There are hundreds of African proverbs for all ages. The African proverb has never lost its popularity because it is believed to carry great wisdom and knowledge, even today.
If you want to know what Africans think about life, love, peace, war, family relationships or conflicts, there’s a proverb for every aspect of life. A proverb might sound like something spoken in vain, but its context is not necessarily negative.
Some African proverbs are more popular than others and the following list contains the most famous African proverbs of all time. They are categorized under different themes to make it easier for you to find one that best fits your circumstances.
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African Proverbs About Love
1. “When you marry a monkey for his wealth, the money goes but the monkey remains.”
2. “Truth should be in love and love in truth.”
3. “Where there is love, there is no darkness.”
4. “When one is in love, a cliff becomes a meadow.”v
5. “It is better to be loved than to be feared.”
6. “He who loves, loves you with your dirt.”
African Proverbs About Life
7. “Only a fool tests the depth of a river with no feet.”
8. “A bird that flies off the Earth and lands on an anthill is still on the ground.”
9. “Do not look where you feel. Look where you slipped.”
10. “Examine what is said, not who is speaking.”
11. “Restless feet might walk you into a snake pit.”
12. “No shortcuts exist to the top of a palm tree.”
13. “No shortcuts exist to the top of a palm tree.”
African Proverbs About Wisdom
14. “Wisdom is wealth.”
15. “The fool speaks, the wise man listens.”
16. “Wisdom is like a baobab tree; no one individual can embrace it.”
17. “Wisdom does not come overnight.”
18. “Wisdom is like fire. People take it from others.”
19. “Tomorrow belongs to people who prepare for it today.”
19. “When two elephants fight, it is the grass that gets hurt.”
20. “He who digs a grave for his enemy might as well be digging one for himself.”
21. “However long the night, the dawn will break.”
22. “No matter how beautiful and well crafted a coffin might look, it will not make anyone wish for death.”
23. “Rain does not fall on one roof alone.”
24. “One who marries for love alone will have bad days but good nights.”
24. “He may say that he loves you, wait and see what he does for you.”
25. “If you are filled with pride, then you will have no room for wisdom.”
26. “A wise person will always find a way.”
27. “Nobody is born wise.”
28. “Knowledge without wisdom is like water in the sand.”
29. “Just because the lizard nods his head, doesn’t mean he’s in agreement.”
30. “If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.”
31. “A fool has to say something. A wise person has something to say.”
African Proverbs About Family
32. “A family tie is like a tree, it can bend but it cannot break.”
33. “A child is what you put into him.”
34. “If you educate a man, you educate one person. If you educate a woman, you educate a whole family.”
35. “It takes a village to raise a child.”
36. “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
37. “Brothers love each other when they are equally rich.”
38. “When brothers fight to the death, a stranger inherits their father’s estate.”
39. “Family must look out for family.”
40. “It is hard to cure madness that originates in the family.”
Read Also: 50 Self Love Quotes to Inspire You to Love Yourself
Peace Nero is a writer and blogger who loves to explore different topics of self-development. She shares her personal experiences in order to help people discover their true purpose in life.
