In a volatile continent, some African countries have achieved political stability that provides the foundation for national peace and prosperity. A ranking Africa’s five most-stable countries finds a commitment to citizen-driven democracy is the foundation for their success.

Political stability is valued by citizens who are fortunate to live in a country governed with that quality. It is also valued by the business sector of such a country, for upon a foundation of normalised peace, prosperity can take root. International bodies are likewise grateful for politically stable countries that provide a regional shield against neighbouring nations in conflict or political turmoil.

Africa’s politically stable countries have some common characteristics. They are usually small in size and population, suggesting an easier task at political management. These nations have strong democratic institutions too, which allow citizens to address their grievances through the courts and ballot box. Not racially, ethnically or religiously homogeneous, these countries face the same conflicts that immigration, crime, global warming, poverty and other modern crises bring to all African countries. Their democratic institutions make them resilient, and it is this resiliency – the ability to change course – that makes them stable.

However, those characteristics are no guarantee of political stability. Lesotho is a small nation but only became a model of political stability once its military stepped away from interfering with governance after a half-century. Eswatini, another landlocked Southern Africa country about Lesotho’s size, is a monarchical dictatorship that may appear stable, but a disgruntled citizenry erupts in rioting every few years to protest their suppressed rights. Thus, it is the dominance of the citizenry over its government – in another word, democracy – that determines long-term political stability. Politically inflexible countries weighed by the oppression of dictators or the unyielding conservatism of religious or cultural dogmas are also the most politically unstable countries. Without flexibility, when pressure hits with crises, countries’ governance institutions will cease to function.

Several international rankings have been consulted to find agreement on Africa’s most politically stable countries. IOA’s own measure is applied to this list. Formulated in 2018, IOA’s test for a country’s political stability measures a number of touchpoints including:

With our own index as well as the complimentary view from others like Transparency International and the Fund for Peace here are the five African countries that have met these requirements to the highest degree on the continent:

IOA ACBR Political Score: Scale of 0 (highly unstable) to 100 (highly stable)
Corruption Perception Index: Scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean)
Fragile State Index:
Score between 90.0 and 120.0 are classified in the red “Alert” category;
Score between 60.0 and 89.9 are classified in the yellow-orange “Warning” category;
Score between 30.0 and 59.9 are classified in the green “Stable” category;
Score between 0.0 and 29.9 are classified in the blue “Sustainable” category
Sources: IOA, Transparency International, The Fund for Peace; 2018-2024

1. Mauritius

Ethnic tensions flared during the colonial rule of this Indian Ocean island nation but diminished under a representational democracy upon national independence in 1968 when minority rights were respected. Full citizen participation provided the will and enthusiasm for nation building and resulted in Mauritius becoming Africa’s first high-income country, in 2020. National prosperity allows social issues to be addressed and further strengthens democratic institutions. Mauritians see government as a partner in their lives and have no desire to see instability compromise their current political dispensation.

For additional detail on Mauritius see IOA’s country profile here.

2. Botswana

Since its independence in 1966, Botswana reliably held the reputation as Africa’s most politically stable country. This changed somewhat in the past ten years, when the country’s independence party lost power for the first time and an ugly rivalry with the newly empowered opposition party led to the exposure of corruption and an arrest warrant for a former president. However, the country’s democratic institutions never wavered nor did the stability of governance in general. Like Mauritius, Botswana has enjoyed a degree of economic prosperity that has allowed social services to be financed, thus reducing societal pressures that can lead to political instability.

For additional detail on Botswana see IOA’s country profile here.

3. Cabo Verde

Another small island nation, this one in the Atlantic Ocean, competes for a high placement on the rankings of politically stable African countries despite its limited natural resources that might potentially make political life volatile in Africa’s westernmost country. Cabo Verde is not immune to the effects of global warming but has had a history of existing with extremely limited fresh water resources, and is adapt at survival methods. This same resiliency accounts for Cabo Verdeans ability to co-exist as one of Africa’s most ethnically diverse countries. Cabo Verdeans enjoy strong democratic institutions that have reduced conflict disputes and have ensured a free press and fair elections.

For additional detail on Cabo Verde see IOA’s country profile here.

4. Namibia

Like Botswana, Namibia is a large Southern African desert country with a small population relative to other African nations. Namibia has enjoyed sound governance and economic and social policies from its leaders since its independence in 1990. This has resulted in good economic growth, the continent’s best roads, progressive environmental management and citizen respect for democratic institutions. The latter has been the underpinning for political stability. Namibia came into existence after a century of brutal colonial occupation when genocide was committed against indigenous peoples, the country was a vassal state of apartheid South Africa, and a violent liberation struggle achieved national independence. Namibians have desired peace and stability following these tumultuous earlier eras.

For additional detail on Namibia see IOA’s country profile here.

5. Ghana

This West African nation is unique on this list because of its large population – ten times greater than Namibia, 14 times greater than Botswana, and 28 times larger than Mauritius. Ghana has achieved economic growth through strong democratic institutions on an equitable basis amongst all ethnic groups. The country’s peace has expunged political instability, evidenced by the perpetual peaceful transference of power after each free and fair election. This was not always so. Ghana was governed by four military juntas during the 1960s through the 1990s. The last of these put in place strong democratic processes that have been respected by Ghanaians ever since.

For additional detail on Ghana see IOA’s country profile here.

The critical points:

• Strong democratic institutions ensure political stability
• Politically inflexible countries are the most unstable, while countries where citizens have the power to change national policy direction and improve governance are the most stable
• While political stability is easier in countries with small populations and a history of strong democratic institutions since independence, countries like Ghana demonstrate that political stability is achievable when there is a nation insisting upon it

Written by In on Africa