The Wisdom of African Proverbs – Get inspired From 300 African Proverbs From all Around African Continent!
Here’s a list of African proverbs from around African the continent. Some are known to come from specific African tribes, ethnic groups, or African countries, and others have an unknown source and are listed simply as “African proverbs.” Some proverbs are romantic, some thought provoking and some perhaps a bit lost in translation.
Supposing doesn’t fill the grain basket ‘if’ doesn’t fill the larder. ~ Ovambo Proverb
There are no shortcuts to the top of the palm tree. ~ Cameroonian Proverb
All monkeys cannot hang on the same branch. ~ Kenyan Proverb
Those who are absent are always wrong. ~ Congolese Proverb
God has created lands with lakes and rivers for man to live. And the desert so that he can find his soul. ~ Tuareg Proverb
Do not allow the belly to make you useless. ~ Maasai Proverb
Little by little grow the bananas. ~ Congolese Proverb
If you overtake a leader, you break your neck. ~ Ugandan Proverb
The big game often appears when the hunter has given up the hunt for the day. ~ Igbo Proverb
A clever king is the brother of peace. ~ South African Proverb
Do not call to a dog with a whip in your hand. ~ Sudanese Proverb
Maasai Jumping Dance
The blame of the antelope is on the hunter. ~ Kenyan Proverb
Good music goes with good food. ~ African Proverb
Haste and hurry can only bear children with many regrets along the way. ~ Senegalese Proverb
A fully grown up tree cannot be bent into a walking stick. ~ Kenyan Proverb
No matter how full the river, it still wants to grow. ~ Congolese Proverb
Birds of all kinds will end up landing. ~ Egyptian Proverb
I shall come for the cows after the donkeys have grown horns. ~Meru Proverb
If love is a sickness, patience is the remedy. ~ Cameroonian Proverb
Other people’s wisdom prevents the king from being called a fool. ~ Nigerian Proverb
Knowledge without wisdom is like water in the sand. ~ Guinean Proverb
Ingratitude is sooner or later fatal to its author. ~ Twi Proverb
The laughter of a child lights up the house. ~ Swahili proverb
Maasai Authentic Celebration
Even an ant can hurt an elephant. ~ South African Proverb
Examine what is said, not him who speaks. ~ Egyptian Proverb
One camel does not make fun of the other camel’s hump. ~ Ghanaian Proverb
If you educate a man you educate one individual, but if you educate a woman you educate a family. ~Fanti Proverb
The sun never sets without fresh news. ~Xhosa Proverb
The good mother knows what her children will eat. ~ Akan Proverb
When the mother goat breaks into the yam store her kid watches her. ~ Igbo Proverb
Even as the archer loves the arrow that flies, so too he loves the bow that remains constant in his hands. ~ Nigerian Proverb
Rich people cook their food in a potsherd. ~ Kikuyu Proverb
Sudanese Wedding in Khartoum
Rising early makes the road short. ~ African Proverb[clickToTweet tweet=”Rising early makes the road short. ~ African Proverb #africa #inspiration #quotes” quote=”Rising early makes the road short. ~ African Proverb”]
If the elders leave you a legacy of dignified language, you do not abandon it and speak childish language. ~ Ghanaian Proverb
The elephant does not limp when walking on thorns. ~ Ethiopian Proverb
An ox shits more than a hundred mosquitoes ~ Mozambican proverb
A person with too much ambition cannot sleep in peace. ~ Chadian Proverb
There is no return, worse luck for could I return, I would foresee what has come into the country. ~ Bantu Proverb
Around a flowering tree there are many insects. ~ Guinean Proverb
He is like a drum which makes a lot of noise but is hollow inside. ~ Sudanese Proverb
Coffee and love taste best when hot. ~ Ethiopian Proverb [clickToTweet tweet=”Coffee and love taste best when hot. ~ Ethiopian #Proverb #africa #love #coffee” quote=”Coffee and love taste best when hot. ~ Ethiopian Proverb”]
