South Africa has surpassed every other African nation and has become the most English-speaking country in the African continent. 2025 EF English Proficiency Index (EF EPI) has launched a report, in which the Mzansi nation has claimed the higher position among English-speaking nations, despite of solid performance by other countries in the proficiency rankings of the continent.
As per the Index (EF EPI 2025), the top-10 English-speaking countries in Africa are:
- South Africa – as 1st in Africa and 13th in World
- Zimbabwe – 2nd in Africa and 14th in World
- Kenya – 3rd in Africa and 19th in World
- Zambia – 4th in Africa and 27th in World
- Nigeria – 5th in Africa and 29th in World
- Ghana – 6th in Africa and 36th in World
- Uganda – 7th in Africa and 53rd in World
- Ethiopia – 8th in Africa and 65th in World
- Tunisia – 9th in Africa and 66th in World
- Morocco – 10th in Africa and 68th in World
The EF English Proficiency Index (EPI) 2025 has ranked 123 countries by adult English skills, based on 2.2 million test takers. In this survey, Netherlands is leading in “Very High” proficiency, followed by countries like Singapore, Austria, Denmark and Norway. Some countries are categorised in the “Moderate” band that shows stronger writing and speaking skills than reading and listening.
The index highlights global shifts in English proficiency with strong results from Europe and Asia which provides detailed breakdowns by skill, age and job function.
According to the EF EPI Author and head of Assessment – Kate Bell stated that English remains the world’s most widely shared language for international communication. In a time of growing global complexity, its role as a common bridge between cultures, economies and ideas is more important than ever.
The top-10 English-speaking countries at Global level are:
- Netherlands
- Croatia
- Austria
- Germany
- Norway
- Portugal
- Denmark
- Sweden
- Belgium
- Slovakia
Linguistic strength of South Africa lies in its remarkable multilingualism, that officially recognise 12 languages, also including South African Sign Language, with most citizens being bilingual or multilingual. The nation fosters rich cultural identity, though it presents educational and communication challenges.
This diversity is stemming from complex history and is making it a nation, where indigenous languages thrive alongside English and Afrikaans as vital pillars of heritage and daily life with isiZulu and isiXhosa being the most common home languages, while English serves as a key lingua franca.