 years. 

Cape Verde is ranked 53rd country with the best teaching and critical thinking in the world with an 80% literacy rate.

10. Namibia

Namibia is the last on this list. It is a southwest African country with a strong passion for educational growth. Also, education is made compulsory for students within the age range of 6-16 years in the country. 

Their government provides the necessary funds needed by each student which makes studying easier. Namibia is ranked 100th best in the global education system and 88.2% in terms of critical thinking and teaching.

Conclusion

Education is the right of the citizens and everyone must have access to quality education. It is one of the tools that can be used to conquer poverty in this present generation. 

However, the state of educational development differs between countries. A country with more educational development tends to grow faster than others. If you have been looking for the top countries in Africa to study, this guide will help you out.