Africa’s 10 most literate countries: Where Zimbabwe and South Africa rank

Zimbabwe and South Africa feature among the African countries with the highest reported adult literacy rates, according to World Population Review’s 2026 literacy-rate ranking.

The ranking compares countries using reported data, although the figures were collected in different years.

This means the list offers a snapshot of available data rather than a uniform assessment of literacy levels across Africa in 2026.

According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), adult literacy measures the percentage of people aged 15 and older who can read and write with understanding a short, simple statement about everyday life.

Africa’s 10 most literate countries

World Population Review lists the following countries among Africa’s 10 highest-ranked by reported adult literacy rate.

Rank	Country	Literacy rate
1	Mauritius	94.33%
2	Seychelles	93.95%
3	Zimbabwe	93.23%
4	South Africa	91.15%
5	Libya	91.00%
6	Eswatini	90.75%
7	Lesotho	90.45%
8	Gabon	88.86%
9	Cape Verde	88.47%
10	Equatorial Guinea	88.31%

Source: World Population Review.

Literacy: Zimbabwe ranks above South Africa

Zimbabwe takes third place with a reported literacy rate of 93.23%, based on 2019 data.

The figure comprises 93.07% for males and 93.36% for females, according to the ranking.

South Africa follows in fourth place, with a reported literacy rate of 91.15% based on 2024 data.

Its reported male rate is 91.50%, compared with 90.83% among females.

The figures put Zimbabwe 2.08 percentage points ahead of South Africa.

However, because the data comes from different years, this difference does not establish which country has the higher literacy rate today.

Different years behind the literacy rankings

Mauritius leads the African list with a reported literacy rate of 94.33%, based on 2023 data. Seychelles follows at 93.95%, although its reported figure dates back to 2010.

The underlying data for the remaining countries also varies in age. Equatorial Guinea’s reported rate of 88.31%, for example, comes from 2000, while Libya’s 91% figure is based on 2015 data.

UNESCO’s Institute for Statistics explains that literacy figures are generally compiled from national censuses and household surveys. Definitions and measurement methods can differ between countries, limiting direct comparisons.

The ranking therefore provides a snapshot of reported adult literacy rates rather than a uniform assessment of current reading and writing skills across Africa.