In Summary
- Countries with smaller populations and centralized education systems recorded the most balanced literacy levels between men and women.
- Nations that maintained long-term adult education programs now show sustained progress beyond basic schooling.
- Policy stability and education funding remain the most decisive factors in achieving literacy rates above 90%.
Deep Dive!!
Lagos, Nigeria, Friday, November 7 – Across Africa, the link between education and national progress is clear. According to UNESCO and World Bank data, the average adult female literacy rate in Sub-Saharan Africa has risen from about 58% in the early 2000s to roughly 63% today, reflecting steady progress in education access and gender parity.
This growth reflects the effect of government-backed schooling, early childhood programs, and regional initiatives aimed at closing gender disparities. In several countries, literacy has become a national benchmark for social transformation shaping health outcomes, labour participation, and civic inclusion.
What distinguishes the current decade is how literacy is being pursued. Many governments now approach education as a lifelong process rather than a classroom milestone. Adult learning centres, digital literacy programs, and teacher development reforms have redefined what it means to be educated in Africa’s rapidly changing economies. In states where public investment aligns with social outreach, literacy rates among women have risen sharply, often surpassing those of men for the first time in decades.
Beyond the impressive numbers, what stands out is the shift in policy direction. Education ministries across the continent are prioritising curriculum modernisation, multilingual literacy, and gender-sensitive teaching methods.
Regional blocs such as ECOWAS and SADC are also harmonising education standards, while non-state actors support community libraries and women’s learning initiatives. These developments signal a broader commitment to inclusive growth through education.
This article aims to highlight the 10 African countries with the highest female literacy rates in 2025 and to examine the specific reforms and strategies that enabled their progress.
10. Cape Verde
Cape Verde’s female literacy rate currently stands at 87.4%, placing it among Africa’s top ten performers in 2025. UNESCO data and national reports reveal that youth literacy, especially among females aged 15–24, has reached 99.2%, compared to 98.2% for males. This shows not only near-universal basic education for younger women but also a generational shift in educational equity. The overall adult literacy rate hovers around 90%, reflecting how the country’s small population and efficient administrative system have made education accessible even across its scattered islands.
The foundation for this progress was laid in the early 2000s when national literacy programs were expanded to reach both urban and rural communities. Between 2004 and 2015, the female literacy rate rose, marking one of the most consistent upward trends in West Africa. The Ministry of Education strategically leveraged Cape Verde’s compact geography to create a network of community schools and adult learning centres on islands like Santiago, São Vicente, and Sal. Teacher training became a government priority, and the inclusion of Cape Verdean Creole alongside Portuguese in literacy campaigns helped improve participation in adult classes. Female enrolment has also surpassed male enrolment in secondary education, with a female-to-male ratio of 1.09 in recent years.
Reforms have focused on creating continuity between basic literacy, higher education, and professional training. Women now make up about 60% of undergraduate enrolments, demonstrating that literacy is feeding directly into academic and professional advancement. Adult education programs, coordinated through municipal partnerships, continue to address the small percentage of women who never attended school now less than 7% of the total population. Digital learning has been introduced as part of a broader plan to strengthen functional literacy, allowing women to apply reading and writing skills to business, communication, and technology use. The country’s National Library and regional reading hubs play a quiet but vital role, supporting literacy retention among adults long after formal schooling ends.
Today, Cape Verde’s focus is on sustaining its high literacy levels while deepening educational quality. Policies under the national “Education for All” framework now integrate digital literacy, vocational training, and language inclusivity to ensure that literate women have equal access to economic opportunities. With nearly universal literacy among the youth population, the government’s attention has shifted toward transforming literacy into livelihood promoting entrepreneurship, civic engagement, and creative industry participation. Cape Verde’s success demonstrates how a small island nation, through stable governance and deliberate education policy, can achieve literacy levels comparable to global upper-middle-income standards while maintaining steady social progress.
9. Eswatini
Eswatini’s female literacy rate stands at 88.5%, supported by consistent education reforms and inclusive national programs. Government data show that adult female literacy rose from 88.3% in 2007 to 95.6% in 2017, with youth literacy among women aged 15–24 reaching over 93%. This steady growth reflects the country’s efforts to expand educational access across all age groups and close the literacy gap between men and women, a gap that has narrowed to less than one percentage point in the past decade. Today, Eswatini’s female literacy figures rival those of many upper-middle-income nations, demonstrating how small countries can achieve large results through sustained policy commitment.
