Follow these steps to make perfect quality salted and fish.

Salting is a perfect way of preserving fish. Salting is the preservation of food with salt and is one of the oldest methods of preserving food. Salt prevents the growth of bacteria by drawing water out of fish cells. If properly packed and kept dry, salted fish will keep in good condition for a long time. Cutting up or filleting the fish is good as it speeds up the preserving salting process. Use perfect salted fish step by step for stew and soup recipes.

Perfect Salted Fish Directions Step by Step

Three most common species of freshwater fish in West Africa are Sardine, Tilapia and Nile Perch.

Tilapia is a good flavored fish, easy to prepare and cook. It is rich in protein, vitamins, and minerals, low in fat, making it a healthy choice for the sick and elderly with risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol or heart diseases and an excellent source of vitamin B12, which is very important in our body to help maintain our energy levels.

The freshwater sardine is a small silvery fish with a strong taste which is usually sun-dried and eaten whole. Sardines are very inexpensive and can be stored for a long time when salted, rich in calcium, potassium and magnesium which are very important for the development of teeth and bones in children and vital for pregnant mothers, and is rich in vitamin A, D and of the B group vital for the health of all.

Nile Perch is a large fish that can be bought whole, as fillet or steak. It is easy to digest, delicate in taste with a firm and flaky texture, one of the best sources of Omega3 fats and versatile, it can be cooked in many different ways.



Perfect Salted Fish

Ingredients
Pickling salt about 2 pounds or 1 kg per fish
10 fresh fish fillets


Step by Step Directions
Rinse fish well, then pat dry with a cotton towel. Put a layer of salt over the bottom of a container. Put the fish onto the salt skin side down. Cover the fish with a thin layer of salt. Put another layer of fish on top and cover this with a layer of salt. Keep adding layers of fish and salt. The final 3 layers of fish should be put skin side up. When all the fish have been salted then cover the top layer with plenty of salt. Then put a clean wooden board on top and a heavy weight on top of that and leave the fish to salt for 18 days. Wash the fish in clean water to remove the salt from the outside of the fish. Lay the fish on drying racks to dry. The fish can also be hung from the tail on racks in direct sunlight for the first day. From the second day onwards, place the fish in the sun to dry. Dry it for up to 8 days. Keep the fish in a clean, cool place every night. When the fish is dry, put in a large clean container with a layer of salt on the bottom and cover with a lid.

Did you know?
Pickling salt is a salt does not contain iodine or any anti caking products added and is a very fine grained pure food-grade salt used in preserving. Kosher salt is a great alternative to pickling salt in a pinch.

African folktales teach the right words for justice are vital. African folklore brings people together, read and study more folktales, and short stories from the African continent.

Three things to remember when reading African Folklore stories.
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Folklore storytelling is the most ancient art form of the African Community.

Time and effort must be given to becoming an African folklore storyteller, just as any artist must give time and effort to developing their skill.

African folklore is as old as Africa herself with a deep appreciation for antiquity expressed in artistic form.

African folklore storytelling as a form of teaching.

African folklore storytelling has long been accepted as a form of teaching to be defined as a series of events told in such a way that it moves the emotions and the intellect. African folklore storytelling is a spiritual legacy passed down from one generation to another. 

Just as someone expresses their ideas and the form of music, painting, dance and sculpture folklore takes the ideas of an ancient story and creates with words a picture that enchants the listener with a rich auditory environment.

Many African people are born storytellers and spend many long hours practicing their art. Not everyone can acquire the art of folklore storytelling imagery, but for the beginner one should think of folklore storytelling as a heritage passed on from traditional storytellers and dig deep within the ancient storyteller that lies within us all.

African folklore storytelling can turn a shy awkward self-conscious boy or girl into storytellers who captivates and win’s the heart of their listeners. African folklore storytelling can help those afraid of public speaking by relating the value of the story and discover the roots within themselves on how to tell a story like a skilled crafts person.

The folklore story of One Do Wrong All Get Punished, mouse learns a hard lesson that when you do a bad deed and do not own up to it, the entire community is punished even though they are innocent and you are the guilty one.

Evil little mouse

One Do Wrong All Get Punished Short African Folktale.

One day, as the ancestors say, the Mouse cut to pieces the clothes of Mongueno the tailor. Mongueno went to the great judge, the Baboon, and accused the mouse of the deed.