When the food is cooked there is no need to wait before eating it. ~ Kikuyu Proverb
Baboons do not go far from the place of their birth. ~ Masai Proverb
The chameleon looks in all directions before moving ~ Ugandan Proverb
Lonely is one. ~ Maasai Proverb
Time destroys all things. ~ Nigerian Proverb
Little by little the bird builds its nest. ~ Nigerian Proverb
Numbers can achieve anything. ~ Ghanaian Proverb
A brave man dies once, a coward a thousand times. ~ Somali Proverb
Only someone else can scratch your back. ~ Kenyan Proverb
It’s like removing a hyena from a pit. ~ Meru Proverb
Berber Guys Singing (Morocco)
He who does not seize opportunity today, will be unable to seize tomorrow’s opportunity. ~ Somali Proverb
Misfortune of soup made of shanks and feet. ~ Xhosa Proverb
Rich people sometimes eat bad food. ~ Kikuyu Proverb
He who refuses to obey cannot command. ~ Kenyan Proverb
The cow that bellows does so for all cows. ~ Kenyan Proverb
The chameleon changes color to match the earth, the earth doesn’t change colors to match the chameleon. ~ Senegalese Proverb
If an arrow has not entered deeply, then its removal is not hard. ~ Buli Proverb
Where error gets to, correction cannot reach. ~ Ghanaian Proverb
We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors we borrow it from our children. ~ Haida Proverb
If you damage the character of another, you damage your own. ~ Yoruba Proverb
He who doesn’t clean his mouth before breakfast always complains that the food is sour. ~ African Proverb
You cannot climb to the mountain top without crushing some weeds with your feet ~ Ugandan Proverb
Even the best dancer on the stage must retire sometime. ~ African Proverb
If you have no teeth, do not break to clay cooking pot. ~ Chewa Proverb
When the moon is not full, the stars shine more brightly. ~ Buganda People of Uganda
Leadership comes from God ~ Kenyan Proverb
The friends of our friends are our friends. ~Congolese Proverb
The elders of the village are the boundaries. ~ Ghanaian Proverb
Those who are born on top of the anthill take a short time to grow tall. ~ Ghanaian Proverb
When a fish rots, the head stinks first ~ Ghanaian Proverb
One foot isn’t enough to walk with. ~ Egyptian Proverb
An empty pot makes the loudest noise. ~Kenyan Proverb
If you are building a house and a nail breaks, do you stop building, or do you change the nail? ~ African Proverb
Where a woman rules, stream run uphill. ~ Ethiopian Proverb
If a stranger comes to stay with you, do not forget when you lay aside his weapons that he is hungry. ~ Maasai Proverb
Do not call to a dog with a whip in your hand. ~ Sudanese Proverb
Good millet is known at the harvest. ~ Liberian Proverb
Family names are like flowers, they blossom in clusters. ~African Proverb
One fly does not provide for another ~ Xhosa Proverb
It is not the cook’s fault when the cassava turns out to be hard and tasteless. ~ Ewe Proverb
It is the belly which daily gives thanks. ~ Maasai Proverb
No matter how big a child is, he cannot deny that he was once carried on the back of a woman. ~ African Proverb
If you do not know death, look at the grave. ~Kenyan Proverb
When the lion cannot find meat, it eats grass. ~Kenyan Proverb
When a woman is hungry, she says, Roast something for the children that they might eat. ~ Ashanti Proverb
One whose seeds have not sprouted does not give up planting. ~ Kenyan Proverb
A king’s child is a slave elsewhere. ~ Zimbabwean Proverb
He who loves the vase loves also what is inside. ~ African Proverb
What is bad luck for one man is good luck for another. ~Ashanti Proverb
Prepare now for the solutions of tomorrow. ~ Congolese Proverb
The bee is the doctor of flowers. ~ Congolese Proverb
A bridge is repaired only when someone falls into the water. ~ Somali Proverbs
