Top 5 African countries with the best English proficiency
Business Insider Africa presents the top 5 African countries with the best English proficiency.
The list is courtesy of EF Education First.
Africa remains the only continent where women consistently show stronger English skills, with Ethiopia recording the world's widest gender gap in favour of women at 58 points.
English is more widely understood today than it was 30 years ago, yet many people still struggle to use it effectively in academic and professional settings.
The cost, in missed opportunities, miscommunication, and wasted time, is difficult to measure. The 2024 EF Education First English Proficiency Index, based on data from 2.1 million test takers, explores global trends in English proficiency.
This year marks the fourth consecutive global decline in average English skills, with 60% of countries scoring lower than in 2023. However, Africa defies this trend.
While not every country improved, the region as a whole made progress, particularly among women, who continue to outperform men. Africa remains the only continent where women consistently show stronger English skills, with Ethiopia recording the world's widest gender gap in favour of women at 58 points.
English proficiency, as measured at the national level, correlates strongly with a broad set of development indicators such as income, education, innovation, welfare, competitiveness, and global engagement.
Though the strength of these correlations may shift over time, they have remained consistently significant, particularly about calculated indices, more so than single metrics like GDP or average years of schooling.
Despite varied results across the region, Africa's overall performance highlights a growing emphasis on language skills.
This report spotlights the African countries with the highest English proficiency, where improved language capabilities are helping to unlock opportunity and drive development.
Below are the top 5 African countries with the best English proficiency:
Rank Country Score Global ranking
1 South Africa 594 11th
2 Kenya 581 19th
3 Nigeria 557 30th
4 Ghana 534 41st
5 Uganda 518 54th
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Epoch Times
6 hours ago
- Epoch Times
‘Middlemarch': The Power of Acceptance
When Mary Ann Evans disclosed her identity, the world was shocked. The English novelist has been dubbed one of the greatest modern authors for the psychological depth of her prose. But who was Evans, and what does her writing reveal about the need to accept fallibility as essential to moral growth? The Face Behind 'George Eliot' Mary Ann Evans (1819 – 1880) was born on the Arbury Hall estate in Warwickshire county, England. Her father managed the estate, and Evans could easily access its many resources, including books and libraries. She became a voracious reader. Her quick ability to learn convinced the Evans family to invest in an education available to few women at the time. Although her formal schooling stopped when she turned 16, Evans continued studying on her own, gaining a broad knowledge of the Western literary canon. She fell in love with Ancient Greek drama and later used its themes as inspiration for her writing. After a short but successful career in journalistic writing, Evans took to fiction. That's when she decided to adopt the nom de plume, 'George Eliot.' Female authors were often published under their own names, as she had been. In fiction, however, the stereotype was as Evans described it in ' ': Women could only write vain and shallow plots for lighthearted romances. She thought this stereotype unfair, but she also criticized her female peers for giving into it. Evans wanted to offer a better and deeper kind of literature. The pen name was a first step.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Washington state bans the sale of common ivy varieties starting in August
A common yard plant could be on its way out of Washington parks and gardens. On July 9, the Washington State Department of Agriculture announced it was adding the English (also known as common) and Atlantic varieties of ivy, among other plants, to its noxious weed seed and plant quarantine. When the change goes into effect Aug. 9, the sale of the ivy varieties will no longer be legal in Washington. According to Susan Hutton, executive director of the Whatcom Million Trees Project, the banned varieties of ivy pose a threat to trees by depriving them of sunlight. 'English ivy is kind of an equal opportunity creeper,' Hutton said in an interview. 'It will come to a tree and it will start to climb it, and as it climbs the tree, it starts to compete with the tree's leaves for sunlight, and in the process, it gradually weakens the tree… once ivy gets up into the crown of a tree, it's almost certain to kill the tree in a short period of time.' Whatcom Million Trees Project, which promotes the conserving and planting trees in Whatcom County, has been pushing for the ban for two years, according to founder Michael Feerer. 