Africa Day is celebrated on 25 May to mark the founding of the Organisation of African Unity.
The next one is shown below.
How to use the Africa Day Countdown#
- Open the page. The africa day countdown starts as soon as the page loads and follows the clock on your device.
- Pick which one. Stay on the next Africa Day, or look a year further ahead.
- Read the date. Africa Day is on 25 May every year. The weekday is listed under the big number.
What 25 May commemorates#
On 25 May 1963, leaders of thirty-two independent African states met in Addis Ababa and founded the Organisation of African Unity. The day was first called Africa Freedom Day, then Africa Liberation Day, and later Africa Day. The OAU was replaced by the African Union in 2002, and the day has continued.
It’s an official public holiday in a few countries, and it’s marked by schools, embassies and cultural groups across the continent and in the diaspora.
Marking the day#
Events usually mix music, food, fashion, film and talks on African unity and development. If you run one, mid-May is the time to confirm speakers and venues. For classrooms, the day is a good moment to look at the history of independence movements, or at the African Union and its member states.
When is Africa Day in the next few years?#
Africa Day is on 25 May every year.
| Year | Date | Day of the week |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 | 25 May | Tuesday |
| 2028 | 25 May | Thursday |
| 2029 | 25 May | Friday |
| 2030 | 25 May | Saturday |
| 2031 | 25 May | Sunday |
Agenda 2063 and the African Union today#
The African Union was launched in 2002 to replace the OAU, and Africa Day now doubles as the AU’s birthday of sorts. Its guiding document is Agenda 2063, a fifty-year plan adopted in 2013 on the 50th anniversary of the founding of the OAU. It sets goals for a continent with shared infrastructure, an end to conflict and a bigger voice in world affairs.
The African Continental Free Trade Area, which began trading on 1 January 2021, is one of its flagship projects. If you teach or run a business that trades across borders, it is one of the most concrete ways to bring the day to life.
Where Africa Day is a public holiday#
It is not a day off everywhere. Zambia and Zimbabwe, among others, treat 25 May as a public holiday, while Nigeria does not. In Nigeria the day sits just two days before Children’s Day on 27 May, so schools often fit events for both in the same week. Whatever your country, check whether your employer or school observes it before you plan anything around it.
In 2027 the day falls on a Tuesday, which makes it easy to plan an evening event but harder to get a school or an office involved.
A planning timeline for 2027#
If you are running a talk, a cultural evening or a school programme, work back from Tue 25 May 2027:
| When | What to do | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 10 weeks out | Choose a theme and book the venue | Tue 16 March 2027 |
| 6 weeks out | Confirm speakers, performers and food vendors | Tue 13 April 2027 |
| 3 weeks out | Open registration and send invitations | Tue 4 May 2027 |
| 1 week out | Final run-through and a reminder to guests | Tue 18 May 2027 |
The countdown above shows how many days remain, and the table above turns that number into dates you can put in a calendar. A simple event such as a film screening followed by a discussion needs less lead time than one with outside speakers.
Quick facts about the day and the union#
- The OAU’s charter was signed in Addis Ababa on 25 May 1963, at a summit hosted by Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia.
- The African Union has 55 member states. Morocco rejoined in 2017, decades after leaving the OAU, and South Sudan became the newest member in 2011.
- The union’s headquarters are in Addis Ababa, in a complex that includes a conference centre and an office tower.
- The date is also a school day in many places, so teachers often use it for a short lesson on one country’s independence story.
Africa Day also falls two days before Children’s Day in Nigeria, and it sits a few weeks before World Environment Day on 5 June. If you are planning a series of events for schools, you can run all three from the same calendar.
Frequently asked questions#
25 May.
The founding of the Organisation of African Unity on 25 May 1963.
In some African countries, yes, but not in all of them.
No. Nigeria does not give 25 May as a public holiday, although schools, embassies and cultural groups often hold events. Some African countries, including Zambia and Zimbabwe, do treat it as a day off. Nigeria’s own Children’s Day follows two days later, on 27 May, so many schools combine the two into one week of activities.
The Organisation of African Unity was founded in 1963 by 32 independent states and focused on ending colonial rule and defending sovereignty. The African Union replaced it in 2002 with a broader aim: economic integration, peace and security, and a stronger role for member states in each other’s affairs. Africa Day still marks the 1963 founding.