What is inflated too much will break into fragments. ~ Ethiopian Proverb
However much it rains on you, no wild banana tree will grow on your head. ~ Kenyan Proverb
A snake that you can see does not bite. ~ Mozambican Proverb
One who relates with a corrupt person likewise gets corrupted. ~ Kenyan Proverb
The words of the elders become sweet some day. ~ Malawian Proverb
More precious than our children are the children of our children. ~ Egyptian Proverb
The Rhinoceros never dances with the monkey. ~Nigerian Proverb
Confiding a secret to an unworthy person is like carrying grain in a bag with a hole. ~ Nilotic Proverb
Unity is the real thing ~ Kenyan Proverb
A bird that allows itself to be caught will find a way of escaping. ~ Cameroonian Proverb
Better little, than too little. ~ Burundian Proverb
If you are ugly you must either learn to dance or make love. ~ Zimbabwean Proverb
If there were no elephant in the jungle, the buffalo would be a great animal. ~Ghanaian Proverb
The brother or sister who does not respect the traditions of the elders will not be allowed to eat with the elders. ~ Ga People of Ghana
No tattoo is made without blood. ~ Mozambican Proverb
Live patiently in the world know that those who hate you are more numerous than those who love you. ~ African Proverb
A child one does not instruct on return, one instructs him when going. ~ Bantu Proverb
Suppression of hunger leads to death. ~ Kenyan Proverb
A canoe does not know who the leader is when it turns over, everyone gets wet. ~ Proverb from Madagascar
We should put out fire while it is still small. ~ Kenyan Proverb
Water that has been begged for does not quench the thirst. ~ Soga People of Uganda
Let it be a bite of a cockroach and fly with the wind. ~ Meru Proverb
The song of a stranger-woman is answered after she has gone. ~ Kikuyu Proverb
The humble pay for the mistakes of their leaders. ~ Tanzanian Proverb
Discord between the powerful is a fortune for the poor. ~ African Proverb
No person is born great great people become great when others are sleeping. ~ African Proverb
A person who has children does not die. ~ Nigerian Proverb
Dance, father, people’s eyes don’t eat, they just stare. ~ Bantu Proverb
Who ever suggested that rats should become chiefs? ~ Ugandan Proverb
Rain does not fall on one roof alone. ~ Cameroonian Proverb [clickToTweet tweet=”Rain does not fall on one roof alone. ~ Cameroonian #Proverb” quote=”Rain does not fall on one roof alone. ~ Cameroonian Proverb”]
He who dictates separates himself from others. ~ Somali Proverb
The jungle is stronger than the elephant. ~ South African Proverb
He has rubbed shoulders against a baobab tree. ~ Meru Proverb
If your mouth turns into a knife, it will cut off your lips. ~ Rwandan Proverb
Women have no chief. ~ Acholi Proverb
If your sister is in the group of singing girls, you name always comes into the song. ~Ghanaian Proverb
The antics of a market buffoon provide laughter, but nobody prays that his child becomes the market buffoon. ~ African Proverb
A rooster is not expected to crow for the whole world. ~ African Proverb
To lead is not to run roughshod over people ~ Kenyan Proverb
If while climbing a tree you insist on going beyond the top, the earth will be waiting for you. ~ African Proverb
One arrow can knock down an elephant. ~ Kenyan Proverb
All errors are amendable. ~ African Proverb
A weaning baby that does not cry aloud will die on its mothers back. ~ Zimbabwean Proverb
No water without waves. ~ Kenyan Proverb
Even if you bewitch in the night, you will be known. ~ Kenyan Proverb
Glory does not come by calling. ~ Kenyan Proverb
He who cannot dance will say, The drum is bad! ~ Ashanti Proverb
The stick in the hand kills the snake. ~ Kenyan Proverb
