African Heads of State
Welcome to our African Heads of State page. What you see below are the profiles of the first post-Independences Heads of State of 55 African nations and their contemporary counterparts, the current Heads of State. Please return to the page often as we will update it when new Heads of State are chosen. If you have questions or concerns about this page, please contact us at [email protected].
African Union Heads of State (African Leadership Magazine)
Burkina Faso
Central African Republic
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Eswatini (formerly Swaziland)
Guinea-Bissau
Niger
Republic of the Congo
São Tomé and Principe
South Sudan
Western Sahara (Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic)
Are Top Leaders in Africa All Presidents?
The top leader of an African country is typically referred to as the President, a title held by the majority of nations across the continent, where a presidential system places the President as both head of state and head of government. In countries with a parliamentary system, such as Ethiopia or Morocco, leadership is divided between a Prime Minister, who oversees day-to-day governance, and a President or Monarch, who may serve a more ceremonial role. Additionally, a few nations, such as Morocco and Eswatini, maintain monarchical systems, where the reigning King is the central figure of authority. These variations reflect the rich diversity of governmental structures throughout Africa, shaped by unique historical, cultural, and constitutional developments.