Top 15 greatest African leaders of all time and their achievements

African leaders were willing to put everything on the line to face the unknown and activate change in Africa. Explore this list of the greatest African leaders who are well known to this day and who helped shape the history of the land many call home. These men and women were pioneers in their own way.

What set apart these greatest African leaders in history was their pursuit of progress and peace on the continent. No matter the challenges these African leaders faced daily, they always placed themselves at the front of developmental matters and equity in Africa.

Greatest African leaders of all time

Who are the greatest leaders of all time? Here is the list of the top 15 African greatest leaders in no particular order. All of these people created a powerful impact on the whole world.

15. Léopold Sédar Senghor

• Full name: Léopold Sédar Senghor
• Date of birth: 9 October 1906
• Age: 95 years (at the time of his death)
• Died: 20 December 2001
• Nationality: Senegalese

Léopold Sédar Senghor was a Senegalese poet, politician, and cultural theorist who played a significant role in the fight against colonialism and the struggle for independence in Africa. He was the first president of Senegal, serving from 1960 to 1980.

Senghor was also a prominent figure in the Negritude movement, which emerged in the 1930s as a literary and intellectual movement that celebrated the black experience and sought to reclaim the cultural heritage of Africa.

14. Thabo Mbeki

• Full name: Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki
• Date of birth: 18 June 1942
• Age: 80 years (as of 2023)
• Nationality: South African

Thabo Mbeki is a South African politician who served as the country's president from 1999 to 2008. Mbeki played a significant role in the anti-apartheid movement and was a key figure in the negotiations that led to the end of apartheid and democracy in South Africa.

As president, Mbeki was known for his focus on economic growth and development and his efforts to promote African unity and international cooperation.

13. Wangari Maathai

• Full name: Wangari Muta Maathai
• Date of birth: 1 April 1940
• Age: 71 years (at the time of her death)
• Died: 25 September 2011
• Nationality: Kenyan

Wangari Muta Maathai was a Kenyan environmental and political activist. She was the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 for contributing to sustainable development, democracy, and peace.

Maathai advocated for environmental conservation and sustainable development in Kenya and worldwide. She founded the Green Belt Movement in 1977, focusing on planting trees and empowering women to participate in environmental conservation efforts.

12. Robert Mugabe

• Full name: Robert Gabriel Mugabe
• Date of birth: 21 February 1924
• Age: 95 years (at the time of his death)
• Died: 6 September 2019
• Nationality: Zimbabwean

Robert Mugabe was a Zimbabwean politician who served as the country's Prime Minister from 1980 to 1987 and as its President from 1987 until he was forced to resign in November 2017.

Both achievements and controversies marked Mugabe's rule. On the one hand, his government introduced policies that expanded access to education and healthcare and redistributed land from white farmers to black Zimbabweans.

11. Dedan Kimathi

• Full name: Dedan Kimathi Waciuri
• Date of birth: 31 October 1920
• Age: 36 years (at the time of his death)
• Died: 18 February 1957
• Nationality: Kenyan

Dedan Kimathi was a Kenyan freedom fighter and a leader in the Mau Mau rebellion against British colonial rule in Kenya. He is remembered as a hero and a symbol of Kenya's struggle for independence and self-determination. His legacy has inspired many in the country and across the African continent to continue fighting for their rights and freedoms.

10. Nelson Mandela

• Full name: Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela
• Date of birth: 18 July 1918
• Age: 95 years (at the time of his death)
• Died: 5 December 2013
• Nationality: South African

Who is the greatest African leader of all time? Nelson Mandela is one of the great African leaders and activists referred to as Madiba (his traditional Xhosa name) and was arrested for his activism more than once.

He sacrificed a great deal of his life fighting against apartheid in the country before becoming the president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999.

He was released from prison after 27 years, and he won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 for his work to end apartheid in SA. Nelson Mandela is regarded as a symbol of global peace. He is considered by many to be at the top of all the great South African leaders in the history of Africa.

9. Haile Selassie

• Full name: Haile Selassie I
• Date of birth: 23 July 1892
• Age: 83 years (at the time of his death)
• Died: 27 August 1975
• Nationality: Ethiopian

Haile Selassie, or Ras Tafari Makonnen, was a member of the Solomonic Dynasty. He was an Ethiopian ruler from 1916 to 1974 and the emperor from 1930 to 1974.

During his time in power, he fought for social fairness and focused on the education of the people by constructing many schools. Ethiopia became a charter member of the UN due to his views and visions.

8. Kwame Nkrumah

• Full name: Francis Kwame Nkrumah
• Date of birth: 21 September 1909
• Age: 63 years (at the time of his death)
• Died: 27 April 1972
• Nationality: Ghanaian

Dr Kwame Nkrumah is a praised politician from Ghana who led the country from 1951 to 1966 with the main mission of gaining independence from its colonial master, Britain.

He held the position of the first president of Ghana, and many say that he was the founder of this country. Kwame was a Pan-Africanist who assisted in finding the Africa Union, formerly the Organization of African Union.

7. Julius Nyerere

• Full name: Julius Kambarage Nyerere
• Date of birth: 13 April 1922
• Age: 77 years (at the time of his death)
• Died: 14 October 1999
• Nationality: Tanzanian

The first president of Tanzania was Julius Nyerere, who ruled from 1961 to 1985. Nyerere played a major role in finding the Tanganyika African National Union; as president of this party, he pressured Britain for independence.