The turning point for Eswatini came with the introduction of the Free Primary Education (FPE) Policy in 2010 and the National Education and Training Sector Policy of 2018. These policies guaranteed every child’s right to education and integrated adult literacy into formal schooling systems. In rural regions, community learning centres were established under the Non-Formal Education (NFE) framework, allowing women who missed out on formal schooling to gain literacy and numeracy skills. The Ministry of Education and Training’s decentralised approach enabled local chiefs and women’s cooperatives to manage literacy initiatives at the community level, which improved both participation and completion rates. By combining formal and informal learning pathways, Eswatini effectively created an ecosystem that supports lifelong literacy.
Beyond access, Eswatini’s reforms have been deliberate in addressing quality and retention. National programmes such as the Girls’ Education and Women’s Empowerment Project, supported by UNESCO and UN Women, expanded scholarships for girls at the secondary and tertiary levels. Teacher training colleges introduced gender-sensitive instruction models and mentorship schemes to help female students stay enrolled through upper grades. As a result, secondary completion rates for girls now outpace those of boys, showing that literacy reforms are translating into deeper educational outcomes. The inclusion of digital literacy in school curricula and community training centres has also modernised learning, preparing women for broader participation in the job market.
Eswatini’s next phase of reform focuses on transforming literacy into opportunity. The government is aligning literacy efforts with vocational education, entrepreneurship support, and ICT integration, particularly through the Eswatini Digital Education Strategy launched under the SADC education framework. This alignment is expected to strengthen women’s economic and civic participation, ensuring that high literacy translates into measurable progress in employment, innovation, and leadership. Eswatini’s experience underscores a central lesson in African education policy that when literacy is treated as a national investment rather than a social obligation, it becomes a sustainable driver of equality and development.
8. Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe’s adult female literacy rate currently stands at 89.7%, making it one of the most literate populations in sub-Saharan Africa. The female youth literacy rate is even higher, at about 94.7%, showing that literacy is now nearly universal among young women. This success story is the result of consistent national policy since independence prioritising education as a constitutional right and an engine of development. Despite periods of economic strain, Zimbabwe has continued to invest in schooling infrastructure and literacy initiatives, ensuring that girls and women have access to education across both rural and urban areas.
The country’s literacy achievements can be traced back to the early 1980s when the government launched one of Africa’s most ambitious post-independence education reforms. At the time, adult illiteracy stood at over 60%. Through mass literacy campaigns, teacher-training drives, and curriculum reforms, that number fell to less than 11% by 2002, according to UNESCO. Community learning centres, church-run programmes, and the National Literacy Campaign made education accessible to women outside the formal school system. These initiatives created a literate generation of mothers who, in turn, ensured their daughters stayed in school in a cycle that continues to strengthen national literacy outcomes.
In recent years, Zimbabwe has taken its literacy success a step further by linking education with economic participation. According to a 2023–2024 government survey, 79% of women aged 15 and above have attained at least secondary education, while the average years of schooling for women increased from 9.0 to 9.9 years over the past decade. Programs such as the Education Amendment Act of 2020, which enforces gender equality in school access, and ongoing teacher-capacity reforms have reinforced the foundation built in earlier decades. Female enrolment at tertiary institutions has also grown steadily, reflecting a system that now views literacy not as an end but as a gateway to higher learning and professional advancement.
Going forward, Zimbabwe is channeling its literacy base into twenty-first-century relevance. The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education is investing in digital literacy programmes, STEM education for girls, and community-based adult learning to ensure women in rural provinces are not left behind. There is also a growing collaboration with development partners to modernise school facilities and expand vocational training for women. This steady, reform-driven approach positions Zimbabwe not only as one of Africa’s most literate nations but also as a model for sustaining literacy as a living, evolving driver of social and economic growth.
7. Libya
Libya’s female literacy rate stands at 85.6%, while female youth literacy is almost universal at 99.9%, according to regional education studies. Despite years of political and institutional strain, Libya has retained one of the most resilient education systems in North Africa. The literacy gap between men and women has narrowed sharply, with female enrolment rates in secondary and tertiary education nearly matching those of males. These statistics reflect the legacy of a strong public education framework and recent efforts to rebuild the system through targeted literacy and teacher-development programmes.
A major factor behind Libya’s continued progress is its national commitment to education access and equity. The Ministry of Education maintains a policy of free education from primary through university level, complemented by literacy initiatives aimed at both urban and rural women. In 2023, the government expanded community learning centres in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), targeting over 60,000 adult learners across Tripoli, Misrata, and Benghazi. These centres combine literacy training with entrepreneurship, vocational skills, and health education transforming literacy into a tool for self-reliance.
