By Geraldine Mills

Africa is a continent of multiple languages. Unofficial records tally it to about three thousand which are then classified to several major language families.

While many African countries live in poverty, there are nations that have been experiencing economic growth. This, in turn,  has seen a great demand for qualified English teachers for business and academic organizations. Combined with strong economies, as well as numerous educational institutions, five African cities stand out as front-runners for English teaching professionals.

Johannesburg (South Africa)

Johannesburg is the largest city in South Africa. In fact, 16% of South Africa’s GDP comes from this city and is also one of the world’s top financial centers. The education system is on a par with the West and is well-developed. Top African universities such as the University of Johannesburg and University of the Witwatersrand are located here. Numerous primary schools secondary and kindergarten schools are situated here as well.

Cairo (Egypt)

Being the largest city in Africa, Cairo has one of the best economies in the continent as many multinational companies and organizations have operations here. Education is nothing to be frowned at as you can find top colleges such as the American University in Cairo and Cairo University here. Schools in Cairo are governed by the Egyptian educational system. There are also lots of amazing historical sites nearby, such as the ancient pyramids to visit in your free time!

Cape Town (South Africa)

Next to Cairo and Johannesburg, Cape Town is Africa’s third main economic hub. Cape Town’s primary source of income is tourism which is a big contributing factor to the city’s over-all economy. It accounts about 10% of the entire Western Cape Province’s GDP. The metropolis boasts top public universities such as the Stellenbosch University as well as the University of Cape Town. Their public primary and secondary schools are supervised by the Western Cape Education Department.

Nairobi (Kenya)

Nairobi is home to thousands of Kenya’s businesses as well as hundreds of international businesses and organizations of different industries. Most schools found in Nairobi are following either of the two school system – the Kenyan curriculum through the KIE (Kenya Institute of Education)  or the British curriculum that specifies the skills and knowledge every child must have. Two popular universities are found here; the United States International University – Nairobi and the University of Nairobi

Lagos (Nigeria)

Lagos has one of the highest standards of living across Africa. This is due to the fact that oil has played a big part of their economy contributing 14% of Nigeria’s GDP. Their state government regularizes their educational system. Several universities can be found here including the University of Lagos.

Economically and scholastically speaking, these cities are amongst the wealthiest in the African continent. In the competitive world, the English language is a necessity, and in turn, this creates demand for teachers here.

Geraldine Mills is a Community Outreach Coordinator for www.andbeyondafrica.com. Follow her on Twitter @geraldinewalks.