Rain does not fall on one roof alone.
50+ Best African Proverbs Quotes & Wishes
Best African Proverbs — handpicked quotes, wishes and messages to copy, share, or download as a free image card on GoodMorningQuotes.
Updated: October 2026
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The night has ears.
Two men in a burning house must not stop to argue.
A village without elders is like a well without water.
He who digs too deep for a fish may come out with a snake.
A wise man who knows proverbs reconciles difficulties.
A hunter who has only one arrow does not shoot carelessly.
When the mouse laughs at the cat, there is a hole nearby.
A snake can shed its skin, but it remains a snake.
It is the fear of what tomorrow may bring that makes the tortoise carry his house everywhere.
The heart of the wise man lies quiet like limpid water.
You cannot shave a man's head in his absence.
Where water is the boss, there the land must obey.
The strength of the crocodile is in the water.
A bird that flies off the earth and lands on an anthill is still on the ground.
A family is like a forest: from outside it is dense; from inside there are spaces.
Marriage is like a groundnut: you have to crack it open to know what is inside.
He who does not know one thing knows another.
A boat guided by an old man does not go astray.
When the elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers.
When a man says yes, his inner spirit says yes also.
The lizard that jumps from the high iroko tree says it will praise itself if no one else does.
No one tests the depth of a river with both feet.
The young bird does not crow until it hears the old ones.
When you follow in the path of your father, you learn to walk like him.
The axe forgets; the tree remembers.
The one who asks questions does not lose his way.
A stream cannot rise above its source.
What an elder sees sitting down, a young man cannot see standing up.
Even the biggest tree starts from a seed.
The chameleon changes color to match the earth; the earth does not change color to match the chameleon.
A person is a person through other people.
The ruin of a nation begins in the homes of its people.
A roaring lion kills no game.
When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you.
When a king has good counsellors, his reign is peaceful.
A servant who serves two masters will lie to one of them.
A cow that has no tail should not chase away flies.
A man who pays respect to the great paves the way for his own greatness.
Do not call the forest that shelters you a jungle.
The moon moves slowly, but it crosses the town.
Wisdom is wealth.
The eye never forgets what the heart has seen.
A single stick may smoke, but it will not burn.
Knowledge is like a garden: if it is not cultivated, it cannot be harvested.
When the music changes, so does the dance.
Rain beats the leopard's skin, but it does not wash out its spots.
Silence is also speech.
The one who is not patient cannot eat ripe fruit.
When the roots of a tree begin to decay, it spreads death to the branches.