With these words Mongueno said, "In this manner I come to you great Baboon, the Mouse has torn my clothes, but denies it and accuses the Cat; the Cat protests likewise her innocence, and says the Dog must have done it; but the Dog denies it also, and declares the Wood has done it; and the Wood throws the blame on the Fire, and says, 'The Fire did it;' the Fire says, I have not, the Water did it;' the Water says, 'The Elephant tore the clothes;' and the Elephant says, 'The Ant tore them.

A great dispute has arisen among them. Therefore, I, Mongueno, come to you for help great Baboon. The Baboon thought a while and said “Assemble the people for a trial and try them, in order beginning with the mouse." But during the trial, they made the same excuses which had been mentioned by Mongueno, each one putting the blame upon the other.

So the Baboon did not see any other way of punishing them, but through making them punish each other; he, therefore, said, "Mouse, pay Mongueno for the destroyed clothes." The Mouse, however, pleaded not guilty.

The Baboon said, "Cat, bite the Mouse." She did so.

He then put the same question to the Cat, and when she pleads not guilty, the Baboon called to the Dog and said: "Here, bite the Cat."

In this manner, the Baboon questioned them all, one after the other, but they each denied the charge. Then he addressed the following words to them all, "Wood, beat the Dog. Fire, burn the Wood. Water, put out the Fire. Elephant drink the Water. Ant, bite the Elephant in his most tender parts." They did so, and since that day, they cannot any longer agree with each other.

Through this judgment, Mongueno was happy, and addressed the Baboon saying "Yes! Now I am satisfied and with all my heart I thank you, Baboon, because you argued on my behalf, and gave me payment through justice."

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Folklore storytelling is the most ancient art form of the African Community.

---

Time and effort must be given to becoming an African folklore storyteller, just as any artist must give time and effort to developing their skill.

---

African folklore is as old as Africa herself with a deep appreciation for antiquity expressed in artistic form.

More short folklore stories from Africa to make you fall in love with myths and legends again from the motherland.

1. Why the bunny rabbit has wiggly slits for a nose
2. Love Takes No Less Than Everything Marriage Folklore
3. Hunters Attack Cowards Tell the Story
4. One Do Wrong All Get Punished
5. Mighty Little Hedgehog
6. Blackman and White Snake Folklore Story

Roots of Black Africanized Christianity Spiritual Songs

Black African ways of worship shaped spirituals, gospel music, and hymns — leaving a lasting mark on Christianity and musical expression worldwide.

African-inspired worship shaped gospel, hymns, and spiritual music traditions.

Across Africa, music has long been a sacred force — healing the sick, calling on ancestors, and praising God. Songs accompanied births, harvests, funerals, and daily labor. This deep musical heritage traveled with enslaved Africans to the Americas, where it intertwined with Christianity under both oppression and hope.

Slaveholders in North America feared the expressive African ways of worship — drumming, dancing, and ecstatic prayer — labeling them as wild or idolatrous. Many gatherings were banned, forcing worshippers to meet in secret prayer houses and brush arbor meetings.

Christianity had been introduced to parts of Africa centuries earlier, but the transatlantic slave trade brought it to new depths of suffering and resilience. Enslaved Africans took Bible stories of deliverance and layered them with their own experience. Out of this came the spiritual: a song of sorrow and endurance, yet also secret codes of escape and freedom.

Frederick Douglass wrote in My Bondage and My Freedom:
“A keen observer might have detected in our repeated singing of 'O Canaan, sweet Canaan, I am bound for the land of Canaan,' something more than a hope of reaching heaven. We meant to reach the North, and the North was our Canaan.”

Drums remain central in many African and African-American church services.

From Secret Meetings to Global Stage

The informal “praise houses” and brush arbor meetings of enslaved people birthed spirituals. Worshipers would sing, chant, and dance in ring shouts — shuffling circles of movement and call-and-response. These gatherings fused African rhythm with biblical hope.

In the 1870s, the Fisk Jubilee Singers brought spirituals to global audiences. Though some Black communities wanted to leave the music of slavery behind, the singers proved its beauty and power. Soon, ensembles across America carried the tradition into concert halls.

By the 20th century, gospel music emerged — keeping the spiritual’s soul but adding blues, jazz, and modern harmonies. Thomas A. Dorsey, the “father of gospel,” and singers like Mahalia Jackson brought this sound to churches and the wider world.

