Comparative army enlisted ranks of Africa

Rank comparison chart of enlisted rank for armies/ land forces of African states.

Enlisted

Rank group	Senior NCOs																						Junior NCOs						Enlisted
Algerian Land Forces[1] v t e																																			No insignia
	مساعد أول Mosa'id awwal						مساعد Mosa'id				رقيب أول Raqib awwal						رقيب Raqib						عريف أول Earif 'awal				عريف Earif								جندي Jundiun
	Adjudant-chef						Adjudant				Sergent-chef						Sergent						Caporal-chef				Caporal								Djoundi
Angolan Army[2] v t e																																			No insignia
	Sargento-mor						Sargento-chefe		Sargento-ajudante		Primeiro-sargento						Segundo-sargento						Sub-sargento						Primeiro-cabo			Segundo-cabo			Soldado
Benin Army[3] v t e
	Major			Adjudant-chef			Adjudant				Sergent-chef						Sergent						Caporal-chef				Caporal		Soldat de 1^ère classe						Soldat de 2^ème classe
Botswana Ground Force[4] v t e																													No insignia
	Warrant officer class 1						Warrant officer class 2		Staff sergeant		Sergeant												Corporal				Lance corporal		Private (or equivalent)
Burkina Faso Ground Forces[5][6] v t e
	Adjudant-chef major			Adjudant-chef			Adjudant				Sergent-chef/ Maréchal-des-logis-chef						Sergent/ Maréchal-des-logis						Caporal-chef/ Brigadier-chef				Caporal/ Brigadier		Soldat de première classe						Soldat de deuxeme classe
Burundi Army[7] v t e																																			No insignia
	Adjudant-major			Adjudant-chef			Adjudant		Première sergent major		Première sergent						Sergent						Caporal-chef				Caporal		Soldat de 1^ère classe						Soldat de 2^ème classe
	Ajida shefu			Ajida majoro			Ajida		Sereja majoro mu murwi wa mbere		Sereja mu murwi wa mbere						Sereja						Kaporari shefu				Kaporari		Umusoda wo mu murwi wa mbere						Umusoda wo mu murwi wa kabiri
Cameroon Ground Forces[8][9][10] v t e
	Adjudant-chef						Adjudant				Sergent-chef						Sergent						Caporal-chef				Caporal		Soldat première						Soldat
Cape Verdean National Guard[11] v t e																																				No insignia
	Sargento-mor						Sargento-chefe		Sargento-principal		Primeiro-sargento						Segundo-sargento		Sargento	Furriel	Instruendo curso de sargento		Cabo-principal		Cabo de Secção		Cabo-adjunto		Primeiro-cabo			Segundo-cabo			Instruendo curso de cabo	Soldado
Central African Ground Forces v t e																																			No insignia
	Adjudant-chef						Adjudant		Sergent-major		Sergent-chef						Sergent						Caporal-chef				Caporal		Soldat première						Soldat
Chadian Ground Forces v t e																																			No insignia
									Sergent major		Sergent-chef						Sergent										Caporal		Soldat première						Soldat
Comorian Army v t e
	Adjudant-chef						Adjudant				Sergent-chef						Sergent						Caporal-chef				Caporal		Soldat de 1^ère classe						Soldat
Land Forces of the DR Congo v t e																																			No insignia
	Adjudant-chef			Adjudant de première classe			Adjudant		Premier sergent major	Sergent major	Premier sergent						Sergent										Caporal		Soldat de première classe						Soldat de seconde classe	Recrue
Rank group	Senior NCOs																						Junior NCOs						Enlisted
Congolese Ground Forces[12] v t e																																			No insignia
	Adjudant-chef						Adjudant				Sergent-chef						Sergent						Caporal-chef				Caporal		Soldat 1^ère classe						Soldat 2^e classe
Djiboutian Army v t e
	Adjudant-chef						Adjudant				Sergent-chef						Sergent						Caporal-chef				Caporal		Soldat première						Soldat
Egyptian Army v t e
	مساعد أول Mosa'id awwal						مساعد Mosa'id		رقيب أول Raqib awwal		رقيب Raqib												عريف 'arif						جندي Jundi
Army of Equatorial Guinea v t e
							Brigada		Sargento primero		Sarjento												Cabo primero				Cabo								Soldado
Eritrean Army v t e																																			No insignia
