| Country | First ruler | Office | Tenure | Birth-Death | Fate |
| Algeria |  Ahmed Ben Bella | President
(PM and acting
head of State to 1963) | 1962-1965 | 1916-2012 |  |
| Angola |  Agostinho Neto | President | 1975-1979 | 1922-1979 |  |
Benin
(formerly Dahomey) |  Hubert Maga | President
(also chairman of
the Presidential Council
-head of State- in 1970-72) | 1960-1963 | 1916-2000 | |
| Botswana |  Sir Seretse Khama | President | 1966-1980 | 1921-1980 | |
Burkina Faso
(formerly Upper Volta) |  Maurice Yaméogo | President | 1960-1966 | 1921-1993 | |
| Burundi |  Mwambutsa IV | King
(King before independence
since 1915) | 1962-1966 | 1912-1977 |  |
 André Muhirwa | Prime Minister
(PM before independence
since 1961) | 1962-1963 | 1920-2003 |  |
| Cameroon |  Ahmadou Ahidjo | President
(also Prime
Minister in 1960) | 1960-1982 | 1924-1989 | |
| Cape Verde |  Aristides Pereira | President | 1975-1991 | 1923-2011 |  |
| Central African Republic |  David Dacko | President
(also Prime
Minister in 1960) | 1960-1966 | 1930-2003 | |
| Chad |  François Tombalbaye | President
(styled head of State to 1962;
also PM 1959-75) | 1960-1975
(assassinated) | 1918-1975
(assassinated) | |
| Comoros |  Ahmed Abdallah | President
(and again 1978-1989) | 1975 | 1919-1989
(assassinated) | |
| Rep. of Congo |  Fulbert Youlou | President | 1960-1963 | 1917-1972 | |
Dem. Rep. of Congo
(formerly Zaire) |  Joseph Kasavubu | President | 1960-1965 | 1913-1969 | |
 Patrice Lumumba | Prime Minister | 1960 | 1925-1961
(assassinated) | |
| Côte d'Ivoire |  Félix Houphouët-Boigny | President | 1960-1993 | 1905-1993 | |
| Djibuti |  Hassan Gouled Aptidon | President | 1977-1999 | 1916-2006 | |
| Equatorial Guinea |  Francisco Macías Nguema | President | 1968-1979 | 1922-1979
(executed) | |
| Eritrea |  Issayas Afeworki | President | 1993-in office | 1946-alive |  |
Ethiopia
(No colonized country) |  Haile Selassie I | Emperor (Negus) | 1930-1974 | 1892-1975
(reportedly
assassinated in prison) | |
| Gabon |  Léon M'Ba | President
(PM and acting
president to 1961) | 1960-1967 | 1902-1967 | |
| Gambia |  Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara | President
(as PM to 1970) | 1965-1994 | 1924-alive | |
| Ghana |  Kwame Nkrumah | President
(as PM to 1960) | 1957-1966 | 1909-1972 | |
| Guinea |  Ahmed Sékou Touré | President
(as PM to 1961) | 1958-1984 | 1922-1984 | |
| Guinea-Bissau |  Luís Cabral | President | 1974-1980 | 1931-2009 | |
| Kenya |  Jomo Kenyatta | President
(also PM 1963-64) | 1964-1978 | 1891-1978 | |
| Lesotho |  Moshoeshoe II | King
(Paramount chief before
independence since 1960) | 1966-1990
(excepting brief
period in 1970) | 1938-1996
(accident) | |
 Leabua Jonathan | Prime Minister | 1966-1986 | 1914-1987 | |
Liberia
(independent since 1847) |  William Tubman | President | 1944-1971 | 1895-1971 | |
| Libya |  Idris I as-Sanusi | King | 1951-1969 | 1890-1983 | |
Madagascar
(formerly Magalasy Republic) |  Philibert Tsiranana | President | 1960-1972 | 1910-1978 | |
| Malawi |  Hastings Kamuzu Banda | President
(as PM to 1966) | 1964-1994 | 1898-1997 | |
| Mali |  Modibo Keita | President
(Styled head of State
to 1965) | 1960-1968 | 1915-1977 | |
| Mauritania |  Moktar Ould Daddah | President
(acting to 1961) | 1960-1978 | 1924-2003 | |
| Mauritius |  Seewoosagur Ramgoolam | Prime Minister
(and Chief Minister
1961-68) | 1968-1982 | 1900-1985 | |
| Morocco |  Muhammad V | King
(Sultan 1955-57) | 1956-1961 | 1909-1961 | |
| Mozambique |  Samora Machel | President | 1975-1986
(accident) | 1933-1986
(accident) | |
| Namibia |  Sam Nujoma | President | 1990-2005 | 1929-alive | |
| Niger |  Hamani Diori | President | 1960-1974 | 1916-1989 | |
| Nigeria |  Nmandi Azikiwe | President
(as Governor-General to 1963) | 1960-1966 | 1904-1996 | |
 Sir Abubakar Tafawa-Balewa | Prime Minister
(also before independence
since 1957) | 1960-1966
(assassinated) | 1912-1966
(assassinated) | |
| Rwanda |  Grégoire Kayibanda | President
(and before independence
since 1961) | 1962-1973 | 1924-1976
(in prison) | |
| São Tomé and Príncipe |  Manuel Pinto da Costa | President | 1975-1991 | 1937-alive | |
| Senegal |  Léopold Sédar Senghor | President | 1960-1980 | 1906-2001 | |
| Seychelles |  Sir James Mancham | President | 1976-1977 | 1939-alive | |
| Sierra Leone |  Sir Milton Margai | Prime Minister | 1961-1964 | 1895-1964 | |
| Somalia |  Abdullah Osman Daar | President
(acting to 1961) | 1960-1967 | 1908-2007 | |
| The Sudan |  Ismail al-Azhari | Prime Minister | 1956 | 1902-1969 | |
| Swaziland |  Sobhuza II | King
(Paramount Chief
1921-68) | 1968-1982 | 1899-1982 | |
| Tanzania |  Julius Nyerere | President
(also ruler of Tanganyka
1961-64) | 1964-1985 | 1922-1999 | |
| Togo |  Sylvanus Olympio | President
(acting to 1961) | 1960-1963
(assassinated) | 1902-1963
(assassinated) | |
| Tunisia |  Habib Bourguiba | President
(as PM to 1957) | 1956-1987 | 1903-2000 | |
| Uganda |  Sir Edward Mutesa | President
(also King of Buganda
as Mutesa II) | 1963-1966 | 1924-1969 | |
 Milton Obote | Prime Minister
(as president since 1966;
also president 1980-1985 | 1963-1971 | 1925-2005 | |
| Zambia |  Kenneth Kaunda | President | 1964-1991 | 1924-alive | |
| Zimbabwe |  Robert Mugabe | President
(as PM to 1987) | 1980-in office | 1921-alive | |