Even as gospel evolved, some rural Southern congregations preserved old-style spirituals, keeping alive the songs of ancestors. Spirituals also resurfaced during the Civil Rights Movement — “We Shall Overcome,” “Oh Freedom,” and “Eyes on the Prize” fueled marches and hope for justice.

Defining the Music

Spiritual Songs

Somber yet hopeful, spirituals express trust in God amid hardship. Often called Negro spirituals, they voiced longing for heaven and coded resistance against slavery.

Gospel Songs

Gospel blends sacred message with blues-inspired rhythms. Rising in the early 1900s, it invites the Holy Spirit and celebrates faith with emotion. Thomas A. Dorsey’s “Precious Lord, Take My Hand” remains a defining anthem.

Gospel Hymns

Gospel hymns are regal, scripture-centered songs. One of the earliest, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” written by Martin Luther in the 1500s, reached African congregations and still resounds in worship today.

“A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.” — John 3:27

Discover More African History & Culture

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• Top 20 Largest Countries in Africa
• How Many Countries Does Africa Have?
• Paying Money to Tour Slums in Africa
• What Is the Wettest Country in Africa?
• Land Is Not for Women in Sierra Leone
• African Kente Cloth Facts
• Shashamane, Ethiopia: The African Rastafarian Promised Land

The process of growing Cacao tree cocoa seedlings to cocoa beans in Africa is worth globally $135 billion, seed to pod cocoa tree processing step.

Africa is the center of the chocolate making world.

From seed to pod cocoa tree processing step by step. 

Cocoa seedlings and shade tree seedlings grown in a nursery. 

Cocoa seedlings planted, shade trees planted. Ripe cocoa pods harvested from trees. 

Pods broken, cocoa beans and pulp removed. 

Cocoa beans fermented under banana leaves. 

Well-fermented cocoa beans dried, either in the sun on raised mats or in solar dryers. 

Cocoa beans put into sacks for transport. 

Weighing and checking at buying the station. 

Farmers compensated individually or through co-operatives, premiums paid.

About Cocoa beans to chocolate.

Cocoa beans are the principal ingredient of chocolate made from the cacao pod. Walk through the process from growing the cacao pod to the chocolate we all know and love. The cacao tree is tender making growing chocolate trees a risky business.

The first recorded evidence of chocolate as a food product goes back the Mayans and Aztecs who made a drink from the beans of the cocoa tree. Chocolate was known as a beverage until the Nineteenth Century when eating chocolate was made. The Cacao tree or Theobroma cacao is the source of cocoa beans, chocolate and so much more. 

The cacao tree grows wild in the forests of tropical regions but is also one of the tender trees of tropical growth. Cocoa has always grown in many parts of the African tropics. The cacao-tree grows wild in the forests of tropical regions growing well in humid tropical climates with regular rains and a short dry season.

The fruit is an egg-shaped red to brown pod that contains 30 to 40 seeds, depending on the variety. A bittersweet white pulp surrounds each cocoa pod. 

When the seeds are dried and fermented in the sun they are brownish red and known as cocoa beans which are the principal ingredient of chocolate. After roasting, the beans are crushed in a machine and ground into cocoa powder.

Africa Cocoa Trees Nectar of the Gods

Africa produces well over 65% of the world’s cocoa beans. Many African countries now grow cocoa trees, Sierra Leone, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and Congo but the main producers are Ghana, Nigeria and Cote d'Ivoire.

Côte d’Ivoire is the single largest producer of cocoa, accounting for approximately 31% of the world’s supply. Other leading cocoa farming countries include Brazil, Cameroon, Ghana, Indonesia, and Nigeria.

Though a tropical crop, it does not like the sun and grows in the shade of other important crops such as banana, oil palm, and rubber as well as fruit trees such as avocado, breadfruit, guava, mango, orange and coconut.

There are three broad types of cocoa forastero and crillo plus trinitario. Forastero is the major portion of all cocoa grown, amelonado is a forastero variety most widely grown in West Africa and other regions. The peak time for harvesting Cocoa trees is between September and December in West Africa.

Homemade Chocolate Bar Ingredients

Recipe for Homemade Chocolate Bars

Ingredients 

1/2 cup coconut oil 

1/2 cup cocoa powder 

3 tablespoons honey 

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions 

Gently melt coconut oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir cocoa powder, honey, and vanilla extract into melted oil until well blended. Pour mixture into a candy mold or pliable tray. Refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.

