Buddhism in Africa

For the 2019 South African film, see Buddha in Africa.
Nan Hua Temple in Bronkhorstspruit, South Africa is the largest Buddhist pagoda in Africa.

Buddhism is practised in Africa. Though there have been some conversions amongst Africans, the majority of Buddhists in Africa are of Asian descent, mostly Chinese, Vietnamese, Sri Lankan or Japanese.[citation needed]

South Africa holds the largest Buddhist population in the continent. According to estimates in the 2010s, Buddhist adherents (together with Taoism and Chinese Folk Religion) had been increasing there to between 0.2%[1] or 0.3%[2] of the South African population, or between 100 and 150 thousand people, however, the number of practising Buddhists may be lower.

The African countries and territories in the Indian Ocean also have significant Buddhist minorities. Mauritius has the highest Buddhist percentage (between 1.5[3] to 2%[4] of the total population) among African countries due to a high number of Chinese people (nearly 40 thousand or 3% of the Mauritian population[5]). However, the number of practicing Buddhists is only about 0.4,[6] and Madagascar is also home of about 20 thousand Buddhists[7] (or about 0.1%[8] of the total population). In the Seychelles and Réunion, Buddhists represented about 0.1%[9][10] to 0.2%[1][11] of the islands' populations.

In North Africa, about 0.3%[1][12] (or about 20 thousand people) of Libya's population are also Buddhists (mostly foreign workers from Asia). There are also two Buddhist centers in Casablanca, Morocco.[13]

Buddhist centers and temples can be found in Sub-Saharan African countries such as: Botswana,[14] Cameroon,[15] Ghana,[16] Guinea,[17] Ivory Coast,[18] Kenya,[19] Lesotho,[20] Liberia,[21] Malawi,[22] Mali,[23] Namibia,[24] Nigeria,[25] Senegal, Sierra Leone,[26] Swaziland,[27] Tanzania,[28] Togo,[29] Uganda,[30] Zambia,[31] and Zimbabwe.[32]

There have also been cases of some high-profile celebrities converting to Buddhism such as Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, a famous British actor of Nigerian descent.[33]

One of the very few monastics of African descent is Ven. Bhante Buddharakkhita from Uganda, founder of the Uganda Buddhist Centre.

Buddhist population by country

Countries/Territories Practicing Buddhism
(2010's estimates)[34] 		Chinese Folk Religions
(2010's estimates)[35] 		Combined numbers
Eastern Africa
 Burundi - - -
 Comoros - - -
 Djibouti - - -
 Eritrea - - -
 Ethiopia 1,327 - 1,327
 Kenya 1,276 1,945 3,221
 Madagascar 5,178 10,357 15,535
 Malawi available[22][36] - -
 Mauritius 3,222 17,292 20,514
 Mayotte (France) - - -
 Mozambique 2,035 4,341 6,376
 Réunion (France) 1,570 - 1,570
 Rwanda - - -
 Seychelles available[9] available[10] -
 Somalia - - -
 South Sudan - - -
 Tanzania 10,157 23,699 33,856
 Uganda 2,005 4,278 6,283
 Zambia 3,927 8,377 12,304
 Zimbabwe 189 402 591
Central Africa
 Angola 1,632 162 1,794
 Cameroon 353 753 1,106
 Central African Republic - - -
 Chad 1,684 3,593 5,277
 Republic of the Congo - 283 283
 Democratic Republic of the Congo 3,734 - -
 Equatorial Guinea - - -
 Gabon - - -
 São Tomé and Príncipe - - -
Northern Africa
 Algeria 5,320 11,350 16,670
 Egypt 1,687 - -
 Libya 20,209 1,773 21,982
 Morocco available[13] - -
 Sudan 982 2,094 3,076
 Tunisia 79 168 247
 Western Sahara - - -
Southern Africa
 Botswana 1,120 111 1,231
 Lesotho available[20] - -
 Namibia available[24] - -
 South Africa 159,220 35,589 194,809
 Swaziland available[27] - -
Western Africa
 Benin - - -
 Burkina Faso available[37] - -
 Cape Verde - - -
 Gambia - - -
 Ghana 488 707 1,195
 Guinea 8,983 - -
 Guinea-Bissau - - -
 Ivory Coast 9,869 - -
 Liberia available[21] - -
 Mali available[23]
 Mauritania - - -
 Niger - - -
 Nigeria 8,458 4,675 13,133
 Senegal 1,679 398 2,057
 Sierra Leone available[26][38]
 Togo available[29][39] - -
Africa 256,383 132,348 388,731

See also

Further reading

  • Clasquin, Michel / Krüger, Jacobus S. (eds.) (1999): Buddhism and Africa. Pretoria: University of South Africa

