African Proverbs

African proverbs collected by country and tribe, with meanings where they have been written. 435 in the archive.

• The hunter in pursuit of an elephant does not stop to throw stones at birds.Nigeria
• The lion's power lies in our fear of him.Nigeria
• The man may be the head of the home but the wife is the heart.Kenya
• The man that won't marry a woman with other admirers won't marry a woman at all.Nigeria
• The moon moves slowly, but it crosses the town.Ghana
• The more feathers a chicken has, the bigger it looks.South Africa
• The mouth must not eat everything that the eyes see.
• The person who was broken knows how to bind up the person who is broken.
• The one who loves an unsightly person is the one who makes him beautiful.Uganda
• The poor man and the rich man do not play together.Ghana
• The roaring lion kills no game.Tanzania
• The same sun that melts the wax, hardens the clay.Niger
• The spider that knows what it will gain sits waiting patiently in its web.Nigeria
• The teeth are smiling, but is the heart?.
• The way to the beloved isn't thorny.Cameroon
• In the moment of crisis, the wise build bridges and the foolish build dams.Nigeria
• The witness of a rat is another rat.
• The worlds of the elders do not lock all the doors; they leave the right door open.South Africa
• The zebra told the white horse, "I am white," and told the black horse, "I am actually black.".Namibia
• There is always a winner even in a monkey's beauty contest.
• There is always room for the person you love even if the house is crowded.
• There is no medicine to cure hatred.Ghana
• Those who get to the river early drink the cleanest water.Ghana
• Even though the old man is strong and hearty, he will not live forever.Ghana