Out of the 54 countries in Africa, only 9 have had female presidents, with Mauritius producing 2. The first female president in Africa was Sylvie Kinigi of Burundi (not elected). She was president from 1993 until February 4, 1994. Then, Ellen Johnson became the first elected president in the continent and also the first to serve two tenures consecutively.
Many women presidents in Africa came into power as acting presidents. Only a few of them were elected. Despite this, all of them have left a mark on the continent through their different works. In this article, we’ll tell you about the female presidents Africa has had, how they came and left power, and their works.
Meet the 10 Women Presidents of Africa
1. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (Liberia)
A woman known as Africa’s “Iron Lady”, Ellen Johnson was Africa’s first elected female president and the first woman to head a country for 2 consecutive tenures in Africa.
In 2005, she won Liberia’s presidential elections and in 2006, she was inaugurated as the 24th president of the country.
In January 2012, Ellen started her second tenure as president. Her term ended in 2018 but she is still remembered for her remarkable domestic and foreign policies. She is most famous for making education free and compulsory for all children within the elementary age. She also signed the Freedom of Information Bill.
She ensured that Liberia formed close ties with the US, China, and other countries. She also made it possible for most countries to waive Liberia’s debt.
2. Sylvie Kinigi of Burundi
Sylvie Kinigi was born in 1953 and at the time she was 40 in 1993, she served as the first female president in Burundi and Africa (not elected). She started as a Prime minister on July 10 1993 and lasted until February 4, 1994.
While Sylvie Kinigi was serving as a Prime Minister, she became the acting president of Burundi in November 1993 and served until February 4, 1994.
Her role as Burundi’s acting president started when the then-president of the country Melchoir Ndadaye was killed. She was succeeded by Cyprien Ntaryamira.
3. Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri of South Africa
Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri was one of South Africa’s most influential politicians in the 1990s and the 2000s.
She served as South Africa’s acting President in 2005 when the then-president and vice-president were out of the country. Also, on September 25, 2008, she was made an interim president for 14 hours when Thabo Mbeki resigned as President.
Ivy remains the first and only female president of South Africa. She is also the first woman to become the country’s head of State since 1961 when Queen Elizabeth II last ruled the nation.
She died in 2009 at the age of 71 while she was serving as the Minister of Communication and after holding many offices.
4. Rose Francine Rogombe of Gabon
Upon the death of the long-term former president of Gabon, Omar Bongo, Rose Francine became the acting president of Gabon from June 2009 to October of the same year.
She was succeeded by Omar’s son, Ali Bongo who became the third president of Gabon.
Before and after she was president, she served as the Senate President of the country.
She died on 10 April 2015 in Paris at the age of 72.
5. Joyce Hilda Banda (Malawi)
Another female president in Africa is Joyce Banda. She was the 4th president of Malawi and the first female president of the country.
She became president in 2012, following the demise of the then-ruler, President Bingu wa Mutharika.
Malawi’s cabinet was heavily against her becoming president, but the country’s constitution clearly states that the vice president should be made the leader upon the death of an existing president. Well, Banda was the vice president when Mutharika died.
With the support of Malawi’s ex-president Bakli Muluzi and the then army commander General Henry Odillo among several others, the constitution of Malawi was put above sentiments and she became president.
Her tenure ended in 2014 when she lost the presidential election to Peter Mutharika.
6. Monique Ohsan Bellepeau of Mauritius
She served as an acting president of Mauritius twice. First, she was an acting president from March 2012 to July 2012 following the resignation of the then-president Sir Anerood Jugnauth.
The second time she became an acting president was in May 2015 when Kailisg Purryag resigned up to the inauguration of Ameenah Gurib.
She served for about a week before the short tenure ended on June 5 after about a week. She became the second woman to head Mauritius after Queen Elizabeth II.
See Also: 12 Most Iconic And Greatest African Presidents Ever
7. Ameenah Gurib-Fakim (Mauritius)
Another significant African politician and female president to know is Ameenah of Mauritius. She is the first woman to be elected as the president of Mauritius and the third woman to serve as the country’s Head of State after Queen Elizabeth II and Monique Ohsab Bellepeau.
She came into power on June 5 2015 and resigned on March 23, 2018. She resigned following the publication of her leaked bank details. Also, there were conflicts of interest over her involvement with a charity organization called Planet Earth Institute (PEI).
She is mostly remembered for her role in promoting girls’ education and investing in science and technology.
8. Catherine Samba-Panza (Central African Republic)
A lawyer cum politician, Catherine Samba Panza was born in 1954 and at the age of 59, she became the 9th president of the Central African Republic in January 2014.
This would make her the first woman in her country to become Head of State and the 8th woman in Africa.
You may want to ask how she became president. Well, the country’s former President Michel Djotodia resigned and faced an internal crisis.
Conseil National de Transition (CNT) then elected Samba-Panza as interim president. She served for 2 years and failed to win the 2015 general elections. Her tenure ended in 2016 when Faustin-Archange Toudera was sworn in.
In 2020, she again contested to be president but lost again to incumbent Toudera.
9. Sahle-Work Zewde of Ethiopia
In 2018, Sahle-Work became the first female president of Ethiopia after she was elected unanimously by members of the Federal Parliamentary Assembly. She is also the second female head of state in Ethiopia after Zewditu who was Empress of the country from 1916 to 1930.
Upon her coming to power, Forbes listed her as one of The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women. She was also ranked the most powerful woman in Africa at the time.
10. Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania
She is a well-established politician. Samia Hassan became the 6th president of Tanzania and the first female president of the country on March 19, 2021.
Before she became president, she was the first female vice president of Tanzania under the presidency of John Magufuli. Upon Magufuli’s death, Samia was sworn in as president.
In 2022, she was named one of Time’s 100 most influential people in the world.
