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Legal Drinking Age in Africa

List of Legal Drinking Age in Every African Country

Legal Drinking Age in Africa there are seven African countries that have no official minimum legal drinking ages and no restrictions.



Legal drinking age in Africa varies between no minimum age to 15, 18, 21 or alcohol is illegal to serve and drink. 


Ginger beer is widely home-brewed and consumed throughout Africa. The name ginger beer is actually a misleading term, as most commercial ginger beer is a soft drink and contains no alcohol such as the popular Coca-Cola South African Stoney Ginger Beer. Home brewed ginger beer and other fermented drinks may have low alcohol levels as compared to commercial African Breweries.

The legal drinking age in South Africa is 18, however, mostly all Muslims prohibit Muslims and non-Muslims, from drinking alcohol at any age, due to Islam forbidding the consumption of alcohol. Libya, Mauritania, Somalia, and Sudan are the four African countries that forbid drinking alcohol of any form. Alcohol is illegal for Muslims and purchase by others is highly restricted. Non-Muslim tourists are allowed to bring two bottles of alcohol for personal use.

There are seven African countries that have no official minimum legal drinking ages and no restrictions as listed by the World Health Organization (WHO);  Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone, and Togo. The remaining 43 African countries drinking ages vary between the ages of 15-21 or no information was provided. 

Legal drinking age in Africa varies between no minimum age to 15, 18, 21 or alcohol is illegal to serve and drink.

List of Legal Drinking Ages in 54 African Countries

Northern Africa Legal Drinking Age

Algeria age 18
Egypt age 21
Libya Illegal
Morocco age 16
Sudan Illegal
Tunisia age 18

Eastern Africa Legal Drinking Age

Burundi age 18 Without An Adult, No Age Limit If Accompanied By An Adult
Djibouti age 18 Non-Muslims Only
Eritrea age 18
Ethiopia age 18
Kenya age 18
Madagascar age 18
Malawi age 18
Mauritius age 18
Mozambique age 18
Rwanda age 18
Seychelles age 18
Somalia Illegal
South Sudan No Data on drinking age
Tanzania age 18
Uganda age 18
[Read Next: West African Ginger Beer Recipe]

Central Africa Legal Drinking Age

Angola age 18
Cameroon age 21
The Central African Republic age 21 At Bars And Restaurants, 15 To Buy In Stores
Chad age 18
The Democratic Republic of the Congo age 18
Republic of the Congo age 16 For Beer And Wine, 18 Otherwise
Equatorial Guinea age 21
Gabon age 18
São Tomé and Príncipe No Minimum Age

Western Africa Legal Drinking Age

Benin No Minimum Age
Burkina Faso No Minimum Age
Cabo Verde age 18
Cote d'Ivoire age 21
The Gambia age 18
Ghana age 18
Guinea age 18
Guinea-Bissau No Minimum Age
Liberia age 18
Mali No Minimum Age
Mauritania Illegal
Niger age 18
Nigeria age 18
Senegal age 18
Sierra Leone No Minimum Age
Togo No Minimum Age

Southern Africa Legal Drinking Age

Botswana age 18
Eswatini age 18
Lesotho age 18
Namibia age 18
South Africa age 18
Zambia age 18
Zimbabwe age 18
[Read Next: South African Lamb Bobotie Recipe]
Easy mix drinks

 [Read Next: Top 20 Largest Countries in Africa]

Chart of legal drinking ages in Africa

Chart of legal drinking ages in Africa

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