African Death Practices

Africa is a massive continent comprising 30.4 million square kilometers or over 11.7 million square miles. (For reference, that’s larger than China, India, the contiguous U.S. and all of Europe combined!) Currently made up of 54 independent nations and four dependencies, it has a population of about 1.3 billion people with an average age of about 20 years. Despite recent economic growth, it remains the world’s least affluent continent, and many of its inhabitants live in desperate poverty. 

Although African culture is diverse in many respects — for example, each region has its own customs, language,cuisine and style of dress — the overarching belief systems of the region are fairly harmonious, especially when it comes to spirituality, religion and beliefs around life and death. Nominally, most Africans are either Christian or Muslim, but traditional African religious beliefs are widespread.. This is especially true in the nations of Central Africa and parts of West Africa, which are more rural and less developed than the neighboring countries to the north and south. Many people in these regions still adhere to ancient funeral and burial rituals that were practiced by their ancestors. 

Read more about African beliefs about death, mourning and remembrance below. 

• In Traditional African Belief Systems, Life And Death Are Inextricably Linked Through The Spirits Of The Dead
• In Some Regions Of Africa, Funerals Are So Lavish and Costly That Families Are Left Destitute

West Africans

• How Science, Medicine and Tradition Clashed During The Ebola Epidemic in Western Africa 
• In Parts Of West Africa, Professional Pallbearers Dance Coffins To Their Final Resting Place

Liberians

• For The People Of Liberia, Mourning Rituals Are Essential to Allowing The Spirit Of The Loved One To Move On

Burkinabé (citizens of Burkina Faso)

• For The Dagara People Of Burkina Faso, Tears Are An Essential Part Of Coping With Grief And Loss 

Ghananians

• For The Ga People Of Ghana, Fanciful Coffins Are A Way To Celebrate The Dead
• Ghanian Funeral Goers Celebrate Death With Bold Colors, Elaborate Coffins And Days-Long Parties
• For the Asante People of Ghana, A Folktale About Death Became a Symbol of Resilience in the Face of Oppression

Nigerians

• To The Annang People Of Nigeria, A Proper Funeral Ensures A Peaceful Transition To The Afterlife
• For Some Nigerians, Naming an Infant Is Looked Upon  as a Way To Ward Off a Disastrous Fate
• The Igbo People Of  Southeastern Nigeria Hold Two Separate Funeral, One to Mourn And One to Celebrate  

Kenyans

• In Northeast Kenya, Female Elders of The Giriama People Perform a Funeral Dance Called Kifudu to Aid Community Mourning

Ugandans

• The Banyankole People of Southwestern Uganda Believe Death Is the Work of Sorcerers. 

Somalians

• In Somalia, Muslim Families Follow Strict Rituals To Ensure The Dead Have A Swift Transition To The Afterlife.

The Massai

• The Rites Of Inheritance of The Nomadic Maasai People Reflect Their Belief That Life Ends With Physical Death.

South Africans

• Rejecting The Solemn Funeral Rites Of Their Elders, Many Young South Africans Are Celebrating With Parties After The Tears.

• In The Belief System of The Xhosa People Of South Africa, the Spirits Of  the Dead Must Be Guided to the Afterlife Before Returning Home Again

Malagasy (the people of Madagascar)

• In A Waning Ritual Known As Famadihana, Malagasy Families Remove The Bodies Of The Dead From Their Graves To Celebrate With Them Again

Moroccans

• Muslim Families In Morocco Follow The Death Rituals Of Islam, Including Dressing The Dead In White

Egyptians

• In Ancient Egypt, Death Masks Were A Way To Preserve The Likenesses And Spirits Of The Dead
• In Ancient Egypt, Pets And Livestock Were Mummified And Buried With Their Owners to Keep
• Them Company in the Afterlife 
• In Ancient Egypt, Mummification And Entombment Helped To Preserve The Bodies Of Kings And The Elite
• In The Valley of The Kings, Archeologists Still Search For More Ancient Egyptian Tombs
• Ramose’s Tomb In The Ancient Egyptian City Of Thebes Still Provides Clues To Ancient Egyptian Culture