Explore more cocoa stories in the Chocolate Hub .

African Proverbs Hub > Stupid Things African Proverbs About Stupid People

Stupid Things African Proverbs About Dumb People

Cultural wisdom and blunt observations about foolish behavior and ignorant actions

Note: These proverbs are about stupid behavior are used as cultural teaching tools. They reflect traditional wisdom about recognizing and avoiding foolish actions.

Understanding Stupid People African Proverb Language

African proverbs that speak bluntly about stupid people or stupid things serve as powerful cultural teaching tools. These sayings are used as memorable lessons about the consequences of poor judgment, ignorance, and foolish behavior.

The direct language makes the lessons stick - helping communities remember what behaviors to avoid for personal and collective well-being.

Proverbs About Stupid People, Dumb Behavior and Foolish Things

"Only the dumb dog chases a flying bird."

Wasting energy on impossible tasks is the height of foolishness.

"Rotten wood cannot be carved."

Some people are beyond teaching or improvement through no fault of the teacher.

"Sometimes you sow red beans and white beans grow."

Actions often have unexpected consequences that stupid people fail to anticipate.

"Though you put oil on a dog's tail, it will never become straight."

Some things cannot be changed no matter how much effort you expend.

"Foolish men have foolish dreams."

A person's thinking and aspirations reflect their wisdom or lack thereof.

"One mangy sheep spoils the whole flock."

One foolish or corrupt person can negatively influence an entire community.

"Don't trust the key of the hen house to the cat."

Never give responsibility to those who have proven they cannot handle it wisely.

"To wash a donkey's tail is loss of time and soap."

Some efforts are completely pointless and wasteful of resources.

"On a fool's beard the barber learns to shave."

We often learn best by observing others' mistakes and foolish actions.

Folktale: The Stupid Leopard Who Boiled His Mother's Teeth

This African folktale illustrates that even animals can represent stupid behavior in proverbial teaching. The lesson: understand what you hear before taking action.

The Story of Literal Thinking

As the elders say, one day a Gazelle bought some corn at the market, and while he was boiling them at home, the Leopard paid him a visit and asked: "Sister Gazelle, what are you cooking on the stove?"

The Gazelle replied, "I am boiling my mother's teeth."

"Really!" exclaimed the Leopard. "Let me taste them." The Gazelle gave him some cooked corn, and the Leopard found it so delicious that he went home and pulled out all his mother's teeth, putting them to boil on the stove.

When the Gazelle passed by and saw the pot boiling, he asked what the Leopard was cooking. "I am cooking my mother's teeth, but they don't get soft," answered the frustrated Leopard.

The Gazelle laughed and explained, "I meant corn! You've actually pulled out and boiled your mother's real teeth!" The Leopard realized his stupid mistake too late, as the Gazelle escaped while laughing at the Leopard's foolish literal thinking.

The Cultural Purpose of Stupid Proverbs

These direct proverbs serve important functions in African societies:

• They create memorable lessons that children remember
• They provide social commentary without direct confrontation
• They preserve wisdom about recognizing foolish patterns
• They encourage self-reflection about one's own behavior
• They maintain cultural values around wisdom and good judgment

← Back to African Proverbs Hub Discover More African Wisdom →

African Proverbs Collection | The African Gourmet

Exploring cultural wisdom and traditional teachings from across Africa

Kenyan Dr. Wangari Muta Maathai taught her brand of sustainable development, democracy, and peace which won her the Nobel Prize.Dr. Wangari Maathai taught a practical understanding of love for the world.

Dr. Wangari Maathai Brief Biography

Kenya's Dr. Wangari Maathai was the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. Dr. Maathai was awarded the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize in the field of humanitarian work founding The Green Belt Movement. Maathai was born in Nyeri, a rural area of Kenya on April 1, 1940.

She became the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 and the first woman in East and Central Africa to earn a doctorate degree. She earned her doctorate from the University of Nairobi in 1971.

Dr. Maathai was a Kenyan environmental activist who founded the Green Belt Movement (GBM). In 1976, while she was serving in the National Council of Women, Professor Maathai introduced the idea of community-based tree planting. The GBM, main focus at the time was poverty reduction and environmental conservation through tree planting.

According to The Green Belt Movement, "Dr. Maathai saw the urgent need to respond to the necessities of rural Kenyan women who reported that their streams were drying up, their food supply was less secure, and they had to walk further and further to get firewood for fuel and fencing. 