References

  1. ^ a b c "Global Religious Landscape - Religious Composition by Country". The Pew Forum. Archived from the original on 1 January 2013. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
  2. ^ "Religious Adherents, 2010 – South Africa". World Christian Database. Archived from the original on 30 September 2019. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
  3. ^ "Religious Adherents, 2010 – Mauritius (0.2% Buddhist + 1.3% Chinese Folk Religion)". World Christian Database. Archived from the original on 3 April 2019. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
  4. ^ "Buddhism in Mauritius (1981)". Adherents.com. Archived from the original on 7 May 2017. Retrieved 20 November 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  5. ^ Background Note: Mauritius, U.S. Department of State: U.S. Department of State, 2010, archived from the original on 2021-09-25, retrieved 2012-03-24
  6. ^ "Resident population by religion and sex" (PDF). Statistics Mauritius. p. 68. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 October 2013. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  7. ^ religiousintelligence.co.uk - Madagascar
  8. ^ "Religious Adherents, 2010 - Madagascar". World Christian Database. Archived from the original on 12 October 2013. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
  9. ^ a b "Seychelles Travel Guide - Religion". Archived from the original on 2017-02-22. Retrieved 2013-08-03.
  10. ^ a b "Religious Adherents, 2010 - Seychelles". World Christian Database. Archived from the original on 12 October 2013. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
  11. ^ "Religious Adherents, 2010 – Réunion". World Christian Database. Archived from the original on 15 May 2013. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
  12. ^ "Religious Adherents, 2010 - Libya". World Christian Database. Archived from the original on 2 October 2013. Retrieved 28 July 2013., AllGov - Libya Archived 2021-01-19 at the Wayback Machine
  13. ^ a b "List of Buddhist centers in Morocco". BuddhaNet. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
  14. ^ "List of Buddhist centers in Botswana". BuddhaNet. Archived from the original on 6 January 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
  15. ^ "List of Buddhist centers in Cameroon". BuddhaNet. Archived from the original on 6 January 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
  16. ^ "List of Buddhist centers in Ghana". BuddhaNet. Archived from the original on 6 January 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
  17. ^ "state.gov". state.gov. Archived from the original on 20 July 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
  18. ^ "List of Buddhist centers in Cote d'Ivoire". BuddhaNet. Archived from the original on 6 January 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
  19. ^ "List of Buddhist centers in Kenya". BuddhaNet. Archived from the original on 6 January 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
  20. ^ a b "state.gov". Archived from the original on 2022-04-05. Retrieved 2023-01-14.
  21. ^ a b "state.gov". state.gov. Archived from the original on 25 March 2021. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
  22. ^ a b "Amitofo Care Center, Malawi". Archived from the original on 2013-08-06. Retrieved 2013-08-03.
  23. ^ a b "List of Buddhist centers in Mali". BuddhaNet. Archived from the original on 6 January 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
  24. ^ a b "state.gov - Namibia". state.gov. Archived from the original on 25 March 2021. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
  25. ^ "Nigeria News - Being Buddhist". Archived from the original on 2014-01-06. Retrieved 2013-08-03.
  26. ^ a b SGI-Sierra Leone Hosts Buddhist Seminar Archived January 6, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  27. ^ a b "First Buddhist funeral in Swaziland". Times of Swaziland. Archived from the original on 5 August 2013. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
  28. ^ state.gov - Tanzania Archived 2021-11-12 at the Wayback Machine, List of Buddhist centers in Tanzania Archived 2014-01-06 at the Wayback Machine
  29. ^ a b "Fostering Peace in Togo". Archived from the original on 2017-04-01. Retrieved 2013-08-03.
  30. ^ "First Buddhist center in Uganda". Archived from the original on 2013-08-06. Retrieved 2013-08-03.
  31. ^ Buddhist Study Exams Held in Zambia, Korea and the USA Archived July 31, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  32. ^ "state.gov". state.gov. Archived from the original on 20 July 2020. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  33. ^ "60 SECONDS: Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje". 30 August 2006. Archived from the original on 16 August 2011. Retrieved 6 October 2010.
  34. ^ "Most Buddhist Nations (2010) | QuickLists | The Association of Religion Data Archives". Archived from the original on 2019-02-25. Retrieved 2013-08-20.
  35. ^ "Most Chinese Universist Nations (2010) | QuickLists | The Association of Religion Data Archives". Archived from the original on 2019-03-08. Retrieved 2013-08-20.
  36. ^ ""Buddha In Africa" (Story Of Malawian Boy Raised In Chinese Orphanage & Trained In Martial Arts) Gets Development Boost". Archived from the original on 2014-02-21. Retrieved 2013-08-20.
  37. ^ "List of Buddhist centers in Burkina Faso". BuddhaNet. Archived from the original on 21 February 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
  38. ^ SGI members in Sierra Leone Organize Buddhist Seminars Archived February 22, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  39. ^ SGI-Togo Appoints New Leaders Archived February 22, 2014, at the Wayback Machine