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
Benin Army^[2] v t e
Benin Army^[2] 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^[3] v t e										No insignia
Botswana Ground Force^[3] v t e	Warrant officer class 1		Warrant officer class 2	Staff sergeant		Sergeant		Corporal	Lance corporal	Private (or equivalent)
Burundi Army^[4] 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
Central African Ground Forces v t e											No insignia
Central African Ground Forces v t e	Adjudant-chef		Adjudant	Sergent-major		Sergent-chef	Sergent	Caporal-chef	Caporal	Soldat première	Soldat
Land Forces of the DR Congo v t e											No insignia
Land Forces of the DR Congo v t e	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
Djiboutian Army v t e
Djiboutian Army v t e	Adjudant-chef		Adjudant			Sergent-chef	Sergent	Caporal-chef	Caporal	Soldat Première	Soldat
Egyptian Army v t e
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
Army of Equatorial Guinea v t e			Brigada	Sargento primero		Sarjento		Cabo primero	Cabo		Soldado
Eritrean Army v t e											No insignia
Eritrean Army v t e			Master Sergeant			Staff Sergeant	Sergeant	Corporal		Private first class	Private
Ethiopian Ground Forces^[5] 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
			Command sergeant major	Staff sergeant major		First sergeant	Master sergeant	Sergeant	Corporal	Lance corporal	Private
Gabonese Army v t e
Gabonese Army 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
Gambian National Army v t e	Warrant officer class 1		Warrant officer class 2	Staff sergeant		Sergeant		Corporal	Lance corporal	Private (or equivalent)
Ghana Army v t e										No insignia
Ghana Army v t e	Warrant Officer Class 1		Warrant Officer Class 2	Staff Sergeant		Sergeant		Corporal	Lance Corporal	Private (or equivalent)
Guinea Ground Forces v t e
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
Ivory Coast Ground Forces^[6] v t e
Ivory Coast Ground Forces^[6] v t e	Adjudant-chef major	Adjudant-chef	Adjudant			Sergent-chef	Sergent	Caporal-chef	Caporal	Soldat de première classe	Soldat de seconde classe
Lesotho Army^[7] v t e										No insignia
Lesotho Army^[7] v t e	Warrant Officer Class 1		Warrant Officer Class 2	Staff sergeant		Sergeant		Corporal	Lance corporal	Private (or equivalent)
Liberian Ground Forces^[8] v t e											No insignia
Liberian Ground Forces^[8] v t e	Command sergeant major		Master sergeant	Sergeant first class		Staff sergeant	Sergeant	Corporal	Private first class	Private	Private
Rank group	Senior NCOs							Junior NCOs		Enlisted
Madagascar Ground Forces^[9] v t e											No insignia
Madagascar Ground Forces^[9] v t e	Adjudant-major	Adjudant-chef	Adjudant	Sergent-major		Sergent-chef	Sergent	Caporal-chef	Caporal		Soldat
Mauritanian National Army^[10] v t e
Mauritanian National Army^[10] v t e	مساعد أول Mosa'id awwal		مساعد Mosa'id			رقيب أول Raqib awwal	رقيب Raqib		عريف 'arif		جندي Jundiun
Mauritius	No army
Nigerian Army^[11] v t e										No insignia
Nigerian Army^[11] v t e	Army warrant officer	Master warrant officer	Warrant officer	Staff sergeant		Sergeant		Corporal	Lance corporal	Private (or equivalent)
Rwandan Land Forces^[12] v t e											No insignia
Rwandan Land Forces^[12] v t e	Warrant officer I		Warrant officer II	Sergeant major		Staff sergeant	Sergeant		Corporal		Private
Rank group	Senior NCOs							Junior NCOs		Enlisted
Seychelles Infantry Unit^[13] v t e										No insignia
Seychelles Infantry Unit^[13] v t e	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
Sierra Leone Army v t e	Warrant officer class 1		Warrant officer class 2	Staff sergeant		Sergeant		Corporal	Lance corporal	Private (or equivalent)
Somali National Army^[14] v t e										No insignia
Somali National Army^[14] 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^[15] v t e										No insignia
South African Army^[15] v t e	Warrant officer class 1		Warrant officer class 2	Staff sergeant		Sergeant		Corporal	Lance corporal	Private (or equivalent)
Sudanese Army^[16] v t e										No insignia
Sudanese Army^[16] v t e			مساعد Mosa'id	رقيب أول Raqib awwal		رقيب Raqib		عريف 'arif	وكيل عريف Wakil 'arif	جندي Jundiun
Tanzanian Army v t e										No insignia
Tanzanian Army v t e	Warrant officer class 1 Afisa Mteule Daraja la Kwanza		Warrant officer class 2 Afisa Mteule Daraja la Pili	Staff sergeant Sajinitaji		Sergeant Sajenti		Corporal Koplo	Lance corporal Koplo Usu	Private (or equivalent)
Tunisian Army^[17]^[18] 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^[19] v t e										No insignia
Ugandan Land Forces^[19] v t e	Warrant officer class 1		Warrant officer class 2	Staff sergeant		Sergeant		Corporal	Lance corporal	Private (or equivalent)
Zambian Army v t e										No insignia
Zambian Army v t e	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
Zimbabwe National Army v t e	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

