Ranking
Safest Countries in Africa 2026
Every African country we score, all 54 of them, from Egypt and Morocco in the north to South Africa, and the island states of Mauritius, Seychelles, Cabo Verde and São Tomé and Príncipe. Each score is built for visitors and combines homicide, conflict and terrorism, road deaths, health risks, natural hazards and petty crime. Open any country for the numbers, the official travel advice and the sources.
Updated · Scores update with each page
The ranking
Mauritius
Mauritius is one of the easiest and safest trips in Africa or the Indian Ocean. Violent crime is low and there is no history of terrorism. The real risks are crowded roads, theft from villas and beaches, mosquito-borne outbreaks such as dengue and chikungunya, and the cyclone season.
Score 78, grade BSeychelles
Seychelles is a safe island holiday for most visitors, with a US Level 1 advisory and no history of terrorism. The catches are the sea, which is dangerous on some coasts for months at a time, narrow mountain roads on Mahé, and opportunistic theft and break-ins, set against a serious heroin problem.
Score 77, grade BCabo Verde
Cabo Verde is one of Africa's most stable democracies, malaria-free since 2024 and on the US Level 1 list. Resort holidays on Sal and Boa Vista are usually trouble-free. The risks are muggings and theft in Praia and the resort towns, powerful currents, mountain roads and very basic medical care.
Score 68, grade CSão Tomé and Príncipe
São Tomé and Príncipe is one of the calmest countries in Africa, with low crime and peaceful elections. The risks are practical; poor unlit roads and unsafe motorbike taxis, malaria in all areas and rising again, and medical care so limited that serious cases are flown to Europe, South Africa, Ghana or Gabon.
Score 68, grade CEgypt
Egypt's main tourist routes, from Cairo and Giza to Luxor, Aswan and the Red Sea resorts, are heavily guarded and pickpocketing is rare. The risks are road and bus crashes, harassment of women, aggressive touts, uneven dive and boat safety, stomach bugs, and large no-go zones in North Sinai and the Western Desert.
Score 67, grade CMorocco
Morocco has low violent crime, about 1.7 homicides per 100,000 people, and most trips to Marrakech, Fes and the coast are trouble-free. The real risks are roads, where deaths rose by about a quarter in 2025, constant hustling and theft in the medinas, a standing terror threat, and earthquakes and flash floods.
Score 67, grade CAlgeria
Algiers, Oran, Constantine and the Roman sites of the north are safer than many visitors expect, with a low homicide rate and a heavy police presence. The serious risks are terrorism and kidnapping in the Sahara and border areas, now including Tamanrasset, dangerous roads, earthquakes and summer wildfires.
Score 65, grade CBotswana
Botswana is one of Africa's most peaceful countries, 50th on the 2026 Global Peace Index, and its safari areas see little crime. The risks are on the road, where animals and drink-driving cause frequent fatal crashes, and in the towns, where the FCDO says violent crime is rising. Malaria is a risk in the north.
Score 65, grade CRwanda
Rwanda is orderly and has little crime against visitors. The risks come from outside and from the roads; M23 fighting in eastern DR Congo has put the western border off limits, Ebola is circulating in the region, and the US raised its advisory to Level 3 in June 2026.
Score 65, grade CTunisia
Most holidays in Hammamet, Sousse, Djerba and Tunis pass without trouble, and street violence is moderate. The risks are a terrorism threat that has hit tourists before, no-go zones along the Algerian and Libyan borders, roads deadlier than Europe's, and petty theft and harassment in busy places.
Score 65, grade CNamibia
Namibia has no conflict, no recent terrorism and some of Africa's easiest self-drive safaris. The real risk is driving; crashes on gravel roads are common, road deaths rose 20% in 2025, and help can be hours away. Windhoek has muggings and car crime, and the homicide rate is high, though rarely aimed at tourists.
Score 63, grade CZambia
Zambia is one of the calmer countries in southern Africa, with the lowest US advisory level and little crime against visitors in the national parks. The risks are road crashes, which police say killed 2,567 people in 2025, malaria in every province, and cholera that CDC calls widespread.
Score 62, grade CEquatorial Guinea
Mostly, if your papers are in order. The US advisory is Level 2, for crime, poor health care and arbitrary enforcement of the law. Street crime in Malabo and Bata is the everyday risk; the more unusual ones are detention over paperwork or business disputes, roadblocks and the lack of emergency care.
