- Africa's leadership is dominated by older figures, such as Paul Biya who is 91 and has served as Cameroon’s president for decades
- However, 2024 brought a fresh wave of young leadership with Senegal's election of Bassirou Diomaye Faye at 44
- TheRadar compiled other notable young African leaders who were elected under the age of 50
Africa, known for having the youngest population in the world with 70% of sub-Saharan Africa under 30, also has some of the oldest political leaders.
Paul Biya, the President of Cameroon, is the oldest serving head of state at 91 years old.
However, in March 2024, Senegal made a notable shift when voters elected 44-year-old Bassirou Diomaye Faye as President. Faye became one of the youngest leaders globally.
African presidents elected under age of 50
TheRadar compiled a list of other African leaders elected before the age of 50 below:
1. Yoweri Museveni of Uganda
Yoweri Museveni, who assumed power at the age of 42, led Uganda under what academics described as an illiberal democracy or competitive authoritarianism, largely due to the government's control over the media.
As one of the world’s and Africa’s longest-serving leaders, Museveni maintained an autocratic grip on the country for nearly 40 years.
Despite widespread reports of electoral malpractice and allegations of human rights violations, Museveni was reelected to a sixth term with 58.6% of the vote on January 16, 2021.
2. Jerry Rawlings of Ghana
Jerry Rawlings became president of Ghana at the age of 46 and was later democratically elected to two terms in office.
During his presidency, he played an important role in resolving the crisis in Liberia as president of the West African Economic Community.
Rawlings earned international recognition for his efforts in mediating regional conflicts, while Ghana gained respect as a model of stability in West Africa.
3. Faure Gnassingbé of Togo
Faure Gnassingbé, at 39, became one of the youngest heads of state when he assumed the presidency of Togo. Under Gnassingbé's leadership, Togo's economy saw significant improvements, with efforts raising between 12 to 860 billion CFA francs.
The president has also overseen the country’s phosphate industry, which accounts for 40% of Togo’s export revenue. However, concerns were raised about the management of the sector, with allegations that Gnassingbé personally benefited from the sale of contracts and licenses.
In 2008, as he sought to reestablish relations with the European Commission to secure funding for infrastructure repairs, Gnassingbé faced criticism for spending public funds on a Maybach, a luxury vehicle purchased for 1.8 million euros.
4. Melchior Ndadaye of Burundi
On July 10, 1993, Melchior Ndadaye was sworn in as president of Burundi at the age of 40, becoming one of the youngest democratically elected leaders in the world.
In addition to being the country’s first democratically elected president, he also made history as Burundi's first Hutu president.
After just 102 days in office, Ndadaye was assassinated in a coup d'état, bringing an abrupt end to his presidency.
5. Paul Kagame of Rwanda
Paul Kagame became president of Rwanda in 2000 at the age of 43 following the resignation of Pasteur Bizimungu. He was re-elected three times, in 2003, 2010, and 2017, and remains the country’s leader.
Under his leadership, Rwanda's economy made a remarkable recovery from the devastating effects of the 1994 genocide, and significant strides were made in reducing corruption.
However, Kagame's administration has faced criticism from some observers, with international monitors questioning the fairness of the presidential elections he has won since taking office.
6. Alpha Oumar Konaré of Mali
Alpha Oumar Konaré assumed the presidency of Mali at the age of 46. During his time in office, he played a key role in restoring democracy to the country, despite the challenges of 1997, and managed the northern Tuareg Rebellion. He also worked towards decentralising the administration. However, corruption remained a persistent issue within his government.
Konaré was a strong advocate for West African unity and peace, taking leadership roles on the international stage. He served as the head of ECOWAS from 1999 and as president of the West African Monetary Union from 2000.
Following the constitutional limit of two terms, Konaré stepped down in 2002 and was succeeded by Amadou Toumani Touré.
7. Julius Kambarage Nyerere of Tanzania
Julius Kambarage Nyerere became Tanzania's first president at the age of 42, following the country's formation from the merger of Tanganyika and Zanzibar.
Nyerere was a prominent leader in Africa's struggle against colonialism and racism, strongly advocating for pan-Africanism and supporting various African liberation movements.
His decision to retire from the presidency in 1985 set an important precedent for the peaceful transfer of power in Africa.
10 African leaders who are aged 70 and above
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that despite being home to the world's youngest population, Africa also has some of the oldest political leaders.
TheRadar compiled 10 African leaders aged 70 and above, including Cameroon’s Paul Biya, who at 91, held the world’s oldest serving head of state.