Zambia has been ranked among Africa’s leading English-speaking countries, placing fifth in a continental assessment conducted by the World Linguistic Agency.
The ranking highlights Zambia’s steady reputation for clear, functional and widely understood English, reinforcing the country’s status as a regional hub for education, diplomacy and business.
The study, which evaluated pronunciation, grammar, fluency and everyday usage, placed Uganda at the top of the list, followed by South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya, with Zambia completing the top five.
Other countries in the top ten include Botswana, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Ghana, while Rwanda and Sudan rounded off the list.
The ranking has sparked conversation across the continent, particularly following a viral video of a Miss Rwanda contestant struggling to express herself in English.
Rwanda only recently transitioned from being a Francophone nation to adopting English as its primary official language, a move that continues to present linguistic challenges.
Zambia’s strong showing is largely attributed to its long-standing use of English as the official language since independence, as well as its consistent integration of English in education, governance and media.
From primary school through tertiary education, English remains the main medium of instruction, producing generations of Zambians who are confident communicators.
The World Linguistic Agency also commended Nigeria, noting that despite its distinctive accents, Nigerians excel in sentence construction and grammatical accuracy.
Similarly, Zambia was praised for clarity, neutral accent and practical fluency, qualities that make its English easily understood by both native and non-native speakers.
As global competitiveness increasingly favors effective communication, Zambia’s top-five ranking is more than a linguistic badge of honour.
It is a strategic asset that strengthens the country’s appeal in international trade, education exchange and diplomacy, proving that language remains a powerful tool in national development.