A tree cannot stand without roots. ~ Congolese Proverb [clickToTweet tweet=”A tree cannot stand without roots. ~ Congolese #Proverb” quote=”A tree cannot stand without roots. ~ Congolese Proverb”]
Horn blowers, blow in unison. ~ Ugandan Proverb
A Tutsi liked to warm himself by the fire someone else took the bull. ~ Zinza People of Tanzania
Crying a lot does not give you peace of mind. ~ Burundian Proverb
If a leader loves you, he makes sure you build your house on rock ~ Ugandan Proverb
Old and new millet seeds end up in the same mill. ~ Acholi Proverb
If while climbing a tree you insist on going beyond the top, the earth will be waiting for you. ~African Proverb
Love is a despot who spares no one. ~ Namibian Proverb
When you mention the person with one eye, the one with the eye problem reacts. ~ Kenyan Proverb
A tree does not move unless there is wind. ~ Nigerian Proverb
Love is like a baby: it needs to be treated tenderly. ~ Congolese Proverb
A quarrelsome chief does not hold a village together. ~ Malawian Proverb
The belly does not swell if a woman is not pregnant. ~ Maasai Proverb
We are what our thinking makes us. ~ Nigerian Proverb
To love someone who does not love you, is like shaking a tree to make the dew drops fall. ~ African Proverb from The Congo
A slippery person is not a king. ~ Kenyan Proverb
It is difficult for two long-nosed lovers to kiss. ~ African Proverb
The vultures would not land at the village in which there is a wise old man. ~ Meru Proverb
The strong bull is overcome when it limps ~ Ethiopian Proverb
The eye cannot penetrate darkness. ~ Maasai Proverb
He who learns, teaches. ~ Ethiopian Proverb
Copying everyone else all the time, the monkey one day cut his throat. ~ Zulu Proverb
The strong do not need clubs. ~Senegalese Proverb
When a king reigns, it is thanks to the people when a river sings, it is thanks to the stones. ~ African Proverb
If the palm of the hand itches it signifies the coming of great luck. ~ Lesotho Proverb
He who is unable to dance says the yard is stony. ~ Kenyan Proverb
The one nearest to the enemy is the real leader ~ Ugandan Proverb
The hen pecks and wipes its beak. ~ Kenyan Proverb
A flea can trouble a lion more than a lion can trouble a flea. ~ Kenyan Proverb
So many little things makes a man love a woman in a BIG way. ~ Ghanaian Proverb
When I think of the others’s misfortunes, I forget mine. ~ Algerian Proverb
If a blind man says he will throw a stone at you, he probably has his foot on one. ~ Ghanaian Proverb
Every door has its own key. ~ Kenyan Proverb
Supposing doesn’t fill the grain basket ‘if’ doesn’t fill the larder. ~ Ovambo Proverb
Every fame has a foundation. ~ African Proverb
To neglect one’s ancestors would bring ill-fortune and failure in life. ~ African Proverb
Happiness requires something to do, something to love and something to hope for. ~ Swahili Proverb
A bird that flies from the ground onto an anthill does not know that it is still on the ground. ~ Nigerian Proverb
You can not tell a hungry child that you gave him food yesterday. ~ Zimbabwean Proverb[clickToTweet tweet=”You can not tell a hungry child that you gave him food yesterday. ~ Zimbabwean #Proverb” quote=”You can not tell a hungry child that you gave him food yesterday. ~ Zimbabwean Proverb”]
What has horns must not be hid in a sack. ~ Zulu Proverb
An okra tree does not grow taller that its master. ~ Krio (Sierra Leona) Proverb
He is a fool whose sheep runs away twice. ~ Ashanti Proverb
When your neighbour’s horse falls into a pit, you should not rejoice at it, for your own child may fall into it too. ~ Yoruba Proverb
All heads are the same, but not all thoughts are the same. ~ Ghanaian Proverb
Even the fiercest leader in the world is overcome by sleep. ~ Malawian Proverb
Supposing doesn’t fill the grain basket ‘if’ doesn’t fill the larder. ~ Ovambo Proverb
Fear no forest because it is dense. ~ African Proverb