Score 61, grade CGabon
Mostly, with precautions. Gabon has no conflict zones and the US advisory is Level 2. The risks are robbery, carjacking and assaults in shared taxis in Libreville and Port-Gentil, malaria, poor roads outside the capital and limited health care. Since the 2023 coup, police may scrutinise tourists closely.
Score 60, grade CMalawi
Malawi is calm and welcoming, with a US Level 2 advisory for crime and unrest and no areas the UK advises against. The real risks are night driving, malaria and cholera, floods in the rainy season, and robberies and break-ins in Lilongwe, Blantyre and around bus stations.
Score 60, grade CSenegal
Senegal is one of West Africa's calmest countries, with a US Level 1 advisory and a peaceful change of power in 2024. The risks are ordinary but real; road deaths reached 868 in 2025, malaria is nationwide, rip currents drown swimmers and robbery is rising in Dakar. Casamance needs extra care.
Score 58, grade CGhana
Ghana is stable, democratic and friendlier to first-time visitors than most of its neighbours, and the homicide rate is low. The risks are practical; road deaths rose 18% in 2025, malaria is everywhere, the Atlantic beaches have deadly rip currents, and armed robbery in Accra has become more common.
Score 57, grade CThe Gambia
The Gambia is one of the easier West African countries to visit, with a US Level 2 advisory and no regions off-limits. The risks are hustlers and theft around the beach resorts, poor roads, malaria and thin medical care. Blackout protests turned violent in September 2026, ahead of the 5 December presidential election.
Score 57, grade CComoros
Comoros is quiet and crime is low, but it is not an easy place to fall ill or get hurt. Protests flare after elections, roads off the main ring road are poor, the boats between the islands are often overloaded, malaria rose sharply in 2024 and hospitals are basic, so serious cases need evacuation.
Score 56, grade CDjibouti
Djibouti is the steadiest country in a rough neighbourhood, and crime against visitors is mostly petty. The catches are a standing terrorism threat linked to al-Shabaab, a mined and closed border with Eritrea, roads full of trucks and khat-chewing drivers, malaria in all areas and very basic hospitals.
Score 56, grade CMauritania
Only with planning. The US says reconsider travel, and the US, UK and Canada rule out the east and north-east, where Mali's war spills over. Nouakchott and the western desert towns can be visited, but robbery is rising, roads are poor and health care is very limited.
Score 56, grade CSierra Leone
Sierra Leone has been at peace since its civil war ended in 2002 and has no areas the UK advises against. The risks are practical. Health care is among the weakest in West Africa, roads are dangerous especially at night, robberies in Freetown are becoming more common, and the sea has strong currents and no lifeguards.
Score 56, grade CRepublic of the Congo
With care. Congo-Brazzaville is far calmer than neighbouring DR Congo, and the US advisory is Level 2. But gang crime in Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire has risen, rural roads are poor and health care is so limited that most serious cases need evacuation.
Score 55, grade CTanzania
The Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar remain open and most organised trips run normally. But security forces killed hundreds of protesters after the October 2025 election and more protests are possible, and robbery, road and ferry crashes, and malaria are the risks visitors actually meet.
Score 55, grade CEritrea
Asmara is one of Africa's calmer capitals, but Eritrea is a hard country to visit safely. Since 9 October 2026 the UK advises against all but essential travel, tension with Ethiopia is high, the borders are mined and militarised, and foreigners have been held without charge or consular access.
Score 54, grade DEswatini
Eswatini is an easy add-on to a South Africa or Mozambique trip, and crime against visitors is mostly theft. The catches are a murder rate of about 12 per 100,000, dangerous roads, protests that security forces put down hard, malaria in parts of the country and public hospitals short of medicine.
Score 54, grade DAngola
With care. The US advisory for Angola is Level 2, but Level 3 for greater Luanda because of crime. Armed robbery in the capital, landmines on rural roads, cholera and malaria, and very limited emergency care are the main risks; the UK advises against all but essential travel to most of Cabinda.
Score 53, grade DLesotho
Lesotho is peaceful politically and has no malaria, but its murder rate, 22 per 100,000 in 2024, is still among the highest in the world. Most killings involve gangs, not visitors; the practical risks are carjacking and mugging in Maseru, mountain roads and the need to cross into South Africa for good hospital care.