The Green Belt Movement encouraged the women to work together to grow seedlings and plant trees to bind the soil, store rainwater, provide food and firewood, and receive a small monetary token for their work.

Shortly after beginning The Green Belt Movement work, Dr. Maathai saw that behind the everyday hardships of the poor and environmental degradation, deforestation, and food insecurity there were deeper issues of disempowerment, disenfranchisement, and a loss of the traditional values that had previously enabled communities to protect their environment." Dr Maathai organized women to work together for a mutual benefit, and to plan for future generations.

According to the Nobel Prize, “Maathai's mobilization of African women was not limited in its vision to work for sustainable development; she saw tree-planting in a broader perspective which included democracy, women's rights, and international solidarity. 

Harissa Red Hot Pepper Paste Recipe

Harissa is the iconic seasoning of North African cooking — fiery, flavorful, and easy to make at home. Traditionally served with vegetables, meats, and couscous, this bold chili paste comes together in just 5 minutes once your spices are toasted.

Fiery homemade harissa — a North African kitchen essential

Ingredients

• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 4 hot peppers of your choice, diced
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 2 tablespoons cumin seeds, toasted
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• A small handful of fresh coriander leaves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt

Directions

1. Lightly toast the cumin and coriander seeds in a small pan over medium heat for 2–3 minutes until fragrant. Remove from heat and cool.
2. Add toasted seeds and all remaining ingredients to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.
3. Transfer to a clean jar, cover, and refrigerate. Keeps for up to 5 days.

How to Use

Spread on sandwiches, swirl into soups, serve alongside roasted vegetables or meats, or mix into couscous for instant heat and depth.

Explore more African recipes and cooking basics:

• Fried Coconut Garden Eggs (Eggplants)
• Easy Vegetarian Sweet Potato Curry Soup
• Brinjal Curry — Eggplant by Another Name
• West African Ginger Beer Recipe
• Cape Malay Chicken Curry (Supermarket Meal)
• How to Cut a Mango

How to cook Zanzibar Coconut Beans.

There's nothing quite like this classic Zanzibar African food recipe of coconut beans using dry and fresh beans and fresh coconut milk.

Coconut milk comes from the white flesh of mature brown coconuts, which are the fruit of the coconut tree. Coconut water is found in young coconuts, you can use coconut water instead of coconut juice but the taste will not be as rich however, the calorie count is lower.

Rice and beans are the most common food dish in many African Countries and coconut beans is a hearty African food recipe that is inexpensive to make.

Ingredients
1 cup dry red kidney beans
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 large red onion, diced
1 large green bell pepper, diced
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups of coconut milk
1 cup white rice
2 cups of coconut milk

Directions
Add all ingredients except rice and 2 cups of coconut milk into a large pot and simmer 3 hours. In separate pot cook rice in coconut milk for 20 minutes. Serve beans over rice and enjoy with baked bread.

The African Gourmet creates easy African food recipes for you to enjoy. Make five more African rice recipes all ingredients for the recipes are found in your local supermarket.

More easy lunch and dinner rice recipes to make right now so you never have to eat or prepare a boring white rice recipe again.

1. Mozambique Coconut Beans Recipe
2. Black-Eyed Pea Casserole with Rice and Herbs
3. Rice and Beans Ghana Style
4. Fried Banana Rice Dumplings
5. Fried Rice Cakes Recipe

Six main rivers flow across the African country of Liberia.

Liberia shares rivers with all its neighboring countries. The Mano River forms a border between Liberia and Sierra Leone and the Cavalla or Cavally River forms a border between Côte d'Ivoire.

Liberia, located in West Africa, covers an area of 111,370 square km or around 27.5 million acres of land. Just over 14 percent of the total area of Liberia is water from rivers, lakes, swamps, lagoons, creeks, and streams that drain to the Atlantic Ocean. 
It borders Sierra Leone to the northwest, Guinea to the north, Cote d’Ivoire to the northeast and east, and the Atlantic Ocean to the south and southwest. Liberia shares rivers with all its neighboring countries.

Rainfall amounts vary a lot in Africa and Liberia is one of the wettest countries in Africa with 45,550 cubic meters of rich natural renewable water resources. Liberia receives 2,391mm of precipitation per year with a climate that is tropical, hot and humid wet, cloudy summers with frequent heavy showers. Liberia has 2 1/2 times the rainfall of most African countries except Sierra Leone and Equatorial Guinea.

