This is a list of African scholars who were born or active on the African continent.

North Africa

Egypt Imhotep fl. (2667–2611 BC), Egyptian polymath Muhammad Abduh (1849–1905), Egyptian jurist, religious scholar and liberal reformer, regarded as the founder of Islamic Modernism. Hassan al-Jabarti (d. 1774) – mathematician, theologian, astronomer and philosopher, considered one of the great scholars of the 18th century Abū Kāmil Shujā ibn Aslam () Sameera Moussa (1917–1952), Egyptian nuclear scientist. Arius (c. 250/256–336), Christian priest from Alexandria, Egypt. Al-Suyuti (c. 1445–1505), Egyptian writer, religious scholar, juristic expert and teacher. Ahmed Zewail (1946–2016), Egyptian-American scientist, awarded the 1999 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for laser studies in femtochemistry. Mahmud Ahmad Hamdi al-Falaki (1815–1885), Egyptian cartographer, teacher, Minister of Public Instruction. Ismail Mustafa al-Falaki (1825–1901), Egyptian astronomer and mathematician.

Carthage Saint Cyprian (c. 210September 14, 258), bishop of Carthage and early Christian writer.

Tunisia Aziza Baccouche (1976–2021), American physicist and filmmaker born and raised in Tunisia Hayet Omri (1981–), Tunisian politician and inventor

Other Abbas Ibn Firnas (809–887) Nur ad-Din al-Betrugi (died c. 1204) Tertullian (c. 160c. 220), Christian Berber author and writer of Christian Latin literature. Augustine of Hippo (354–430), Bishop of Hippo Regius and Romanized Berber philosopher and theologian.

Algeria Muhammad al-Maghili (died c. 1505), Islamic scholar from Tlemcen in modern-day Algeria Fatsah Ouguergouz (1958-), international law scholar and judge of the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights

Morocco Rachid Yazami (1953–), French Moroccan scientist best known for his research on lithium-ion batteries.

Sudanese

Mo Ibrahim, (1946–), Sudanese-born British mobile communications entrepreneur and engineer Ali M. El-Agraa (1941–), economist Mohamed Osman Baloola (1981–), biomedical engineer who works on diabetes monitoring Mamoun Beheiry (1925–2002), economist, president of the African Development Bank and twice finance minister Nashwa Eassa (19??–), nano-particle physicist Ismail El Gizouli, acting president of the IPCC Mohamed H.A. Hassan (1947–), mathematician and physicist

East Africa

Ethiopian

Rediet Abebe (1991–), Ethiopian computer scientist and was appointed at the Harvard Society of Fellows as the first female computer scientist. Berhane Asfaw (1954–), Ethiopian paleontologist. Giday WoldeGabriel (1955–), Ethiopian geologist. Gebisa Ejeta (1950–), Ethiopian plant breeder and geneticist who won the 2009 World Food Prize. Sossina M. Haile (1966–), Inventor of Solid acid fuel cells, professor of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering at the California Institute of Technology. Mulugeta Bekele (1947–), Professor of Physics at Addis Ababa University. Aklilu Lemma (1934–1997), Ethiopian physician and was co-awarded the 1989 Right Livelihood Award. Dessalegn Rahmato (1940–), Ethiopia sociologist and was awarded the 1998 Prince Claus Award. Legesse Wolde-Yohannes, Ethiopian horticultural scientist and was co-awarded the 1989 Right Livelihood Award. Melaku Worede (1936–), Ethiopian horticultural scientist and was co-awarded the 1989 Right Livelihood Award. Tewolde Berhan Gebre Egziabher (1940–2023), Ethiopian environmental scientist and the General Manager of the Environmental Protection Authority of Ethiopia. He was awarded the 2000 Right Livelihood Award and 2006 Champions of the Earth.

