Africa at the 2024 Olympics: Kenya’s Women Take Centre Stage
Every 4 years, the best of the best gather from around the world to compete in a global arena. The Summer Olympics brings together talent from around the world in a grand collision of athletic excellence.
And this 2024, the Paris Olympics has wrapped, and guess what? Africa brought the heat. Once again, Kenya is at the top of the continent’s leaderboard, proving that when it comes to athletics, they don’t just show up they dominate.
But this year, the story gets even better: Kenyan women are the ones stealing the show, scooping up the majority of the country’s gold medals and making it look like a masterclass in excellence.
But it wasn’t just Faith. Kenya’s roster this year was a mix of seasoned champions and fresh talent breaking through. These women didn’t just compete; they redefined what’s possible, making the rest of us wonder if greatness might actually be in their DNA.
And Kenya wasn’t running this show alone. South Africa held its own, particularly in swimming and rugby sevens, while Ethiopia’s long-distance runners reminded everyone why they’re a permanent feature on the podium. Together, these nations showcased the diversity of African talent across different disciplines.
Here’s what makes this year special, though: the ripple effect. Kenyan women winning gold doesn’t just mean medals—it’s inspiration on a global scale. Think about it: a young girl in Nairobi, Addis Ababa, or Johannesburg watching these athletes absolutely crush it now knows there’s a place for her on the world stage. That’s what sport can do—it’s not just competition, it’s a catalyst.
But let’s not sugarcoat it—this isn’t just about individual glory. It’s about what these victories represent: Africa stepping up and owning its space in the global arena. It’s not just “we’re here.” It’s “we’re here, and we’re leading the charge.”
So, what’s the big takeaway from Paris 2024? African athletes—especially the women—are proving time and time again that this continent doesn’t play when it comes to excellence. They’re raising the bar, changing the narrative, and inspiring a generation to dream bigger.
The Olympics may be over, but these performances will echo far beyond Paris. Faith and her peers didn’t just win medals—they’ve given us stories to carry forward. And honestly? We’re all better for it. Here’s to Africa’s finest. Let’s see what 2028 has in store.
10 facts about Africa and the Olympics:
- Africa is the only continent to have never hosted the olympics. We had a close run with bid by cape town in 2004.
- In the Tokyo 2022 Nigeria reach the final of the Shot put for the first time in history
- Faith Kipyegon from Kenya currently holds the world record for 1500 meters
- Morocco is currently the strongest Taekwando team in Africa
- The first black African to win a gold medal for his country was Ethiopian marathon runner Abebe Bikila, who ran barefoot in Rome, in 1960.
- 4 of 5 of Namibia’s medals so far have come from Frankie Fredericks, who won silver in won silver in both the 100 and 200 metres in 1992, and again in 1996. He now has a street named after him in Windhoek.
- South Africa was the first African nation to enter the Olympic winter games in 1960, their chosen sport, Figure Skating
- Egypt’s first-ever Olympic gold medalist was El Sayed Mohamed Nosseir, who won gold in weightlifting at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam.
- At the 2022 Winter Games, currently underway, Africa is represented by six athletes from five countries: Eritrea, Ghana, Madagascar, Morocco, and Nigeria. Five are competing in Alpine (downhill) skiing and one in cross-country skiing.
- In 1976 many African nations boycotted the Olympics. It was organized by Tanzania to protest the fact that the New Zealand rugby team had toured Apartheid South Africa and that New Zealand was scheduled to compete in the Olympic Games.
At the end of the day, it's all about popularity
Of course, countries with larger populations have an inherent advantage, so looking at the top countries by population per medal is interesting. Looking it like this, Kenya still comes out on top but this time followed by Namibia. The Tokyo olympics was actually the first time countries like Burkino Faso ever competed in Olympics so who knows in a few years this ranking could look completely different.
Here’s a look at African countries sorted by population per Olympic medal:
| Country | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya | 35 | 42 | 36 | 113 |
| South Africa | 27 | 33 | 29 | 89 |
| Ethiopia | 23 | 12 | 23 | 58 |
| Egypt | 8 | 11 | 19 | 38 |
| Nigeria | 3 | 11 | 13 | 27 |
| Morocco | 7 | 5 | 12 | 24 |
| Algeria | 5 | 4 | 8 | 17 |
| Tunisia | 5 | 3 | 7 | 15 |
| Uganda | 4 | 4 | 3 | 11 |
| Zimbabwe | 3 | 4 | 1 | 8 |
| Cameroon | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| Ghana | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 |
| Namibia | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| Ivory Coast | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Tanzania | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Mozambique | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Niger | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Zambia | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Burundi | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Botswana | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Sudan | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Burkina Faso | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Senegal | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Togo | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Eritrea | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Gabon | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Mauritius | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Djibouti | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |