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Claim: South Africa’s March leader Jacinta Zinhle MaNgobese Zuma posted a Facebook video claiming Zimbabwe was the first African country to gain independence in Africa.
Verdict: False! Liberia became Africa’s first independent republic on July 26, 1847. However, Liberia was not a European colony in the same way as most African territories. Egypt became the first African country to attain formal independence from British colonial rule on February 28, 1922. Ghana later became the first sub-Saharan African country to gain independence from European colonial rule on March 6, 1957. Zimbabwe gained independence on April 18, 1980.
Full Text
A video circulating on social media has revived a long-standing misconception about the history of African independence.
On July 25, 2026, Jacinta Zinhle MaNgobese Zuma, leader of South Africa’s March and March movement, posted an 11-minute-4-second video on Facebook discussing immigration, nationalism, and the objectives of her movement.
During the video, she addressed what she described as the oppression of Zimbabweans and encouraged them to confront their challenges.
At approximately the 4th minute, she stated:
“I know Zimbabwe was the first country to actually get its independence in Africa. So, if they were able to do that and were able to thrive and overcome all of that, why can’t they now fight the same oppression just by different skin colour…”
The video attracted significant engagement, recording 286,000 views, 18,200 reactions, 2,500 comments, and 511 shares as of July 27, 2026.
Given that MaNgobese Zuma commands an audience of more than one million followers on Facebook, has additional followers across other social media platforms, and frequently appears in international media interviews, the statement had the potential to misinform a large audience. Also, others were sharing her video without confirming the authenticity of the information she was disseminating.
DUBAWA therefore verified the historical accuracy of the claim.
Verification
DUBAWA reviewed historical records on Africa’s decolonisation and the chronology of countries that attained independence.
The claim that Zimbabwe was the first African country to gain independence is false.
Africa’s journey to independence did not occur simultaneously. Different countries achieved sovereignty under different historical circumstances over a period spanning more than a century.
Liberia was the first African republic to declare independence. On July 26, 1847, the country proclaimed itself an independent republic after being established by the American Colonization Society (ACS), an organisation created to resettle freed African Americans in West Africa.
Unlike most African countries that later fought for independence from European colonial administrations, Liberia was founded as a settler colony rather than a European colony. For this reason, historians often regard Liberia as a unique case when discussing Africa’s twentieth-century decolonisation. Nevertheless, Liberia remains Africa’s oldest independent republic.
Nonetheless, DUBAWA’s research notes that Liberia declared independence in 1847, making it the earliest independent republic on the African continent, decades before the wave of decolonisation that swept across Africa during the twentieth century.
If the discussion is limited to countries that achieved independence from European colonial rule, Egypt is the earliest.
Egypt attained formal independence from Britain on February 28, 1922, following Britain’s unilateral declaration ending the protectorate established during the First World War. Although Britain retained control over certain strategic interests for several years afterward, 1922 is internationally recognised as the beginning of Egypt’s independence.
Several other African countries also became independent before Zimbabwe. Libya gained independence from Italy on December 24, 1951. Sudan became independent on January 1, 1956, while Morocco and Tunisia both secured independence from France in 1956.
When discussions focus specifically on sub-Saharan Africa, Ghana holds a unique place in history.
Formerly known as the Gold Coast, Ghana gained independence from Britain on March 6, 1957, under the leadership of Dr Kwame Nkrumah, becoming the first sub-Saharan African country to gain independence from European colonial rule.
During Ghana’s independence celebrations, Nkrumah famously declared:
“The independence of Ghana is meaningless unless it is linked up with the total liberation of Africa.”
His words reflected Ghana’s commitment to Pan-Africanism and inspired liberation movements across the continent. Within three years of Ghana’s independence, seventeen African countries became independent during what historians now refer to as the “Year of Africa” in 1960.
Zimbabwe’s independence came much later.
Formerly known as Southern Rhodesia, Zimbabwe experienced decades of British colonial administration and white minority rule before a prolonged liberation struggle culminated in independence on April 18, 1980. Robert Mugabe became the country’s first Prime Minister after elections held under the Lancaster House Agreement.
By the time Zimbabwe became independent, more than forty African countries had already attained independence.
An analogy
Africa’s independence timeline can be compared to a relay race.
Selected African Independence Timeline
| Country | Colonial Power/Administration | Independence |
| Liberia | American Colonization Society | July 26, 1847 |
| Egypt | United Kingdom | February 28, 1922 |
| Libya | Italy | December 24, 1951 |
| Sudan | United Kingdom & Egypt | January 1, 1956 |
| Morocco | France & Spain | March 2, 1956 |
| Tunisia | France | March 20, 1956 |
| Ghana (Gold Coast) | United Kingdom | March 6, 1957 |
| Guinea | France | October 2, 1958 |
| Cameroon | France | January 1, 1960 |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | Belgium | June 30, 1960 |
| Nigeria | United Kingdom | October 1, 1960 |
| Sierra Leone | United Kingdom | April 27, 1961 |
| Tanganyika (Tanzania) | United Kingdom | December 9, 1961 |
| Algeria | France | July 5, 1962 |
| Uganda | United Kingdom | October 9, 1962 |
| Kenya | United Kingdom | December 12, 1963 |
| Zambia | United Kingdom | October 24, 1964 |
| Botswana | United Kingdom | September 30, 1966 |
| Angola | Portugal | November 11, 1975 |
| Mozambique | Portugal | June 25, 1975 |
| Zimbabwe | United Kingdom (Southern Rhodesia) | April 18, 1980 |
| Namibia | South African administration | March 21, 1990 |
| South Africa (majority rule) | Apartheid government | April 27, 1994 |
Historical records consistently show that Zimbabwe was not the first African country to gain independence.
Liberia became Africa’s first independent republic in 1847; Egypt attained formal independence in 1922; Ghana became the first sub-Saharan African country to gain independence from European colonial rule in 1957; and Zimbabwe achieved independence in 1980.
Conclusion
The claim by Jacinta Zinhle MaNgobese Zuma that Zimbabwe was the first African country to gain independence is false. Historical evidence shows that Liberia became Africa’s first independent republic in 1847. Egypt became the first African country to attain formal independence from British colonial rule in 1922, while Ghana became the first sub-Saharan African country to gain independence from European colonial rule in 1957. Zimbabwe gained independence much later, on April 18, 1980, after more than forty African countries had already achieved self-rule.