Mesurado River Monrovia Liberia

Part of our African Geography Hub — discover how Africa’s land, people, and natural features shape its story.

Six main rivers flow across the African country of Liberia from the Fouta Djallon Mountains of Guinea. These are the rivers Lofa that traverse Liberia and Guinea discharging to the Atlantic Ocean, Saint Paul, Saint John and Cestos, the Mano River that begins in the Guinea highlands and forms a border between Liberia and Sierra Leone and the Cavalla or Cavally River forms a border between Côte d'Ivoire. In addition, there are several smaller streams such as the Grand Cess River, the Sino River, and the Farmington River.

Liberia shares rivers with all its neighboring countries, the Mano and Mugowi Rivers with Sierra Leone, the Makone, Lofa, Via, Nianda and Mani Rivers with Guinea and the Cavalla River with Côte d’Ivoire, which forms a large part of the border between the two countries. The major basins, which drain 97 percent of the land, of these, the six major rivers, originating in Sierra Leone, Guinea or in Côte d’Ivoire, are the Mano, Lofa, Saint Paul, Saint John, Cestos and Cavalla, and together drain over 65 percent of Liberia.

The main environmental problems in Liberia are tropical rain forest deforestation, soil erosion, loss of biodiversity, and pollution of coastal waters from oil residue and raw sewage. Water-borne diseases are common. Water deficiency in the dry season, poor drainage, flooding of lowlands and the hazard of water erosion are all problems.

Liberia is in a post-war period facing serious political, financial, administrative and organizational problems. Ten years of conflict have led to multiple internal displacements of hundreds of thousands of people. 
An estimated 80 percent of schools, health service structures, water wells, and sanitation facilities have been either destroyed or abandoned since 1998. No up-to-date water supply and sanitation coverage data are available, but those still functioning are in alarming and worrying conditions in almost all counties in Liberia.

Did you know
Liberia is a small country by African country size standards and is located in West Africa situated above the equator. Liberia is slightly larger than the USA state of Tennessee.

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

1. Dangerous Erupting Volcanoes of Africa
2. Top 20 Largest Countries in Africa
3. What is an African Proverb
4. African Water Spirit Mami Wata
5. Percentage of White people living in Africa

Hoeing is divisive, about African countries where prostitution, buying sex, brothels, pimping, and solicitation are legal by regulations and laws.

Most sex workers do not enjoy the sexual acts they perform; working all day and night, sometimes traveling to different towns and villages, many times walking the streets praying, it is scary to be outside jumping in different cars not knowing when you're coming home. They just fell into the life, everyday waking up saying “I have to do this I have to what is needed in order to survive."

Why do women and men sell themselves for money? Many do not want to, being arrested for prostitution, sleeping with random people on the streets, in cars and hotel rooms is not the life women of the night envisioned for themselves at the age of five. Young African girls have dreams of a different life than hoeing, dreaming of being a real estate agent, a flight attendant flipping houses. Not giving themselves up stripping dignity away but still back out there trading money for sex feeling as if there is no control, life, the game controlling them.

In many small African communities, there is no word for prostitution however in some African countries prostitution or sex work is legal. Prostitution remains a divisive and controversial issue across Africa. The difference between prostitution and solicitation is prostitution is the act of performing sexual favors in exchange for money while solicitation is everything that comes before.

Solicitation of prostitution is the request to one person by another to perform a sexual act in exchange for payment. Prostitution laws in Africa vary widely from country to country, and between regions and towns within a country. Prostitution is a way of life for many poor and abandoned women living in African border towns were trucking routes are popular.

Sex for money in Ghana.

Definitions of Solicitation, Prostitution, Buying sex, Brothels, and Pimping.

Solicitation is the act of requesting, offering, or attempting the offense of offering money to someone with the specific intent of inducing that person to commit a crime.

Prostitution is the act of performing sexual favors in exchange for money.

Buying sex in Africa has the same legal definition as an escort, which is different from prostitution. An escort is exchanging something of value for someone’s time to provide entertainment.

Brothels are a place where people engage in sexual activity with prostitutes.

Pimping is pandering on behalf of a prostitute. Pimps furnish clients for a prostitute and may offer protection, love and security in exchange. Three main types of pimps are the boyfriend pimp, gorilla pimp and finesse or gift of gab pimp.