'Approximately two or three years ago, we started getting involved with partnering with local agencies such as Bellingham city parks and Whatcom County parks to remove ivy. And the more and more we got involved and focused on it, we realized that one of the big facets of the problem was that nurseries, amazingly, were still selling English ivy throughout the state,' Feerer said. According to Feerer and Sutton, the plants became popular in Washington yards and parks as ground cover, before becoming widespread enough to pose a threat to the area's trees. 'People bought it innocently. Nobody knew that it was going to become this invasive problem that it has become,' Sutton said. Feerer said that WSDA reviews the list of banned plant and seed varieties twice a year, and advocates began working to get the ivy varieties added. 'English ivy and Boston and Atlantic ivy, which is the other ivy we have commonly out here impacting trees, was not on the prohibited plants and seeds list. So it's quite an involved process to try to petition to add something to the list, but we decided about two years ago to take on that process,' Feerer said. Whatcom Million Trees Project wasn't the only organization pushing for the ban. Nine different groups, along with several individuals, took part in the public comment process as WSDA considered the proposed amendments. According to WSDA, there was support for banning English ivy throughout the public comment period. 'Most commenters expressed appreciation and strong support for the proposed inclusions, particularly English ivy (Hedera Helix) and its cultivars,' the department said in its explanatory statement regarding the changes. Washington is now the second state, after Oregon, to ban English ivy, according to Feerer, but he hopes other states take notice and follow suit. The ban doesn't impact ivy that's already been planted. 'Nobody's going to come police your backyard, or anything like that. It's just no more selling it,' Hutton said. If you have ivy in your yard that you'd like to remove, Hutton said the process is relatively simple. 'It's actually really easy to do,' Hutton said. 'You stand in front of a tree, and you kind of go all the way around the tree, a 360-degree tour around the tree, and you identify Ivy that's between waist and shoulder height, so within easy range. What you're trying to do is just separate the ground from the ivy that's in the tree. So you make cuts in the ivy all the way around the tree, and then you just pull it down.' According to Hutton, once the plant is uprooted, you don't need to remove the rest of it from the tree. 'You don't have to worry about anything up in the tree, because once it's disconnected from the earth, that ivy will die because it's no longer being nourished,' Hutton said. The Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board notes that it's important to wear gloves and protective clothes while removing ivy, since its sap can irritate sensitive skin. The board also recommends disposing of the vines or letting them dry out on a tarp, logs or hard surface, so they can't re-root. The ban only affects two varieties of ivy: Hedera helix, often called common or English ivy, and Hedera hibernica, known as Atlantic ivy. According to the Noxious Weed Control Board, English ivy is marked by alternating lobed leaves along its vines in its juvenile form, and a shrub-like adult form with egg and diamond-shaped leaves. Atlantic ivy has wide, dark green, five-lobed leaves, according to the United Kingdom-based Royal Horticulture Society. However, according to Feerer, there's an easier way to identify the invasive forms of ivy. 'Basically, if people see ivy climbing a tree trunk, that's one of the tree-impacting ones,' Feerer said. You can find more information on how to identify and remove ivy on the Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board's website. In addition to the two varieties of ivy, 17 other plants were added to the list of banned species. Here's the complete list: Common (English) Ivy (Hedera helix) Atlantic/Boston Ivy (Hedera Hibernica) Spotted Touch Me Not (Impatiens capensis) Cape Pondweed (Aponogeton distachyos) Hanging Sedge (Carex pendula, Carex pendula subsp. pedula and Carex pendula subsp. agastachys) Green Alkenet (Pentaglottis sempervirens) Common Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare, except bulbing fennel, F. vulgare var. azoricum) European Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) Herb-Robert (Geranium robertianum) Houndstongue (Cynoglossum officinale) Sulfur Cinquefoil (Potentilla recta) Wild basil/basil savory (Clinopodium vulgare) Yellow Nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus) Camelthorn (Alhagi maurorum) Russian Knapweed (Rhaponticum repens) Puncturevine (Tribulus terrestris) Rough Chervil (Chaerophyllum temulum) Turkish Thistle (Carduus cinereus) Palmer's Amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri)
