African Unity Day around the world in 2024

African Unity Day around the world in 2024
  How long until African Unity Day?
African Unity Day
  Dates of African Unity Day around the world
2025 Various May 25
GambiaSun, May 25National Holiday
GhanaSun, May 25Not A Public Holiday
GuineaSun, May 25National Holiday
LesothoSun, May 25National Holiday
MaliSun, May 25National Holiday
MauritaniaSun, May 25National Holiday
NamibiaSun, May 25National Holiday
ZambiaSun, May 25National Holiday
ZimbabweSun, May 25National Holiday
2024 Various May 25
GambiaSat, May 25National Holiday
GhanaSat, May 25Not A Public Holiday
GuineaSat, May 25National Holiday
LesothoSat, May 25National Holiday
MaliSat, May 25National Holiday
MauritaniaSat, May 25National Holiday
NamibiaSat, May 25National Holiday
ZambiaSat, May 25National Holiday
ZimbabweSat, May 25National Holiday
2023 Various May 25
GambiaThu, May 25National Holiday
GhanaThu, May 25Not A Public Holiday
GuineaThu, May 25National Holiday
LesothoThu, May 25National Holiday
MaliThu, May 25National Holiday
MauritaniaThu, May 25National Holiday
NamibiaThu, May 25National Holiday
ZambiaThu, May 25National Holiday
ZimbabweThu, May 25National Holiday
2022 Various May 25
GambiaWed, May 25National Holiday
GhanaWed, May 25Not A Public Holiday
GuineaWed, May 25National Holiday
LesothoWed, May 25National Holiday
MaliWed, May 25National Holiday
MauritaniaWed, May 25National Holiday
NamibiaWed, May 25National Holiday
ZambiaWed, May 25National Holiday
ZimbabweWed, May 25National Holiday
2021 Various May 25
GambiaTue, May 25National Holiday
GhanaTue, May 25Not A Public Holiday
GuineaTue, May 25National Holiday
LesothoTue, May 25National Holiday
MaliTue, May 25National Holiday
MauritaniaTue, May 25National Holiday
NamibiaTue, May 25National Holiday
ZambiaTue, May 25National Holiday
ZimbabweTue, May 25National Holiday
  Summary

Commemoration on May 25th of the 1963 founding of the Organisation of African Unity

  Which countries observe African Unity Day in 2024?
National Holiday Regional Holiday Not a public holiday Govt Holiday
  GambiaMay 25
  GhanaMay 25
  GuineaMay 25
  LesothoMay 25
  MaliMay 25
  NamibiaMay 25
  ZambiaMay 25
  ZimbabweMay 25

When is African Unity Day?

African Unity Day, also known as Africa day is celebrated annually on May 25th. It commemorates the founding of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) on this day in 1963.

It is a statutory public holiday in several countries such as The Gambia, Mali, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

History of African Unity Day

On May 25th 1963, the leaders from 30 of the then 32 independent African states signed a founding charter in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The OAU was created to help bring about change, freedom and independence to many African countries.

In 1991, the OAU established the African Economic Community, and in 2002 the OAU established its own successor, the African Union.

Since the establishment of the OAU, a further 21 states have joined. South Africa became the latest and 53rd member on May 23rd 1994.

Following the first Conference of Independent African States on April 15th 1958, African Liberation Day or African Freedom Day was celebrated in Ethiopia, South Africa and Ghana. This holiday was replaced by African Unity Day in Ghana in 1963.

Despite the name change to the African Union, both the name and date of Africa Day have been retained and Africa Day provides an opportunity to acknowledge the achievements of the peoples and governments of Africa.

Over 25% of the world’s languages are spoken only in Africa. Around 2,000 languages are in use in the continent. Despite this linguistic diversity, every African country has English, Portuguese, French or Arabic as one of their official languages, except Ethiopia. Europe colonized all of Africa except Ethiopia and Liberia. After those colonized gained their independence, they still kept the language of their colonizer as one of their official languages. At the time, Liberia, having been founded by African-American settlers in 1847, already had English as its official language. Ethiopia was not colonized, though it was briefly conquered by Italy ahead of the second world war, and its official language is Amharic. 


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