Alphabetical listing of African Countries prostitution, buying sex, brothels, pimping, and solicitation is legal.

Algeria  Prostitution legal, Buying sex legal, Brothels illegal, Pimping illegal, Solicitation illegal
Angola  Prostitution illegal, Buying sex legal
Benin  Prostitution legal, Buying sex legal, Brothels illegal, Pimping illegal, Solicitation illegal
Botswana Prostitution legal, Buying sex legal, Brothels illegal, Pimping illegal, Solicitation illegal
Burkina Faso  Prostitution legal, Buying sex legal, Brothels illegal, Pimping illegal, Solicitation illegal
Burundi Prostitution illegal, Buying sex legal
Cabo Verde  No prostitution laws
Cameroon  Prostitution illegal, Buying sex legal
The Central African Republic  Prostitution legal, Buying sex legal, Brothels illegal, Pimping illegal
Chad  Prostitution illegal
The Democratic Republic of the Congo  Prostitution legal, Buying sex legal, Brothels illegal, Pimping illegal, Solicitation illegal
Republic of the Congo Prostitution illegal, Buying sex legal
Côte d'Ivoire Prostitution legal, Buying sex legal, Brothels illegal, Pimping illegal, Solicitation illegal
Djibouti  Prostitution illegal, Buying sex legal
Egypt Prostitution illegal, Buying sex legal
Equatorial Guinea Prostitution illegal, Buying sex legal
Eritrea  Prostitution legal and regulated, Buying sex legal
ESwatini Prostitution illegal, Buying sex legal
Ethiopia  Prostitution legal, Buying sex legal, Brothels illegal, Pimping illegal
Gabon  Prostitution illegal, Buying sex legal
The Gambia Prostitution illegal, Buying sex legal
Ghana Prostitution illegal, Buying sex legal
Guinea  Prostitution illegal, Buying sex legal
Guinea-Bissau No prostitution laws
Kenya Prostitution legality varies from area to area, Buying sex legal, Brothels illegal, Pimping illegal
Lesotho Prostitution legal, Buying sex legal, Brothels illegal, Pimping illegal, Solicitation illegal
Liberia Prostitution illegal, Buying sex legal
Libya  Prostitution illegal, Buying sex legal
Madagascar  Prostitution legal, Buying sex legal, Brothels illegal, Pimping illegal, Solicitation illegal
Malawi  Prostitution legal, Buying sex legal, Brothels illegal, Pimping illegal, Solicitation legal
Mali  Prostitution legal, Buying sex legal, Brothels illegal, Pimping illegal
Mauritania  Prostitution illegal, Buying sex legal
Mauritius Prostitution illegal, Buying sex legal
Morocco Prostitution illegal, Buying sex legal
Mozambique  Prostitution legal, Buying sex legal, Brothels illegal, Pimping illegal
Namibia  Prostitution legal, Buying sex legal, Brothels illegal, Pimping illegal, Solicitation illegal
Niger  Prostitution illegal, Buying sex legal
Nigeria  Prostitution illegal in the Northern States, Prostitution legal in the Southern States, Buying sex illegal in the Northern States, Buying sex legal in the Southern States, Brothels illegal, Pimping illegal
Rwanda  Prostitution illegal, Buying sex illegal
São Tomé and Príncipe Prostitution illegal, Buying sex legal
Senegal  Prostitution legal and regulated, Buying sex legal, Brothels illegal, Pimping illegal, Solicitation illegal
Seychelles Prostitution illegal, Buying sex legal Sierra Leone Prostitution legal, Buying sex legal, Brothels illegal, Pimping illegal, Solicitation illegal
Somalia Prostitution illegal, Buying sex legal
South Africa Prostitution illegal, Buying sex illegal
South Sudan Prostitution legal, Buying sex legal, Brothels illegal, Pimping illegal
Sudan Prostitution illegal, Buying sex legal
Tanzania  Prostitution illegal, Buying sex legal
Togo  Prostitution legal, Buying sex legal, Brothels illegal, Pimping illegal, Solicitation illegal
Tunisia Prostitution legal and regulated, Buying sex legal
Uganda  Prostitution illegal, Buying sex legal
Zambia  Prostitution legal, Buying sex legal, Brothels illegal, Pimping illegal, Solicitation illegal
Zimbabwe  Prostitution illegal, Buying sex legal

Sayings and Proverbs About Prostitution in Africa

Women are looked down on as being trash and not being good persons for being sex workers even when governments and statutes regulate prostitution. Many believe prostitution is not a job but a means of survival. There is a double sexual standard were women are judged more harshly than men for engaging in the exact same sexual act.

