Zambia Ranked Fourth Best English-Speaking Country in Africa – New Report

 

By Samuel Mbewe

Zambia has been ranked fourth among Africa’s top ten English-speaking countries, outperforming nations such as Nigeria, Ethiopia, Uganda and Morocco, according to a new continental report.

The 2025 English Proficiency Index (EPI) released by Education First (EF) places South Africa at the top as the most proficient English-speaking nation in Africa. 

Zimbabwe follows in second place, Kenya ranks third, while Zambia secures the fourth position.

English remains one of the most widely spoken languages in these countries and is commonly used in government, education systems, and the media, contributing to their strong proficiency rankings.

EF, the world’s largest education company specialising in language training, based its rankings on a global survey conducted in 2024. 

The study assessed adult English language skills across 123 countries and regions, drawing data from over 2.2 million participants who completed the EF Skills Evaluation Technology (EF SET).

According to the report, 46 percent of test takers were male, while 54 percent were female, with the average age being 26 years.

Kenya’s strong performance is attributed to its colonial history as a former British colony, where English was established as an official language and remains widely used in public life and education.

Meanwhile, Nigeria, Ghana and Uganda ranked fifth, sixth and seventh, respectively, largely due to English serving as an official language in those countries. 

Ethiopia, where English is not an official language but is widely used in schools, ranked eighth, followed by Tunisia and Morocco in ninth and tenth positions.

The report highlights the growing importance of English in economic development, noting that:

“English proficiency reflects a workforce's capacity to engage with the global economy beyond national boundaries. In economies transitioning toward knowledge-based sectors, comfort with English often signals adaptability to international standards.”

On the global stage, Kenya ranked 19th overall, while the Netherlands emerged as the world’s best English-speaking country, followed by Croatia, Australia and Germany in second, third and fourth places, respectively.

Other countries rounding out the global top ten include Norway, Portugal, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium and Slovakia, ranking fifth through tenth.