							Master Sergeant				Staff Sergeant						Sergeant						Corporal						Private first class						Private
Ethiopian Ground Forces[13] v t e																																			No insignia
							ሻለቃ ባሻ Shalek’a basha		ሻለቃ መጋቢ ባሻ Shalek’a megabī basha		ሻምበል ባሻ Shamibeli basha						መጋቢ ሀምሳ ዓለቃ Megabī hāmisa ‘alek’a						ሀምሳ ዓለቃ Hāmisa ‘alek’a				አስር ዓለቃ Āsiri ‘alek’a		ምክትል አስር ዓለቃ Mikitili āsiri ‘alek’a						መሠረታዊ ወታዯር Mešeretawī wetaderi
Gabonese Army[14] v t e
	Adjudant-chef major			Adjudant-chef			Adjudant				Sergent-chef						Sergent						Caporal-chef				Caporal		Soldat première						Soldat
Gambian National Army v t e																													No insignia
	Warrant officer class 1						Warrant officer class 2		Staff sergeant		Sergeant												Corporal				Lance corporal		Private (or equivalent)
Ghana Army v t e																													No insignia
	Warrant officer class 1						Warrant officer class 2		Staff sergeant		Sergeant												Corporal				Lance corporal		Private (or equivalent)
Guinea Ground Forces v t e
	Major			Adjudant-chef			Adjudant				Sergent-chef						Sergent						Caporal-chef				Caporal		Soldat de 1^ère classe						Soldat de 2^ème classe
Army of Guinea-Bissau v t e
											Primeiro-sargento						Segundo-sargento						Terceiro-sargento						Primeiro-Soldado						Soldado
Ivory Coast Ground Forces[15] v t e
	Adjudant-chef major			Adjudant-chef			Adjudant				Sergent-chef						Sergent						Caporal-chef				Caporal		Soldat de première classe						Soldat de seconde classe
Kenya Army[16] v t e																													No insignia
	Warrant officer class 1						Warrant officer class 2		Senior sergeant		Sergeant												Corporal				Lance corporal		Private (or equivalent)
Lesotho Army[17] v t e																													No insignia
	Warrant officer class 1						Warrant officer class 2		Staff sergeant		Sergeant												Corporal				Lance corporal		Private (or equivalent)
Liberian Ground Forces[18] v t e																																			No insignia
	Command sergeant major						Master sergeant		Sergeant first class		Staff sergeant						Sergeant						Corporal				Private first class		Private						Private
Rank group	Senior NCOs																						Junior NCOs						Enlisted
Libyan Ground Forces[19] v t e																																			No insignia
							Master Sergeant				Staff Sergeant						Sergeant						Corporal						Private 1st Class						Private
Madagascar Ground Forces[20] v t e																																			No insignia
	Adjudant-major			Adjudant-chef			Adjudant		Sergent-major		Sergent-chef						Sergent						Caporal-chef				Caporal								Soldat
Malawi Army v t e																													No insignia
	Warrant Officer Class 1						Warrant Officer Class 2		Staff Sergeant		Sergeant												Corporal				Lance Corporal		Private (or equivalent)
Malian Army[21] v t e
	Major			Adjudant-chef			Adjudant				Sergent-chef						Sergent						Caporal-chef				Caporal		Soldat de première classe						Soldat
Mauritanian National Army[22] v t e
	مساعد أول Mosa'id awwal						مساعد Mosa'id				رقيب أول Raqib awwal						رقيب Raqib										عريف 'arif								جندي Jundiun
Mauritius	No army
Royal Moroccan Army[23] v t e
	Adjudant-chef						Adjudant		Sergent-major		Sergent-chef						Sergent						Caporal-chef				Caporal		Soldat de première classe						Soldat de deuxième classe
Mozambican Army v t e
									Intendente		Primeiro-sargento						Segundo-sargento						Terceiro-sargento				Cabo		Primeiro soldado
Namibian Army[24] v t e																													No insignia
	Warrant officer class 1						Warrant officer class 2		Staff sergeant		Sergeant												Corporal				Lance corporal		Private (or equivalent)
Niger Army[25] v t e
	Major			Adjudant-chef			Adjudant				Sergent-chef						Sergent						Caporal-chef				Caporal		Soldat de 1^re classe						Soldat de 2^e classe