^ "Ranks". mdn.dz. Ministry of National Defence (Algeria). Retrieved 30 May 2021.
^ "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.
^ "Ranks". Government of Botswana. Archived from the original on 26 August 2016. Retrieved 22 September 2016.
^ "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.
^ "Ethiopia introduces its first Field Marshal rank amid changes to insignia". ethiopiancitizen.com. 8 January 2022. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
^ "GRADES / APPELLATIONS / DISTINCTIONS". defense.gouv.ci (in French). Ministère de la Défense. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
^ "Ranks in the Army". Lesotho Defence Force. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
^ "Defense Act of 2008" (PDF). 3 September 2008. p. 8. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
^ "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.
^ "رتب الأفراد غير الضباط" [Ranks of Non-officers]. armee.mr/ (in Arabic). Armed Forces of Mauritania. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
^ 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.
^ "RDF Insignia". mod.gov.rw. Government of the Republic of Rwanda. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
^ "Rank structure". spdf.sc. Seychelles People's Defence Forces. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
^ 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.
^ "Uniform: Rank insignia". army.mil.za. Department of Defence (South Africa). Archived from the original on 20 October 2020. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
^ "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.
^ "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.
^ "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.
^ "Uganda Peoples' Defence Forces Act" (PDF). The Uganda Gazette. CXII (46). Uganda Printing and Publishing Corporation: 1851–1854. 18 September 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2021.

[Algeria-1] "Ranks". mdn.dz. Ministry of National Defence (Algeria). Retrieved 30 May 2021.

[Benin-2] "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.

[Botswana-3] "Ranks". Government of Botswana. Archived from the original on 26 August 2016. Retrieved 22 September 2016.

[Burundi-4] "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.

[Ethiopia_Army-5] "Ethiopia introduces its first Field Marshal rank amid changes to insignia". ethiopiancitizen.com. 8 January 2022. Retrieved 10 January 2022.

[IvoryCoast-6] "GRADES / APPELLATIONS / DISTINCTIONS". defense.gouv.ci (in French). Ministère de la Défense. Retrieved 23 September 2020.

[Lesotho-7] "Ranks in the Army". Lesotho Defence Force. Retrieved 5 May 2021.

[Liberia-8] "Defense Act of 2008" (PDF). 3 September 2008. p. 8. Retrieved 20 November 2017.

[Madagascar-9] "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.

[Mauritania_Other-10] "رتب الأفراد غير الضباط" [Ranks of Non-officers]. armee.mr/ (in Arabic). Armed Forces of Mauritania. Retrieved 10 June 2021.

[Nigeria-11] 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.

[Rwanda-12] "RDF Insignia". mod.gov.rw. Government of the Republic of Rwanda. Retrieved 12 June 2021.

[Seychelles-13] "Rank structure". spdf.sc. Seychelles People's Defence Forces. Retrieved 4 June 2021.

[Somalia-14] 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.

[SouthAfrica_Army-15] "Uniform: Rank insignia". army.mil.za. Department of Defence (South Africa). Archived from the original on 20 October 2020. Retrieved 29 May 2021.

[Sudan-16] "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.

[Tunisia-17] "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.

[Tunisia_AR-18] "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.

[Uganda_Army-19] "Uganda Peoples' Defence Forces Act" (PDF). The Uganda Gazette. CXII (46). Uganda Printing and Publishing Corporation: 1851–1854. 18 September 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2021.

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See also