Score 53, grade DCameroon
Partly. The US advisory for Cameroon is Level 2, but it says do not travel to the North-West, South-West and Far North regions or near the borders with Nigeria, Chad and the Central African Republic. Elsewhere the main risks are armed robbery in the cities, kidnapping on rural roads and very dangerous driving.
Score 52, grade DCôte d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire is stable and Abidjan is one of West Africa's easier cities, but it carries real risks. The UK advises against all travel to the northern border strip because of jihadist groups from the Sahel, roads kill far more people than official counts show, and malaria and rip currents are serious hazards.
Score 52, grade DZimbabwe
Victoria Falls, Hwange and Mana Pools see little crime against tourists, and the US rates Zimbabwe Level 2. But WHO ranks its roads among the deadliest in Africa, mugging is common in cities after dark, hospitals want cash up front, and political activity can get you arrested.
Score 51, grade DKenya
Most safari and beach trips to Kenya go smoothly, and the Maasai Mara, Amboseli and Diani are far from the no-go zones. Visitors still face real risks; one of Africa's worst road records, robbery in Nairobi and Mombasa, a high terror and kidnap threat, deadly protests, and malaria.
Score 49, grade DLiberia
Liberia is peaceful and its 2023 election ended in a peaceful handover, so the US rates it Level 2. Crime is the main concern; the FCDO calls the crime rate high and foreigners are mugged in Monrovia's Mamba Point and Sinkor. Health care is poor, with no reliable ambulance service, and roads are unlit and unpaved.
Score 49, grade DBenin
Southern Benin, with Cotonou, Ouidah, Ganvié and the Voodoo festival, is generally calm and welcoming. The north is a different country now. JNIM fighters from the Sahel made 2025 the army's deadliest year, the famous Pendjari and W parks are off-limits, and roads and malaria are risks everywhere.
Score 48, grade DBurundi
Bujumbura can be visited with care, but Burundi is not easy. The US says reconsider travel, the UK advises against all travel near the Congolese border and Kibira National Park, and visitors face armed robbery, grenade attacks, fuel shortages, malaria and cholera with very limited medical care.
Score 48, grade DTogo
Lomé, the coast and the hills around Kpalimé are visited without major trouble. The far north, on the Burkina Faso border, has had jihadist attacks since 2021 and a state of emergency since 2022. Elsewhere the risks are street crime in Lomé, poor roads, malaria and protests.
Score 48, grade DUganda
Most safari and gorilla trips in Uganda pass without trouble, but the risks are serious. The US rates the country Level 4, do not travel. Islamist ADF militants have killed tourists in the west, the January 2026 election ended in deadly violence, an Ebola outbreak ended only in August 2026, and road deaths keep rising.
Score 48, grade DGuinea
Guinea (Guinea-Conakry) is open to careful travellers; neither the US nor the UK advises against any region. The catches are armed robbery after dark, roads that kill about 23 people per 100,000 a year, malaria everywhere and poor health care, under a 2021 coup leader elected in 2025.
Score 46, grade DMadagascar
Organised trips to Madagascar's national parks and beaches continue under the military-led government that took power in October 2025. The bigger risks are armed robbery on main roads and beaches, deadly bush-taxi crashes, cyclones, malaria and seasonal plague, and hospitals that can only handle routine cases.
Score 46, grade DMozambique
Maputo, Tofo, Vilanculos and the Bazaruto islands are visited safely by most travellers, but the US says do not travel to Cabo Delgado, where an Islamist insurgency has killed more than 6,600 people since 2017. Elsewhere, armed street crime, kidnapping for ransom, dangerous roads, malaria and cyclones need planning.
Score 46, grade DSouth Africa
South Africa has one of the highest murder rates in the world, 36.6 per 100,000 in the year to March 2026, and crime touches visitors more often than in most countries we score. Safaris, the Winelands and Cape Town's main sights can be visited safely with careful planning around driving, airports and hiking.
Score 46, grade DGuinea-Bissau
Guinea-Bissau is quiet on the street but unsettled at the top. Soldiers took power on 26 November 2025, the elections due on 6 December 2026 are in doubt, and the US says reconsider travel. Crime is mostly petty, but landmines remain outside Bissau, roads are deadly and serious illness means evacuation.
Score 45, grade DEthiopia
Addis Ababa is stable and short visits there usually go smoothly, but much of Ethiopia is unsafe. War with Tigrayan forces resumed in September 2026, Fano and Oromo insurgencies continue, kidnapping is widespread in several regions, and Lalibela, Gondar and the Simien Mountains are in no-go areas.