Nigerian Army[26] v t e																													No insignia
	Army warrant officer			Master warrant officer			Warrant officer		Staff sergeant		Sergeant												Corporal				Lance corporal		Private (or equivalent)
Rwandan Land Forces[27] v t e																																			No insignia
	Warrant officer I						Warrant officer II		Sergeant major		Staff sergeant						Sergeant										Corporal								Private
Rank group	Senior NCOs																						Junior NCOs						Enlisted
Army of São Tomé and Príncipe v t e
	Sargento-mor						Sargento-chefe		Sargento-ajudante		Primeiro-sargento						Segundo-sargento		Furriel		Segundo-furriel		Cabo de Secção				Cabo-adjunto		Primeiro-cabo			Segundo-cabo			Soldado
Senegalese Army v t e																																			No insignia
	Adjudant-chef						Adjudant				Sergent-chef						Sergent						Caporal-chef				Caporal		Soldat de première classe						Soldat
Seychelles Infantry Unit[28] v t e																													No insignia
	Warrant officer class 1						Warrant officer class 2		Staff sergeant		Sergeant												Corporal				Lance corporal		Private (or equivalent)
Sierra Leone Army v t e																													No insignia
	Warrant officer class 1						Warrant officer class 2		Staff sergeant		Sergeant												Corporal				Lance corporal		Private (or equivalent)
Somali National Army[29] v t e																													No insignia
	Musharax sarkaal			Sadex xarígle			Laba xarígle		Xarígle		Sadex alífle												Laba alífle				Alífle		Dable
Somaliland National Army v t e
	Chief warrant officer Musharax sarkaal			Warrant officer class 1 Sadex xarígle			Warrant officer class 2 Laba xarígle		Warrant officer class 3 Xarígle		Sergeant Sadex alífle												Corporal Laba alífle				Lance corporal Alífle		Private (or equivalent) Dable
South African Army[30] v t e																													No insignia
	Warrant officer class 1						Warrant officer class 2		Staff sergeant		Sergeant												Corporal				Lance corporal		Private (or equivalent)
Sudanese Army[31] v t e																													No insignia
							مساعد Mosa'id		رقيب أول Raqib awwal		رقيب Raqib												عريف 'arif				وكيل عريف Wakil 'arif		جندي Jundiun
Eswatini Army v t e																													No insignia
	Warrant Officer Class 1						Warrant Officer Class 2		Staff Sergeant		Sergeant												Corporal				Lance Corporal		Private (or equivalent)
Tanzanian Army v t e																													No insignia
	Afisa mteule daraja la kwanza						Afisa mteule daraja la pili		Sajinitaji		Sajenti												Koplo				Koplo usu		Mtu ndege
Togolese Army[32] v t e																																			No insignia
	Major			Adjudant-chef			Adjudant				Sergent-chef						Sergent						Caporal-chef				Caporal		Soldat de 1^ère classe						Soldat de 2^ème classe
Tunisian Army[33][34] v t e
	وكيل أعلى Wakil 'aelaa			وكيل أول Wakil 'awal			وكيل Wakil				عريف أول Earif 'awal						عريف Earif						رقيب أول Raqib 'awal				رقيب Raqib		جندي أول Jundiun awwal						جندي متطوع Jundiun
	Major			Adjudant-chef			Adjudant				Sergent-chef						Sergent						Caporal-chef				Caporal		Soldat de 1^re classe						Soldat
Ugandan Land Forces[35] v t e																													No insignia
	Warrant officer class 1						Warrant officer class 2		Staff sergeant		Sergeant												Corporal				Lance corporal		Private (or equivalent)
Zambian Army[36] v t e																													No insignia
	Warrant officer class 1						Warrant officer class 2		Staff sergeant		Sergeant												Corporal				Lance corporal		Private (or equivalent)
Zimbabwe National Army v t e																													No insignia
	Regimental sergeant major			Warrant officer class 1			Warrant officer class 2		Staff sergeant		Sergeant												Corporal				Lance corporal		Private (or equivalent)
Rank group	Senior NCOs																						Junior NCOs						Enlisted