An empty pot makes the loudest noise. ~ Kenyan Proverb
One head alone does not go into council ~ Ghanaian Proverb
Birds sing not because they have answers but because they have songs. ~ African Proverb
A slave has no choice. ~ Kenyan Proverb
Children are the reward of life. ~ African Proverb from the Congo
Obstinacy does not redeem anyone. ~ Malawian Proverb
When a thing becomes perfect, it soon fades. ~ Moroccan Proverb
A man’s wealth may be superior to him. ~ Cameroonian Proverb
No masika (rain season) without mosquitoes. ~ Kenyan Proverb
Only a medicine man gets rich by sleeping. ~ Kenyan Proverb
The rain does not recognize anyone as a friend it drenches all equally. ~ Ibo Proverb (Nigeria)
The betrothed of good is evil the betrothed of life is death the betrothed of love is divorce. ~ Malawian Proverb
Never marry a woman who has bigger feet than you. ~ Mozambican Proverb
No matter how beautiful and well crafted a coffin might look, it will not make anyone wish for death. ~African Proverb
The heart of the wise man lies quiet like limpid water. ~Proverb from Cameroon
Hope does not disappoint. ~South African Proverb
Those who accomplish great things pay attention to little ones. ~Malian Proverb
A child’s lie is like a dead fish in a pond that in the end, always comes to the surface, explains his mother. ~Luo proverb
If two wise men always agree, then there is no need for one of them. ~ Zambian Proverb
If you are filled with pride, then you will have no room for wisdom. ~ Tanzanian Proverb
The key to a healthy body is a good head. ~ Somali Proverb
If the wind blows, it enters every crevice. ~ Egyptian Proverb
The more feathers a chicken has, the bigger it looks. ~ Zambian Proverb
Don’t fight a lion with a stick. ~ Maasai Proverb
Do not tell the man who is carrying you that he stinks. ~ African Proverb from Sierra Leone
Where there is no shame, there is no honor. ~ Ethiopian Proverb
When your neighbour is wrong you point a finger, but when you are wrong you hide. ~ Ekonda People of the Congo
A crowd can easily overpower a bull. ~ South African Proverb
It is the grass that suffers when elephants fight. ~ Kenyan Proverb
If we put a hammer in every person’s hand, could they all become blacksmiths? ~ Ghanaian Proverb
There is not such a thing in the world as a sheep of many colours. ~ Masai Proverb
The roaring lion kills no prey ~ Nigerian Proverb
Even in the monastery there is occasion for song and merriment. ~ Ethiopian Proverb
Being happy is better than being king. ~ Nigerian Proverb
A boat cannot go forward if each rows his own way. ~ Tanzanian Proverb
A little rain each day will fill the rivers to overflowing. ~African Proverb from Madagascar
The growing millet does not fear the sun. ~ Acholi Proverb
You don’t need a light to see someone you know intimately at night. ~ Ghanaian Proverb
Gold should be sold to the one who knows the value of it. ~ African Proverb
Slowly, slowly, porridge goes into the gourd. ~ Kuria People of Kenyan & Tanzania
You cannot force water up a hill. ~ Maasai Proverb [clickToTweet tweet=”You cannot force water up a hill. ~ Maasai #Proverb” quote=”You cannot force water up a hill. ~ Maasai Proverb”]
When a strong man sends a message, he sends it with a weak man ~Ethiopian Proverb
A child does not laugh at the ugliness of his mother. ~Ghanaian Proverb
A deaf ear is followed by death and an ear that listens is followed by blessings. ~ Samburu Proverb
A big fish is caught with big bait. ~ African Proverb from Sierra Leone
Wealth is like hair in the nose: it hurts to be separated whether from a little or from a lot. ~ Malagasy Proverb
If you think you have someone eating out of your hands, it is a good idea to count your fingers. ~ Nigerian Proverb
Even the Niger river must flow around an island. ~ Hausa Proverb
Where you will sit when you are old shows where you stood in youth. ~ Yoruba Proverb