Getting ready

There are more hidden whores than public ones.

It is because of shame that the spoiled woman does not use the main street of a village.

The cow that has milk will never lack someone milking it.

If you stop being honest, you will be well paid.

The prostitute is a fence for respectable women.

Shame passes and convenience remains in the home.

When a woman gets gifts by prostitution, she says her boyfriend gave them to her.

A poor whore and a good woman do not exist.

A young whore, an old saint.

As long as the belly keeps silence, all streetwalkers are virgins.

At night streetwalkers, in the morning friends.

Never buy a lame mule thinking it is going to get well nor marry a tainted woman thinking she might reform.

Not a town without prostitutes or dogs without flees.

Son of one mother and ten fathers.

The tears of prostitutes run like rivers.

Africa’s Land and Maritime Boundaries

Why Africa’s Borders Are So Disputed

Africa, the world’s second-largest continent, straddles the equator and has 54 sovereign states. Yet the creation and maintenance of clear national boundaries — on land and at sea — has rarely been straightforward. Many borders were drawn during the colonial era with little concern for cultural, ethnic, or geographic realities. Today, when resources, safety, or national revenue are at stake, unclear boundaries often spark disputes.

Clear property lines matter — but in Africa, land markers can be moved, rivers shift, and maritime zones hold valuable oil, gas, and fishing grounds.

Land Boundaries

Boundary stones or monuments physically mark where one country ends and another begins. However, some nations accuse neighbors of shifting or destroying markers. Others face porous borders that allow refugee flows, migration, and smuggling. For example, Liberia and Ghana have special land commissions to review claims, while other countries rely on old colonial surveys that no longer reflect reality.

Maritime Boundaries

African maritime boundaries define exclusive rights over oil, gas, fishing, and seabed minerals. Normally measured from the coastline, these lines influence both security and economic development. Lakes and rivers, however, are often treated as part of land boundaries and can still cause conflict — such as disputes over Lake Malawi / Lake Nyasa.

Current African Land and Maritime Boundary Disputes

African Country	Key Disputes
Algeria	Rejects Morocco’s claim over Western Sahara; supports the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic; border with Morocco remains closed.
Angola	Accused by the Democratic Republic of Congo of shifting boundary monuments.
Benin	Border dispute with Burkina Faso near Koualou.
Burkina Faso	Boundary alignment issues with Mali, Niger, and Benin; some cases referred to the International Court of Justice.
Côte d’Ivoire	Lost a long maritime boundary case against Ghana in 2017 over 9,000 square nautical miles of offshore oil-rich waters.
Egypt & Sudan	Dispute over Hala’ib Triangle and Bir Tawil; overlapping claims affect oil and mineral rights.
Ghana	Won a 2017 maritime case against Côte d’Ivoire, confirming boundaries critical for offshore drilling.
Kenya	Unclear border in the Ilemi Triangle with South Sudan; large refugee flows strain resources.
Malawi & Tanzania	Dispute over Lake Malawi / Lake Nyasa intensified after oil exploration licenses were issued.
Morocco	Controls Western Sahara despite UN decolonization debates; disputes with Spain over Ceuta, Melilla, and nearby islands.
Nigeria & Cameroon	Long-running Bakassi Peninsula maritime dispute resolved by ICJ but still sensitive locally.
South Sudan & Sudan	Frequent clashes along oil-rich borders; Abyei’s final status remains unresolved.
Zambia & DRC	Contests over small riverine zones and mineral-rich borderlands continue.

This list is a snapshot; border issues evolve as treaties, court rulings, and natural resource discoveries change the stakes.

Did you know? Some African borders were literally drawn with rulers on colonial maps. Today, satellite imagery, oil exploration, and population shifts often reignite decades-old disputes.

Related Reading

• African Country Names You Are Saying Wrong
• What Waist Beads Symbolize in Africa
• About African Healers and Witchdoctors
• Africa’s Highest and Lowest Temperatures

Part of our African Geography Hub — discover how Africa’s land, people, and natural features shape its story.

Part of our African Geography Hub — discover how Africa’s land, people, and natural features shape its story.