African Capital Cities
Africa has 54 countries and 54 national capitals, from Algiers to Harare. The table below lists every country with its capital, UN region and any second capital, and links to our city guides covering population, climate, history, airports and travel tips.
All 54 African Countries and Their Capitals
Countries are listed alphabetically. Regions follow the UN geoscheme (North 6, West 16, East 18, Central/Middle 9, Southern 5). Where a country splits capital functions, the city shown is the official capital and the note explains the rest.
Major Cities That Are Not National Capitals
These cities are often mistaken for capitals. Each has its own guide:
- Lagos (Nigeria's largest city; capital is Abuja)
- Abidjan (economic capital of Côte d'Ivoire; official capital is Yamoussoukro)
- Casablanca (Morocco's largest city; capital is Rabat)
- Dar es Salaam (Tanzania's largest city; capital is Dodoma)
- Johannesburg (South Africa's largest city; not a national capital)
- Cape Town (South Africa's legislative capital; executive capital is Pretoria)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many capital cities are there in Africa?
Africa has 54 UN-recognised sovereign countries, so there are 54 national capitals. A few countries split capital functions between cities: South Africa has three (Pretoria, Cape Town and Bloemfontein), and Benin, Burundi, Côte d'Ivoire, Eswatini and Tanzania separate the official capital from the seat of government or the main economic city.
Which African countries have more than one capital?
South Africa has three capitals: Pretoria (executive), Cape Town (legislative) and Bloemfontein (judicial). Benin's official capital is Porto-Novo but the government sits in Cotonou; Eswatini has Mbabane (administrative) and Lobamba (royal and legislative); Burundi moved its political capital to Gitega in 2019 while Bujumbura remains the economic capital.
Is Lagos, Abidjan, Casablanca or Dar es Salaam a capital?
No. They are the largest cities of their countries but not the national capitals. The capitals are Abuja (Nigeria), Yamoussoukro (Côte d'Ivoire), Rabat (Morocco) and Dodoma (Tanzania).
What is the largest capital city in Africa?
Cairo is the largest capital city in Africa, with well over 20 million people in Greater Cairo. Kinshasa, capital of the DR Congo, is the second-largest capital, with an urban population estimated at around 17 million or more.
Last updated: September 2026.