72+ African Wise Proverbs And Inspiring Quotes

Wisdom is wealth! One thing I respect deeply about Africa is the treasure of wisdom our ancestors have handed down to us. While some of our leaders may have forgotten them, the rest of us don’t need to. From prudent sayings on wisdom itself, to judicious encouragements, warnings and even quirky advice on learning, patience, unity, wealth, poverty, community, family, love and marriage, these quotes will inspire you to be the best you can possibly be.

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WHEN YOU FOLLOW IN THE PATH OF YOUR FATHER, YOU LEARN TO WALK LIKE HIM. ~ASHANTI PROVERB

African Quotes on Wisdom

Wisdom is wealth. ~ Swahili
Wisdom is like a baobab tree; no one individual can embrace it. ~ Akan proverb
The fool speaks, the wise man listens. ~ Ethiopian proverb
Wisdom does not come overnight. ~ Somali proverb
The heart of the wise man lies quiet like limpid water. ~ Cameroon proverb
Wisdom is like fire. People take it from others. ~ Hema (DRC) proverb
Only a wise person can solve a difficult problem. ~ Akan proverb
Knowledge without wisdom is like water in the sand. ~ Guinean proverb
In the moment of crisis, the wise build bridges and the foolish build dams. ~ Nigerian proverb
If you are filled with pride, then you will have no room for wisdom. ~ African proverb
A wise person will always find away. ~ Tanzanian proverb
Nobody is born wise. ~ African proverb
A man who uses force is afraid of reasoning. ~Kenyan proverb
Wisdom is not like money to be tied up and hidden. ~ Akan proverb

African Quotes on Learning

Learning expands great souls. ~ Namibian proverb
To get lost is to learn the way. ~ African proverb
By crawling a child learns to stand. ~ African proverb
If you close your eyes to facts, you will learn through accidents. ~ African proverb
He who learns, teaches. ~ Ethiopian proverb
Wealth, if you use it, comes to an end; learning, if you use it, increases. ~ Swahili proverb
By trying often, the monkey learns to jump from the tree. ~ Buganda proverb
You always learn a lot more when you lose than when you win. ~ African proverb
You learn how to cut down trees by cutting them down. ~ Bateke proverb
The wise create proverbs for fools to learn, not to repeat. ~ African proverb
What you help a child to love can be more important than what you help him to learn. ~African proverb
By the time the fool has learned the game, the players have dispersed. ~Ashanti proverb
One who causes others misfortune also teaches them wisdom. ~ African proverb
You do not teach the paths of the forest to an old gorilla. ~Congolese proverb
What you learn is what you die with. ~ African proverb
Instruction in youth is like engraving in stone. ~Moroccan Proverb
When you follow in the path of your father, you learn to walk like him. ~Ashanti Proverb
Ears that do not listen to advice, accompany the head when it is chopped off. ~African Proverb
Advice is a stranger; if he’s welcome he stays for the night; if not, he leaves the same day. ~Malagasy Proverb
Traveling is learning. ~Kenyan Proverb
Where there are experts there will be no lack of learners. ~Swahili Proverb

African proverbs on Peace and Leadership

Peace is costly but it is worth the expense. ~Kenyan proverb
War has no eyes ~ Swahili saying
When a king has good counselors, his reign is peaceful. ~Ashanti proverb
Peace does not make a good ruler. ~Botswana proverb
A fight between grasshoppers is a joy to the crow. ~ Lesotho proverb
There can be no peace without understanding. ~Senegalese proverb
Milk and honey have different colors, but they share the same house peacefully. ~ African proverb
If you can’t resolve your problems in peace, you can’t solve war. ~ Somalian proverb
When there is peace in the country, the chief does not carry a shield. ~Ugandan proverb
When two elephants fight, it is the grass that gets trampled. ~ Swahili saying
Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far. ~ West African proverb
He who thinks he is leading and has no one following him is only taking a walk. ~ Malawian proverb
An army of sheep led by a lion can defeat an army of lions led by a sheep. ~ Ghanaian proverb
He who is destined for power does not have to fight for it. ~ Ugandan proverb
Do not forget what is to be a sailor because of being a captain yourself. ~ Tanzanian proverb
Without a leader, black ants are confused. ~Ugandan proverb
He who refuses to obey cannot command. ~ Kenyan proverb
He who fears the sun will not become chief. ~Ugandan proverb
A large chair does not make a king. ~ Sudanese proverb
Because he lost his reputation, he lost a kingdom. ~ Ethiopian proverb
Where a woman rules, streams run uphill. ~ Ethiopian proverb
A leader who does not take advice is not a leader. ~ Kenyan proverb
If the cockroach wants to rule over the chicken, then it must hire the fox as a body-guard. ~ Sierra Leone proverb