Leadership does not depend on age. ~ Namibian Proverb
Words are sweet, but they never take the place of food. ~ Ibo proverb [clickToTweet tweet=”Words are sweet, but they never take the place of food. ~ Ibo #proverb” quote=”Words are sweet, but they never take the place of food. ~ Ibo proverb”]
A single bracelet does not jingle. ~ Congolese Proverb
Pretend you are dead and you will see who really loves you. ~ African Proverb
A woman is never old when it comes to the dance she knows. ~ African Proverb
When the baobab tree has fallen, the goats start climbing on it. ~ Malian Proverb
Eat when the food is ready speak when the time is right. ~ Ethiopian Proverb
One who causes others misfortune also teaches them wisdom. ~ African Proverb
When the powerful sit, they are none the weaker. ~ Ugandan Proverb
Too much discussion leads to a quarrel. ~ Ivorian Proverb
He who tells the truth is never wrong. ~ Swahili Proverb [clickToTweet tweet=”He who tells the truth is never wrong. ~ Swahili #Proverb” quote=”He who tells the truth is never wrong. ~ Swahili Proverb”]
If you do not have patience you cannot make beer. ~ Ovambo proverb
An intelligent enemy is better than a stupid friend. ~ Senegalese proverb
“An ox shits more than a hundred mosquitoes” – Mozambican proverb
Can be used, for instance, in this situation:some weak men trying to lift a big weight, and a strong man comes up lifting the weight effortlessly …
I love your site, I was born in Mozambique.
Hello Antonio, thanks for reading this post and means a lot that readers like you like this site! Also thanks for taking time to add a proverb not yet on this list! Will be added to this article shortly!
A child who does not know a Medicine calls it Vegetables.
Another great African Proverb, thanks for sharing!
Wonderful site! I am looking specifically for elephant proverbs. Do you know of any good places to look? Thanks for a good start.
“if two men always agree then there is no need for one of them….” Namibian saying too educative.
if something is of need to either parties, there is always disagreement because neither of them wants to lose.
am from Uganda but this proverb is inspiring.
My favourite at the moment is Tuareg proverb: ” God has created lands with lakes and rivers for man to live. And the desert so that he can find his soul.”
Comment… two rams can’t drink in thesame bucket, they will lock horns….
“Until the Lion learns how to write, every story will glorify the hunter” is my favourite.
I love it! Thanks for sharing!
I love Afrikan wisdom!MEDASE PA(I THANK YOU VERY MUCH I LAY AT YOUR FEET).
Ouf!!! This is what I have been looking for. Great job!!
Proverbs are food to the soul of a wise man. Beautiful work i must say. This are the type of things i was trained with from infant. Thank you for this beautiful collection. Am inspired and may coconut grow on your head. The sweetness of the walnut will never replace the kola nut in an elders meeting. Thank u
No matter how black a cow is it will always produce a white milk.
“When two people are responsible for feeding a horse, it will either get fat or it will starve.”
Never marry a woman who has a bigger feet than u.please I want to know the implications.!!!!
An egg seller doesn’t start a fight in the market.
Lango proverb –
thats why am proud to be an african
Never marry a woman who has bigger feet than you. Can you please tell the meaning this?
Love does not have a location, just appreciate what you have.
If your anus does not smell, then you are either dead or the one smelling is dead.
Lango proverb.
Implication,….. Not everything that smells bad means bad…. Others signify life!
Great proverbs, please do more research on Nigerian proverbs, specifically Yoruba proverbs. Thank me later.
Every elephant is able to carry it’s tusks.
Kikuyu (Kenyan) proverb.