Somali Abdusalam Abubakar (1989/90–) – one of the youngest winners of the BT Young Scientist of the Year Award; later went on to win the European Union Contest for Young Scientists for his project, An Extension of Wiener's Attack on RSA Ali Said Faqi – scientist and the leading researcher on the design and interpretation of toxicology studies at the MPI research center in Mattawan, Michigan Jama Musse Jama (1967–) – ethnomathematician and author; known for his research on traditional Somali board games such as Shax and the history of mathematics in the Horn of Africa and the founder of Hargeysa Cultural Centre Ahmed Mumin Warfa – scientist, specialized in botany and jointly discovered the Cyclamen somalense, the first genus from tropical Africa with his colleague Mats Thulin; the "world's pre-eminent authority on frankincense"; professor at Salt Lake Community College Shaykh Sufi – popularly known as Sheikh Sufi, was a 19th-century Somali scholar, poet, reformist and astrologist Ahmed Ismail Samatar – prominent Somali writer, professor and former dean of the Institute for Global Citizenship at Macalester College. He is the editor of Bildhaan: An International Journal of Somali Studies, and brother of Abdi Ismail Samatar, chair of the geography department at the University of Minnesota. Abdigani Diriye - (born 1986) is a Somali computer scientist and research scientist at IBM Research – Africa, working in the fields of human-computer interaction (HCI), data mining and financial technology (FinTech). Diriye was named a TEDGlobal 2017 fellow, an MIT Technology Review 'Innovator Under 35', and a 'Next Einstein Forum' fellow. Shaykh Sufi - (b. 1829 – 1904), popularly known as Sheikh Sufi, was a 19th-century Somali scholar, poet, reformist and astrologist. Abdi Ismail Samatar - (born 1950) is a Somali scholar, writer and professor of geography.

Eritrean Haile Debas (1937–), Eritrean who achieved national recognition as a gastrointestinal investigator and made original contributions to the physiology, biochemistry, and pathophysiology of gastrointestinal peptide hormones.

Kenyan B.A. Ogot (1929-2024)-a renowned african historian and the first Kenyan PhD hoder in humanities and application of oral history Wangari Maathai (1940–2010), Kenyan environmental and political activist who won the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize. Thomas R. Odhiambo (1931–2003), Kenyan entomologist and environmental activist. Phoebe Okowa (1965–), Kenyan international law scholar and Member of the UN International Law Commission Henry Odera Oruka (1944–1995), Kenyan philosopher known for Sage philosophy project started in the 1970s. Calestous Juma (1953–2017), Kenyan internationally recognised authority in the application of science and technology to sustainable development worldwide. Paula Kahumbu (1966–), Kenyan wildlife conservationist and Chief Executive Officer of WildlifeDirect. Marjorie Oludhe Macgoye (1928–2015), Kenyan poet, novelist and missionary bookseller also known as the "Mother of Kenyan literature". Ngugi wa thion'go (1938–2025), Kenyan writer and literature academic. Richard Leakey (1944–2022), Kenyan paleoanthropologist and wildlife conservationist. Meja Mwangi (1948–2025), Award winning Kenyan novelist and writer of plays and children's books. Grace Ogot (1930–2015), Kenyan author and first anglophone Kenyan female writer to be published, together with Charity Waciuma. Ken Walibora (1964-2020), Kenyan Ph.D holder in Comparative Cultural Studies from Ohio State University, USA. He promoted Swahili Language and Literature, and was a writer of Swahili fiction and poems. John Mbiti (1931-2019), Kenyan Ph.D holder in Theology from the University of Cambridge. His main line of interest and research was Christian Theology in African Traditional Religion. In addition, he was a philosopher, writer and ordained priest of the Anglican Church.