The government’s Education Sector Development Plan (2023–2030) is another key driver. It prioritises curriculum modernisation, teacher quality, and digital learning infrastructure. Teacher retraining programmes, launched with UNESCO and UNICEF, have already improved classroom delivery and ensured that female teachers who now represent over 55% of Libya’s teaching workforce play a central role in sustaining literacy gains. Additionally, Libya has begun to integrate STEM education for girls and digital literacy projects, supported by the African Development Bank, to bridge technological divides between schools in major cities and peripheral regions.
Beyond policy, there’s also a social shift underway. Women’s literacy in Libya is increasingly linked to participation in the workforce and local governance. According to the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), According to projections by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), the average years of schooling among Libyan women aged 15–24 is expected to reach 11.7 years by 2043, up from current levels, alongside a rise in secondary completion rates from 56.2% in 2023 to 73.1%, reflecting steady gains in both access and retention. Community-led literacy clubs and vocational centres are helping literate women transition into roles in public administration, healthcare, and education. This synergy between education and empowerment has become a quiet but powerful force in Libya’s national recovery turning literacy into an enabler of reconstruction, civic inclusion, and long-term stability.
6. São Tomé and Príncipe
São Tomé and Príncipe recorded a female literacy rate of 91.1%, placing it among the highest in Central Africa. The country’s literacy performance reflects consistent investment in basic education and long-term prioritisation of gender parity in schooling. Female literacy is even stronger, exceeding 97%, according to UNESCO’s regional data, indicating that near-universal literacy has been achieved among younger generations. Education accounts for some of the national expenditure, and female enrolment at primary and lower-secondary levels remains above 95%. These indicators place São Tomé and Príncipe ahead of many island and mainland peers in West and Central Africa.
Education policy in the country is coordinated under the National Education Policy Framework (2022–2030), which aims to consolidate gains in literacy and expand post-basic opportunities. The framework integrates literacy development with teacher training, curriculum reform, and digital education initiatives. The Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science continues to collaborate with international partners particularly UNICEF, the World Bank, and the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) to strengthen instructional quality and ensure equal access in both urban and rural districts.
At the institutional level, progress is driven by a clear data-monitoring culture. São Tomé and Príncipe’s education statistics unit tracks literacy outcomes annually, aligning policy actions with evidence-based interventions. In 2023, the government expanded early-grade reading assessments and introduced mother-tongue instruction in the first two years of schooling, a measure proven to strengthen reading comprehension and retention. Adult literacy programmes, particularly those for women in agricultural communities, are also expanding through partnerships with local NGOs and the Community Development Support Fund. These programmes emphasise functional literacy tied to microenterprise, health awareness, and digital communication.
The country’s forward policy direction focuses on maintaining its high literacy rate while improving transition rates to higher education. The government has introduced digital-skills training and entrepreneurial learning modules for women in post-literacy programmes, reinforcing the economic relevance of education. Ongoing reforms under the Education 2030 Agenda aim to achieve complete literacy equality and to ensure that women’s literacy continues to translate into measurable participation in public, academic, and economic life. With sustained funding and institutional discipline, São Tomé and Príncipe are on course to become one of Africa’s first small-state models for comprehensive female literacy.
5. Mauritius
Mauritius maintains a female literacy rate of 90.5%, placing it among Africa’s most educated societies. The country’s literacy landscape is characterised by strong institutional capacity, sustained investment in free education, and integration of digital learning at all levels. Female youth literacy reflects the near elimination of gender disparities in access to education. According to the Ministry of Education’s 2024 Statistical Digest, women represent 52% of total secondary enrolment and nearly 55% of university students clear indicators of equitable literacy outcomes across generations.
The education system in Mauritius is built on a structure of compulsory, state-funded schooling up to age 16 and a diversified pathway beyond secondary level. Literacy gains among women are reinforced by early-childhood development initiatives, language proficiency reforms, and teacher training frameworks that emphasise inclusion. The Education and Human Resources Strategy Plan (2022–2030) integrates literacy development with employability skills, ensuring that education aligns with labour-market needs. Female literacy is thus positioned as a foundational driver of workforce participation, especially in services, education, and ICT sectors where women form a large share of skilled employees.
In 2023, Mauritius launched the National Digital Education Transformation Programme in partnership with UNESCO and Huawei, equipping schools with online learning infrastructure and promoting digital literacy among both students and teachers. Female educators, who make up over 60% of the teaching workforce, have played a central role in implementing these reforms. Adult education and continuing-learning programmes are also expanding under the aegis of the Open University of Mauritius and the Mauritius Institute of Education, offering women flexible access to higher qualifications and professional development.