Tanzania gained self-governance in 1961. Nyerere successfully negotiated the union of Zanzibar and Tanganyika in 1964, resulting in what we know today as Tanzania.

6. Patrice Lumumba

• Full name: Patrice Émery Lumumba
• Date of birth: 2 July 1925
• Age: 36 years (at the time of his death)
• Died: 17 January 1961
• Nationality: Congolese

Lumumba was a Congolese politician who fought for the country's independence from Belgium. He was the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Congo in 1960.

Patrice founded the Congolese National Movement, and he made use of Pan-African ideologies to gain independence. Congo gained freedom from Belgium in 1961 due to Lumumba's struggles.

5. Kofi Annan

• Full name: Kofi Atta Annan
• Date of birth: 8 April 1938
• Age: 80 years (at the time of his death)
• Died: 18 August 2018
• Nationality: Ghanaian

Kofi was a highly revered Ghanaian diplomat. From 1997 to 2006, he successfully led the United Nations as the 7th secretary-general. Annan fought the AIDS pandemic in Africa and actively worked to erase social issues in the world. In 2006, Kofi and the UN were awarded a Nobel Peace Prize for their hard work.

4. Thomas Isidore Noel Sankara

• Full name: Thomas Isidore Noël Sankara
• Date of birth: 21 December 1949
• Age: 37 years (at the time of his death)
• Died: 15 October 1987
• Nationality: Burkinabe

Thomas Sankara is viewed as an icon of the revolution. Many refer to him as the "Che Guevara of Africa". Sankara became the president of Burkina Faso from 1983 to 1987.

Thomas was a headstrong Pan-Africanist who seized power in 1983 and worked to eliminate corruption and eradicate the former French colonial power's dominance.

3. Jomo Kenyatta

• Full name: Jomo Kenyatta
• Date of birth: 1897
• Age: 81 years (at the time of his death)
• Died: 22 August 1978
• Nationality: Kenyan

Jomo Kenyatta was an activist who opposed the country's colonial rule. He became the first president of Kenya. Jomo played a major role in ensuring that Kenya gained independence in 1963.

He was on the front line in the Kenya National African Union, and he brought economic growth to the country. Jomo promoted peace and oversaw Kenya's registration with the African Union.

2. Kenneth Kaunda

• Full name: Kenneth David Kaunda
• Date of birth: 28 April 1924
• Age: 97 years (at the time of his death)
• Died: 17 June 2021
• Nationality: Zambian

Kenneth Kaunda is a retired politician who became the first president of Zambia and held office from 1964 to 1991. He gained political experience in 1949 as a foreign affairs interpreter. Kenneth used peaceful protests and negotiations as a United National Independence Party leader to successfully gain independence for Zambia in 1964.

1. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf

• Full name: Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf
• Date of birth: 29 October 1938
• Age: 84 years (as of 2023)
• Nationality: Liberian

Who is the most powerful woman in Africa? Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf is referred to as "Africa’s Iron Lady" and was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize in 2011. She was the first great African female leader and head of state.

She was the 24th president of Liberia and held office from 2006 to 2018. She has been praised for bringing steadiness back to Liberia after many years of civil war. Ellen is also referred to as "Africa’s Iron Lady" and was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize in 2011.

Summary of the greatest African leaders

1. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf
2. Kenneth Kaunda
3. Jomo Kenyatta
4. Thomas Isidore Noel Sankara
5. Kofi Annan
6. Patrice Lumumba
7. Julius Nyerere
8. Kwame Nkrumah
9. Haile Selassie
10. Nelson Mandela
11. Dedan Kimathi
12. Robert Mugabe
13. Wangari Maathai
14. Thabo Mbeki
15. Léopold Sédar Senghor

Great South African leaders

Quotes by great African leaders

Below is a list of great African leaders' quotes to inspire you every day.

• No one is born a good citizen; no nation is born a democracy. - Kofi Annan
• While revolutionaries, as individuals, can be killed, and can be murdered, you cannot kill ideas. - Thomas Sankara
• Education is not a way to escape poverty, it is a way of fighting it. - Julius Nyerere
• Action without thought is empty. Thought without action is blind. - Kwame Nkrumah
• I am an African. I owe my being to the hills and the valleys, the mountains and the glades, the rivers, the deserts, the trees, the flowers, the seas and the ever-changing seasons that define the face of our native land. - Thabo Mbeki
• It’s the little things citizens do. That’s what will make the difference. - Wangari Maathai
• Africa must revert to what it was before the imperialists divided it. These are artificial divisions which we, in our pan-African concept, will seek to remove. - Robert Mugabe
• Political independence has no meaning if it is not accompanied by rapid economic and social development. Speech at the All-African Conference in Leopoldville August 1960. - Patrice Lumumba
• Democracy is not just about elections, rather, democracy is first and foremost about laws and institutions that guarantee the rights of its citizens, and respect, even protect, religious freedom.- Kofi Annan
• Democracy depends on the lively participation of organised civil society in political life. Politics is too important to be left only to politicians. - Kofi Annan

Africa has produced some of the most inspiring and influential leaders in human history. The contributions of these greatest African leaders have established a leadership standard that continues to inspire and guide the continent today.

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Source: Briefly News