Ugandan Joshua Sikhu Okonya, Ugandan entomologist and climate change scientist. Venansius Baryamureeba, Ugandan professor of computer science and educationist. Kwatsi Alibaruho, Ugandan American flight director at NASA. Ivan Edwards (physician), Ugandan American physician and Flight surgeon in the US Air Force Reserve. He started a Child Sponsorship Program for displaced orphans in Uganda. Dr. Catherine Nakalembe, Ugandan team leader for the NASA Harvest Consortium, Assistant Professor at the University of Maryland, and SERVIR Applied Sciences team member. Prof. Harriet Mayanja-Kizza, Ugandan physician and researcher at Makerere University College of Health Sciences in Kampala, Uganda. Prof. Sandy Stevens Tickodri-Togboa, Ugandan engineer and the driving force behind Kiira Motors, a pioneering electric mobility venture. Brian Mushana Kwesiga, entrepreneur, engineer, and former president and CEO, Ugandan North American Association (UNAA) Prof. Florence Muranga, Ugandan biochemist, food scientist, academic and corporate executive, she heads the "Banana Industrial |Research Development Centre (BIRDC)". Mahmood Mamdani, Indian-born Ugandan academic, author and Herbert Lehman Professor of Government.

Tanzanian Hulda Swai, researcher and professor in life sciences and bioengineering

West Africa

Cameroonian

Ibrahim Njoya (c. 1860 – c. 1933), ruler of the Bamum people, in what is now western Cameroon credited with developing a semi-syllabic Bamum script which evolved from the rudimentary pictographic script to a more advanced logo graphic script, which he later refined to the semi-syllabic script known to the world today. Pelkins Ajanoh, Cameroonian graduate of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, invented a novel technology for calibrating radars for self-driving cars while pursuing an internship at General Motors.

Congo Jean-Jacques Muyembe-Tamfum, Congolese microbiologist, investigated the first Ebola outbreak, and was part of the effort that discovered Ebola as a new disease. In August 2019, he led the research that discovered the most effective treatment for Ebola, mAb114, working with other researchers at the INRB and the National Institute of Health Vaccine Research Center in the US.

Gambian Tumani Corrah is a Gambian clinician whose fields of research include tuberculosis, HIV and malaria.

Ghanaian Alexander Anim-Mensah, Ghanaian-American chemical engineer, inventor, and author. He is known for the contributions towards the field of membrane science and technology.

Malian Mohammed Bagayogo (1523–1593), eminent scholar from Timbuktu, Mali. Cheick Modibo Diarra (1952–), Malian-born aerospace engineer who contributed to several NASA missions such as Mars Path Finder, the Galileo spacecraft, and the Mars Observer. Ahmad Baba (1556–1627), medieval West African writer, scholar, and political provocateur.

Sierra Leonean Abioseh Davidson Nicol, biomedical scientist and physician who discovered the breakdown of insulin in the human body, a breakthrough for the treatment of diabetes. John Farrell Easmon, physician who coined the term "Blackwater Fever" and was the first to link the disease directly to malaria. Edward Wilmot Blyden III, diplomat, political scientist and educator. Abu Bakarr Kanu, academic and chemist. Ogunlade Davidson, academic and engineer. Noah Arthur Cox-George, academic and economist. Akintola Josephus Wyse, academic, author and historian. Aisha Fofana Ibrahim, academic and activist. Cyril Foray, academic, author and historian. Arthur Daniel Porter III, academic, author and historian. Olumbe Bassir, academic, biochemist and activist. Violet Showers Johnson, academic, author and historian. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, political scientist and politician. Kandeh Baba Conteh, political scientist and politician. Kadi Sesay, feminist, politician and linguist. Eustace Palmer, academic, literary critic and author. Omotunde E.G. Johnson, economist and researcher.

Nigerian Osuolale Abdramon Tiamiyu Nigerian Computer Networks and Telecommunications specialist, Chris Abani (born 27 December 1966), Nigerian and American author Catherine Obianuju Acholonu (26 October 1951 – 18 March 2014), Nigerian writer, researcher and former lecturer on African Cultural and Gender Studies. Akin Adesokan, Nigerian writer, scholar and novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (born 15 September 1977), Nigerian writer whose works range from novels to short stories to nonfiction