Score 44, grade DLibya
Libya is calmer than during its civil wars, and the UK has eased its advice for Tripoli (June 2026) and the Benghazi area (July 2026) to all but essential travel. The US still says do not travel for any reason, citing militia clashes, kidnapping and armed crime, and roads are among the deadliest anywhere.
Score 37, grade FNigeria
Business travellers and diaspora visitors go to Lagos and Abuja every day, but Nigeria is one of the riskiest countries we cover. Kidnappings rose to at least 7,825 victims in a year, the US says do not travel to 23 of 36 states, roads are deadly and Nigeria has the world's highest malaria burden.
Score 37, grade FChad
No. The US says do not travel to Chad for any reason, and the UK advises against all travel to the north, the Lake Chad region and every border area, and against all but essential travel elsewhere, N'Djamena included. Kidnapping, carjacking, landmines and cholera add to the risk.
Score 31, grade FMali
No. Mali has been under military rule since the coups of August 2020 and May 2021, and the jihadist insurgency has moved south towards Bamako. The US, UK and Canada all say do not travel anywhere in the country, foreigners are kidnapped for ransom, and the UK tells anyone still there to leave by air, not by road.
Score 31, grade FDemocratic Republic of the Congo
No. The US says do not travel to the DRC, the UK advises against all travel to seven eastern provinces, and a Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak declared a global health emergency in May 2026 is still growing. Kinshasa is calmer than the east, but street robbery, fake police and very limited health care make it hard going too.
Score 30, grade FCentral African Republic
No. The US says do not travel, and the UK advises against all travel outside Bangui and all but essential travel to the capital. A peace process has calmed parts of the country, but armed groups still kidnap and kill in the north-west and south-east, roads are among the deadliest anywhere and health care is very basic.
Score 29, grade FBurkina Faso
No. Burkina Faso has been ruled by the military since two coups in 2022, and al-Qaeda and Islamic State affiliates attack towns, roads and army posts across much of the country. The US and UK both say do not travel, kidnapping of foreigners is a real threat even in Ouagadougou, and help in an emergency is very limited.
Score 28, grade FNiger
No. Niger has been under military rule since the coup of 26 July 2023, and jihadist groups attack in the west, south-east and north. The US, UK and Canada all say do not travel, foreigners have been kidnapped in Niamey itself, and the authorities require a military escort for any foreigner leaving the capital.
Score 28, grade FSomalia
Somalia is among the most dangerous countries to visit. Al-Shabaab attacks hotels, beaches and the Mogadishu airport zone, kidnapping for ransom is common, and medical care barely exists outside Hargeisa. The UK's advice is slightly softer only for three western regions of Somaliland.
Score 28, grade FSouth Sudan
South Sudan is close to a return to civil war in 2026, with mass killings in Jonglei and Ruweng. Armed robbery and carjacking are common even in Juba, WHO estimates 22 road deaths per 100,000 people a year, and there is no public ambulance number.
Score 25, grade FSudan
No. Sudan has been at war since 15 April 2023, when the army and the Rapid Support Forces turned on each other. The US and UK both say do not travel, there is no Western embassy open in Khartoum, and kidnapping, landmines, disease and drone strikes on the airports make even short trips extremely risky.
Score 24, grade F
Which countries are on this list
The rule is the UN's geographic grouping (M49): every sovereign state the UN places in Africa, and we score all 54. That takes in North Africa, from Morocco to Egypt, and the island states in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, such as Cabo Verde, Madagascar, Mauritius and Seychelles. Territories governed from outside Africa, such as Réunion or the Canary Islands, are not on it.
How the order is built
Every country has its own page with six scored factors. Violent crime carries 25%, conflict and terrorism and road safety 20% each, health 15%, and natural hazards and petty crime 10% each. The list sorts those scores from the highest down and moves whenever we update a country page. The rubrics are on how we score countries.
One rule matters for war zones: a country's overall score can never be more than 35 points above its conflict score. On this list the cap changes nothing. In Sudan, Somalia or the Sahel, crime, roads and health care are weak as well, so the weighted average is already below the ceiling.