Policy attention is now directed at sustaining literacy in the context of technological change. The government’s Education 2030 Roadmap identifies three strategic goals: enhancing digital literacy, reducing dropout rates in post-secondary education, and expanding technical and vocational education for women. With a strong institutional framework, stable governance, and high educational expenditure averaging 4.8% of GDP Mauritius continues to demonstrate how consistent, data-driven reforms can produce durable literacy outcomes. The country’s trajectory reflects a mature education system where female literacy serves not only as a measure of progress but as a key instrument of innovation and inclusive national growth.
4. Namibia
Namibia’s female literacy rate stands at 92.3%, placing it among the top performers in sub-Saharan Africa. Female youth literacy exceeds 97%, indicating that literacy gaps among younger generations are nearly closed. The country’s success stems from long-term national commitment to equitable education, backed by consistent public investment and a strong policy framework. Education receives around 9% of Namibia’s GDP, one of the highest proportions on the continent, with a significant share directed toward teacher training, curriculum reform, and adult learning programmes. These structural commitments have kept female literacy levels steadily rising over the past decade.
The Namibian education system operates under the Education and Training Sector Improvement Programme (ETSIP) and its successor, the National Education Act (2023), both designed to improve literacy quality and equity. These frameworks integrate early-childhood learning, gender-responsive teaching, and community-based adult education into national policy. Female enrolment in primary and secondary schools consistently exceeds 90%, while tertiary participation rates have grown through targeted initiatives by the University of Namibia and the Namibia University of Science and Technology. Recent government data also show that women now account for nearly 60% of teacher trainees, strengthening literacy transmission across generations.
Institutional reforms have focused on enhancing literacy outcomes through innovation. The National Literacy Programme in Namibia (NLPN), first launched by the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture, continues to expand digital and functional literacy among women in informal sectors. By 2024, more than 600,000 adults had participated in NLPN modules, with a completion rate exceeding 80%. The programme’s success lies in its adaptability combining reading and writing instruction with business, health, and ICT components. Its community-based structure ensures that literacy is sustained beyond initial learning, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas.
Looking forward, Namibia’s education agenda aims to deepen literacy impact through technology and skills alignment. The Education Transformation Policy 2030 prioritises teacher digital training, rural school connectivity, and mother-tongue literacy for early grades. Gender parity has already been achieved in basic education, and ongoing reforms now target greater female inclusion in science and technical disciplines. With institutional coherence and sustained investment, Namibia’s literacy framework illustrates how data-led governance can produce consistent educational outcomes. The country’s model highlights that effective policy continuity rather than short-term campaigns remains the most reliable path toward universal literacy.
3. Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea’s female literacy rate of 93% positions it among Africa’s most literate nations. The figure represents one of the strongest performances in Central Africa, where regional averages often remain below 70%. The country’s female youth literacy exceeds 96%, reflecting steady progress in basic education coverage and retention. With education receiving close to 5.2% of GDP, the government has maintained a consistent commitment to human capital investment, supported by policies that prioritise gender equity and compulsory primary education. Despite its small population, Equatorial Guinea’s educational reach and institutional coherence have yielded high literacy outcomes relative to its regional peers.
The country’s educational development has been guided by the Education Sector Development Plan (ESDP 2022–2030), which aligns with the national Horizon 2035 vision. This plan focuses on improving learning quality through teacher retraining, infrastructure rehabilitation, and updated curricula that promote reading comprehension and numeracy. Female participation in education remains high, girls account for 49% of primary school enrolment and over 52% of lower-secondary students, according to the Ministry of Education’s 2024 annual report. These numbers reflect targeted interventions, such as scholarship schemes for girls in rural areas and literacy extension programmes coordinated with the African Development Bank.
To ensure that literacy translates into lifelong competence, Equatorial Guinea has expanded adult and continuing education centres across the mainland and island regions. The Programa de Alfabetización y Educación Permanente offers modular courses in reading, writing, and vocational skills, designed particularly for women outside the formal workforce. By 2024, more than 18,000 adults had benefited from these programmes. Additionally, the integration of digital education tools and teacher technology training under the e-Education Strategy 2025 has improved classroom delivery, especially in isolated districts. The policy emphasis on combining literacy with employable skills has made the country’s approach both inclusive and economically relevant.