Hamilton Spectator
13 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Norma Bidwell's comfort foods: Chilled soup and easy summer recipes
Editor's note: Norma Bidwell was The Spectator's beloved food columnist for more than half a century, signing off her popular Stoveline column in 2006 at the age of 91. With rising grocery costs and global turmoil, now seems a perfect time to revive her recipes for simple, comfort foods for you to enjoy. Home cooking has never been so top of mind. From easy salads and comfort food to share. We've got some of the best recipes, picked from The Spectator's Stoveline archives in hopes to help everyone with that time-honoured daily thrill of cooking. Q: I love to serve chilled soups in the hot weather. Recently, I tasted a wonderful cream of carrot cold soup and would like to have such a recipe — one to serve about six. A: This comes from a wonderful cookbook, 'Good Food From The Garret,' by the Dundas Valley Art School. Makes 6 to 8 servings To achieve perfect smoothness when making this soup, you need a food processor. It has a definite flavour and a beautiful colour. Garnish with a sprig of watercress and a carrot curl. Using the steel blade in the work bowl, process onion until coarsely chopped. Sauté in butter until translucent, stir in the curry powder and dill and a dash of nutmeg and continue cooking for several minutes. Pare and slice carrots, combine with onions; add stock. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook until carrots are soft. Purée the mixture in three or four batches. Chill thoroughly. Stir in the chilled cream just before serving. Carrots and cream have an affinity for each other. Serve in chilled soup bowls. Q: I can't be bothered making pizza crust, but would like to make miniature pizzas. What could I use instead of the crust? A: Either English muffins or hamburger buns make tasty little pizza snacks with practically no work. Vary the topping to suit yourself. Makes 8 Split muffins or hamburger buns and toast lightly under the broiler. Place on cookie sheet and spread with spaghetti sauce and top with slivers of sausage and narrow strips of cheese. Sprinkle with oregano. Bake in 350 F oven for 10 minutes or under broiler until cheese melts. Note: Instead of sausage, you could use crumbled crisp bacon. Q: My mother used to make a baked strawberry pie with a lattice topping. She never wrote down recipes and didn't teach me how to cook, so I need your help in trying to duplicate her pie. A: This delicious pie is served cool but not refrigerated. The chopped almonds cover the bottom of pastry shell, and they really make the pie extra special. Makes 6 to 8 servings Add sugar to strawberries and stir to mix. Add chopped almonds to cover bottom of pastry shell. Top with the sugared berries and add a lattice topping. Bake on lowest shelf of preheated 425 F (215 C) oven until juice bubbles in the centre, about 35 minutes. Serve cooled, but not refrigerated. Sprinkle with icing sugar put through a wire sieve just before serving. Pass bowl of sweetened whipped cream or French vanilla ice cream balls. Approximate nutrition per serving (when serving 8, pie only): 240 calories; 10 g fat; 4 g protein; 35 g carbohydrates; 4 g fibre Q: My family loves peach cobbler. Now, with the strawberry season near, I am wondering if I could make a strawberry cobbler. I would need a detailed recipe, if you have one. A: Cobblers have always been family favourites in the fresh-fruit season. The same cobbler topping can be used for a variety of fruit desserts. I am sure your family will enjoy the strawberry version. Makes 8 servings For the topping: For the fruit: To make topping: Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter until crumbly. In another bowl, combine egg and milk; add all at once to dry ingredients. Stir with fork just until all dry ingredients are moistened. Set aside. To make fruit: In saucepan, combine ⅔ cup (160 mL) sugar and cornstarch. Stir in water; cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cut any large berries in half. Add berries to mixture in saucepan; cook and stir until bubbly, about 5 minutes longer. Stir in vanilla. Turn into a 2-quart (2-L) casserole. Drop topping in 8 mounds on top of hot fruit. Sprinkle with 1 tbsp (15 mL) of sugar. Bake, uncovered, at 425 F (215 C) until lightly browned, about 25 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream. Approximate nutrition per serving: 330 calories; 7 g fat; 3 g protein; 40 g carbohydrates; 2 g fibre