What the top countries have in common
The leaders are islands with no armed conflict and no recent history of terrorism. Mauritius has about 2.3 Homicide rateThe number of people killed on purpose each year for every 100,000 residents. It is the most comparable crime figure between countries.More in the glossary people (2022), Seychelles has a US Level 1 advisory, and Cabo Verde was certified malaria-free by WHO in 2024. They lose points on the roads, crowded in Mauritius and steep and narrow on Mahé and Cabo Verde's mountain islands, and Cabo Verde's medical care is very basic. São Tomé and Príncipe is calm too, but malaria and very basic care pull it down.
On the mainland, Morocco, Egypt and Tunisia combine low or moderate homicide rates with frequent road crashes and a terrorism threat. Botswana and Namibia are among the most peaceful countries in Africa, but both have about 11 homicides per 100,000 and frequent crashes on long rural roads.
Why some well-known countries are lower
South Africa has good hospitals and no armed conflict, but its murder rate is one of the highest in the world, and violent crime carries the most weight. Kenya loses most on its roads and on a high terror and kidnap threat. In Tanzania, security forces killed hundreds of protesters after the October 2025 election, and malaria is present nationwide, Zanzibar included. Ethiopia is low because war with Tigrayan forces resumed in September 2026 and Lalibela, Gondar and the Simien Mountains lie in no-go areas. Nigeria, with at least 7,825 people kidnapped in a year, is near the bottom.
What the score does not tell you
A country score averages risk across the whole country. A guided safari in a well-run reserve has little in common with a night in a city centre or a self-drive trip on gravel, and several countries in the middle of this list have both a calm tourist circuit and no-go border zones. Malaria and the distance to good hospitals matter more in much of Africa than they do in Europe, so get travel health advice and insurance that covers medical evacuation before you book. For a wider comparison, see the safest countries to visit.
Questions
What is the safest country in Africa for tourists?
The island states lead. Mauritius has about 2.3 Homicide rateThe number of people killed on purpose each year for every 100,000 residents. It is the most comparable crime figure between countries.More in the glossary people (2022), no history of terrorism and a top-20 place on the 2026 Global Peace IndexAn annual ranking of 163 countries by how peaceful they are, based on conflict, crime, militarisation and political instability.More in the glossary, and Seychelles and Cabo Verde both carry a US Level 1 advisory. On the mainland, Egypt and Morocco come closest, with low or moderate homicide rates but frequent road crashes and a standing terrorism threat.
Is South Africa safe to visit?
Most safaris, Winelands trips and Cape Town's main sights go well with careful planning, but crime touches visitors more often than in most countries we score. Police counted 36.6 murders per 100,000 people in the year to March 2026, one of the highest rates in the world. Our South Africa page covers driving, airport transfers and hiking, where most problems start.
Is Morocco safe to visit?
Yes for most trips to Marrakech, Fes and the coast. Violent crime is low, about 1.7 Homicide rateThe number of people killed on purpose each year for every 100,000 residents. It is the most comparable crime figure between countries.More in the glossary people in 2023, and the US travel advisoryThe US State Department's rating of each country from Level 1 (exercise normal precautions) to Level 4 (do not travel).More in the glossary is Level 2 for terrorism. The bigger everyday risks are the roads, where deaths rose by about a quarter in 2025, and constant hustling and theft in the medinas. See the Morocco page.
Is Kenya safe to visit?
The Maasai Mara, Amboseli and Diani are far from the areas governments warn against, and most safari and beach trips go smoothly. Kenya still has one of Africa's worst road records, about 35 deaths per 100,000 people (WHO, 2023), plus robbery in Nairobi and Mombasa and a high terror and kidnap threat. The US raised its advice to Level 3 on 19 October 2026.
Is Egypt safe to visit right now?
The main tourist routes, from Cairo and Giza to Luxor, Aswan and the Red Sea resorts, are heavily guarded, and pickpocketing is rare. The US, UK and Canada all warn against North Sinai, and the US also against the Western Desert. Road and bus crashes, harassment of women and uneven dive and boat safety are the risks visitors actually meet. Details are on the Egypt page.
Which African countries should you not travel to?
The US says do not travel to Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, and the UK advises against all travel to each of them, apart from a few areas such as parts of Somaliland. Sudan has been at war since April 2023, and jihadist groups kidnap foreigners across the Sahel. These countries sit near the bottom of this list.
Is Egypt part of Africa or the Middle East?
Egypt is an African country, and the UN counts it in Northern Africa, so it is on this list together with Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya. Its Sinai Peninsula lies in Asia, but we score Egypt as one country. Because news and travel advice treat it as part of the Middle East, it is also on our Middle East list, the only country on two of our regional lists.