Looking ahead, Equatorial Guinea is directing resources toward quality assurance and teacher accountability to sustain its literacy achievements. The government aims to strengthen educational assessment mechanisms and expand access to early-childhood learning to reinforce literacy at foundational levels. International partnerships with UNESCO and the World Bank continue to support curriculum digitalisation, multilingual instruction, and teacher mobility. With consistent funding and policy continuity, Equatorial Guinea demonstrates how a small state with limited demographic size can achieve strong literacy performance through institutional focus and evidence-based planning.
2. South Africa
South Africa maintains one of the highest female literacy rates in Africa at 94.5%, a figure supported by a robust public education system and long-standing policy commitment to gender equality. The country’s investment in education consistently around 6% of GDP, one of the highest in the region, has enabled near-universal access to basic education. Over 98% of South African girls between the ages 7 and 15 are enrolled in school, according to 2024 data from Statistics South Africa. The literacy gap between men and women has also narrowed significantly over the past two decades, reflecting the success of policies targeting disadvantaged and rural communities.
Key reforms, such as the Education White Paper 6 on Inclusive Education and the National Development Plan (NDP) 2030, have been instrumental in maintaining literacy equity. These frameworks promote equal access for girls, the inclusion of learners with disabilities, and the use of all 11 official languages to enhance comprehension. The Funza Lushaka Bursary Programme, which trains and deploys new teachers to underserved areas, has improved teaching capacity in rural provinces, ensuring that literacy progress is not limited to urban centres. South Africa’s Department of Basic Education also continues to expand the Early Grade Reading Programme (EGRP), which targets literacy acquisition in Grades 1–3 a stage where learning disparities often begin.
Beyond policy, community literacy programmes and digital education initiatives have deepened access and quality. Platforms like DBE Cloud and Woza Matrics make online learning resources available to students nationwide, while NGOs such as Nal’ibali and Room to Read promote a reading culture among children, especially girls. The country’s 2024 literacy report shows that female learners outperform males in reading comprehension by 6 percentage points, an outcome linked to stronger parental involvement and targeted mentoring for girls. South Africa’s success also stems from its coordinated approach merging public investment, private support, and civil society participation to sustain educational inclusion.
Looking forward, the government’s Action Plan to 2027: Towards the Realisation of Schooling 2030 aims to raise functional literacy rates even further by improving teacher quality, reducing dropout rates, and strengthening assessment frameworks. Continuous digital transformation and bilingual literacy models are also expected to enhance engagement across linguistic groups. South Africa’s case demonstrates how a combination of policy coherence, fiscal prioritisation, and inclusive education systems can sustain one of the continent’s most literate populations and serve as a benchmark for literacy-driven national development.
1. Seychelles
Seychelles stands at the top of Africa’s female literacy ranking with an impressive 96.4%, reflecting decades of consistent investment in education, gender equality, and social welfare. The island nation’s success is deeply rooted in its universal education policy, which guarantees free and compulsory schooling for all children aged 6 to 16. Backed by an education expenditure that has consistently hovered around 4–5% of GDP, Seychelles has managed to eliminate most of the barriers that hinder female access to quality learning. According to UNESCO’s latest regional overview, the country boasts one of the smallest gender literacy gaps in the world, with male literacy at 96.8%, a difference of less than one percent.
Seychelles’ government has maintained a strong emphasis on early childhood education and teacher quality, ensuring that literacy development begins as early as age three. The Education Sector Medium-Term Strategy (2023–2027) further consolidates this approach by focusing on language competency, continuous teacher training, and digital integration. English, French, and Seychellois Creole are all used in schools, a trilingual system that strengthens reading and comprehension across diverse linguistic backgrounds. The Institute of Early Childhood Development (IECD), a UNESCO-recognized body, has also been instrumental in shaping foundational literacy practices, helping Seychelles achieve one of the world’s highest early learning participation rates at over 97%.
Gender equity has been a defining feature of Seychelles’ education policies. The country’s Education for Sustainable Development Framework integrates gender-responsive teaching and encourages female participation in traditionally male-dominated fields such as science and technology. Female enrolment in secondary and tertiary institutions remains high, with women representing 65% of students at the University of Seychelles as of 2024. Additionally, adult literacy programmes supported by the Ministry of Education ensure that women who missed formal schooling earlier in life can gain functional literacy skills through community-based centres.
Beyond schooling, Seychelles’ literacy success extends into broader national development. High literacy rates have contributed to a 70% female participation rate in the workforce, one of the highest in Africa, and a strong presence of women in leadership and entrepreneurship. The country’s integrated literacy and development agenda demonstrates how education serves as the foundation for social equity, economic inclusion, and national competitiveness. Seychelles not only exemplifies Africa’s literacy progress but also provides a replicable model for nations striving to balance gender parity with educational excellence.
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