See also

• Comparative army enlisted ranks of the Commonwealth
• Ranks and insignia of NATO armies enlisted

References

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2. "Postos do Exército". faa.ao (in Portuguese). Angolan Army. Archived from the original on 30 June 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
3. "LOI N° 2005-43 DU 26 JUIN 2006" (PDF). ilo.org (in French). National Assembly (Benin). 26 June 2006. pp. 19–20, 35–36. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
4. "Ranks". Government of Botswana. Archived from the original on 26 August 2016. Retrieved 22 September 2016.
5. "LOI N° 037-2016/AN PORTANT CONDITIONS D'AVANCEMENT DES PERSONNELS D'ACTIVE DES FORCES ARMEES NATIONALES" (PDF) (in French). 2015. pp. 17–21. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
6. "LOI N° 019-2015/CNT PORTANT STATUT GENERAL DES PERSONNELS DES FORCES ARMEES NATIONALES" (PDF) (in French). 2014. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
7. "Loi organique N°1/ 04 du 20 février 2017 portant Missions, Organisation, Composition, Instruction, Conditions de service et Fonctionnement de la Force de Défense Nationale du Burundi" (PDF). fdnb.bi/ (in French). Government of Burundi. p. 45. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
8. "Grades Et Appellations Sous-Officier Superieurs Armee De Terre". Ministère de la défense du Cameroun (in French). 4 August 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
9. "Grades Et Appellations Sous-Officier Subalternes Armee De Terre". Ministère de la défense du Cameroun (in French). 4 August 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
10. "Grades Et Appellations Militaires du Rang Armee De Terre". Ministère de la défense du Cameroun (in French). 4 August 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
11. "Patente". fa.gov.cv (in Portuguese). Cape Verdean Armed Forces. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
12. "Grades appellations distinctions". defense.gouv.cg (in French). Ministry of National Defense (Republic of the Congo). Retrieved 7 June 2021.
13. "Ethiopia introduces its first Field Marshal rank amid changes to insignia". ethiopiancitizen.com. 8 January 2022. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
14. "Nos Galons". Ministère de la Défense nationale. 20 August 2021. Archived from the original on 30 August 2023. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
15. "GRADES / APPELLATIONS / DISTINCTIONS". defense.gouv.ci (in French). Ministère de la Défense. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
16. "KDF Ranks". mod.go.ke. Ministry of Defence - Kenya. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
17. "Ranks in the Army". Lesotho Defence Force. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
18. "Defense Act of 2008" (PDF). 3 September 2008. p. 8. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
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20. "LOI N° 96-029 portant Statut Général des Militaires" (PDF). defense.gov.mg (in French). Ministry of Defence (Madagascar). 15 November 1996. p. 2. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
21. "2011 - Plaquette sur les insignes et blasons des Forces Armées du Mali" (in French). 23 April 2011. Archived from the original on 21 January 2021. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
22. "رتب الأفراد غير الضباط" [Ranks of Non-officers]. armee.mr/ (in Arabic). Armed Forces of Mauritania. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
23. Ehrenreich, Frederich (1985). "National Security". In Nelson, Harold D. (ed.). Morocco: a country study. Area Handbook (5th ed.). Washington, D.C.: American University. pp. 350–351. LCCN 85600265. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
24. "Government Notice" (PDF). Government Gazette of the Republic of Namibia. Vol. 4547. 20 August 2010. pp. 99–102. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
25. Bureau international des droits des enfants (December 2012). "État des Lieux: Formation des forces de défense et de sécurité sur les droit de l'enfant au Niger" (PDF) (in French). p. 34. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
26. Smaldone, Joseph P. (1992). "National Security". In Metz, Helen Chapin (ed.). Nigeria: a country study. Area Handbook (5th ed.). Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. pp. 296–297. LCCN 92009026. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
27. "RDF Insignia". mod.gov.rw. Government of the Republic of Rwanda. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
28. "Rank structure". spdf.sc. Seychelles People's Defence Forces. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
29. Ehrenreich, Frederick (1982). "National Security". In Nelson, Harold N. (ed.). Somalia: a country study (PDF). Area Handbook (3rd ed.). Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. p. 257. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
30. "Uniform: Rank insignia". army.mil.za. Department of Defence (South Africa). Archived from the original on 20 October 2020. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
31. "الرتب العسكرية" [Military ranks]. mod.gov.sd/ (in Arabic). Republic of Sudan Ministry of Defence. Archived from the original on 19 November 2019. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
32. "Journal officiel de la république togolaise" (PDF) (in French). 12 February 2008. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
33. "Décret n° 72-380 du 6 décembre 1972, portant Statut particulier des militaires". legislation-securite.tn (in French). Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance. 6 December 1972. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
34. "أمر عدد 380 لسنة 1972 مؤرخ في 6 ديسمبر 1972 يتعلق بضبط النظام الأساسي الخاص بالعسكريين". legislation-securite.tn (in Arabic). Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance. 6 December 1972. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
35. "Uganda Peoples' Defence Forces Act" (PDF). The Uganda Gazette. CXII (46). Uganda Printing and Publishing Corporation: 1851–1854. 18 September 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 July 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
36. Munamunungu, Hamwiinde (1 May 2023). "Understanding Military Ranks". Zambian Observer. Retrieved 20 December 2024.