When Nigeria moved its capital from Lagos to Abuja in 1991, it was partly to find a “neutral ground,” a city not tied to any prominent tribe, region, or coastal chaos; thus, Abuja became the centre of balance and neutrality.
However, in other African nations, one city simply couldn’t carry the weight of government, culture, and commerce alone. Some spread their power between cities; others built new capitals from scratch to correct old imbalances.
Here are a few African countries that decided one capital just wasn’t enough.
1. South Africa
South Africa is the most famous example. It doesn’t just have two capitals, it has three. Pretoria is the administrative capital, where the president and ministries are located; Cape Town is the legislative capital, home to Parliament; and Bloemfontein serves as the judicial capital, housing the Supreme Court of Appeal.
Why so many?
After the Anglo-Boer War, when the British unified South Africa in 1910, rival regions fought over where the capital should be. The solution they came up with was to share it. Each city got a piece of the pie, hence the three capitals.
2. Republic of Benin
Then there’s the Benin Republic, Nigeria’s neighbour. Officially, Porto-Novo is the capital. It’s where the National Assembly sits. But if you’ve ever been to Benin, you’ll notice that almost all major government activities, embassies, and businesses are in Cotonou.
That’s because Cotonou is the country’s beating heart. It’s more developed, more connected, and economically stronger. The arrangement reflects a practical reality that the “official” capital (Porto-Novo) represents the state, while the “working” capital (Cotonou) runs the country.
It’s a bit like Nigeria declaring Abuja as its official capital, but still conducting most activities from Lagos. Confusing? Maybe. But for Benin, it works.
3. Côte d’Ivoire
Ivory Coast tells a similar story. Yamoussoukro is the official capital. It was chosen by the country’s first president, Félix Houphouët-Boigny, who was born there. He dreamed of turning his hometown into a modern city, complete with wide roads and the world’s largest basilica.
But dreams are one thing, and logistics are another. Most government offices, foreign embassies, and business headquarters remain in Abidjan, the country’s former capital.
So while Yamoussoukro sits grand and quiet, Abidjan hums with absolute power.
Other interesting cases
Eswatini (formerly known as Swaziland) also divides duties. Mbabane is the administrative capital, but Lobamba hosts the royal palace and Parliament. Each city reflects a facet of Swazi identity, encompassing both the modern government and the traditional monarchy.
Tanzania once had Dar es Salaam as its capital, but since 1973, it has been gradually moving official functions to Dodoma. Today, Dodoma is the political capital, while Dar remains the commercial one, much like Lagos and Abuja, but at a slower pace.
Even Egypt has joined the club. Cairo remains the historic capital, but a brand-new “Administrative Capital” is rising in the desert; a high-tech city designed to ease Cairo’s congestion. Africa’s capitals, it seems, are still evolving.
Why do some countries have more than one capital?
The reasons vary, but they often come down to balance. In many post-colonial countries, choosing a single capital meant favouring one ethnic, political, or economic region over another. Splitting capitals was a way to spread influence and prevent tension.
For others, it was about space and planning, escaping crowded coastal cities for central, more neutral locations (like Nigeria’s Abuja or Tanzania’s Dodoma). And sometimes, it’s just history refusing to move on. An old capital could remain economically powerful even after a new one is declared.
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