Many African proverbs about life and wisdom are tied to the Earth and the animals who inhabit it to convey daily life lessons and procedures. Some proverbs are romantic, some are comical, and some are thought, provoking.
There are no shortcuts to the top of the palm tree. ~ Cameroonian Proverb
All monkeys cannot hang on the same branch. ~ Kenyan Proverb
Those who are absent are always wrong. ~ Congolese Proverb
God has created lands with lakes and rivers for man to live. And the desert so that he can find his soul. ~ Tuareg Proverb
Do not allow the belly to make you useless. ~ Maasai Proverb
Little by little grow the bananas. ~ Congolese Proverb
If you overtake a leader, you break your neck. ~ Ugandan Proverb
The big game often appears when the hunter has given up the hunt for the day. ~ Igbo Proverb
A clever king is the brother of peace. ~ South African Proverb
Do not call to a dog with a whip in your hand. ~ Sudanese Proverb
The blame of the antelope is on the hunter. ~ Kenyan Proverb
Good music goes with good food. ~ African Proverb
Haste and hurry can only bear children with many regrets along the way. ~ Senegalese Proverb
A fully grown-up tree cannot be bent into a walking stick. ~ Kenyan Proverb
No matter how full the river is, it still wants to grow. ~ Congolese Proverb
Birds of all kinds will end up landing. ~ Egyptian Proverb
I shall come for the cows after the donkeys have grown horns. ~Meru Proverb
If love is a sickness, patience is the remedy. ~ Cameroonian Proverb
Other people’s wisdom prevents the king from being called a fool. ~ Nigerian Proverb
Knowledge without wisdom is like water in the sand. ~ Guinean Proverb
Ingratitude is sooner or later fatal to its author. ~ Twi Proverb
The laughter of a child lights up the house. ~ Swahili proverb
Even an ant can hurt an elephant. ~ South African Proverb
Examine what is said, not him who speaks. ~ Egyptian Proverb
One camel does not make fun of the other camel’s hump. ~ Ghanaian Proverb
Even an ant can hurt an elephant. ~ South African Proverb
Examine what is said, not him who speaks. ~ Egyptian Proverb
One camel does not make fun of the other camel’s hump. ~ Ghanaian Proverb
If you educate a man you educate one individual, but if you educate a woman you educate a family. ~Fanti Proverb
The sun never sets without fresh news. ~Xhosa Proverb
The good mother knows what her children will eat. ~ Akan Proverb
When the mother goat breaks into the yam store her kid watches her. ~ Igbo Proverb
Even as the archer loves the arrow that flies, so too he loves the bow that remains constant in his hands. ~ Nigerian Proverb
Rich people cook their food in a potsherd. ~ Kikuyu Proverb
Too much discussion leads to a quarrel. ~ Ivorian Proverb
Enjoy the read. We can always learn from each other.
