page_title: Buddhism in Africa
hierarchical_section_title: Buddhism in Africa
caption_attribution_description: English: Own picture, taken with cellphone.
context_page_description: Buddhism, as a major world religion, is practiced in Africa. Though there have been some conversion amongst Africans, most of the Buddhists in Africa are of Asian, mostly Chinese, Vietnamese, Sri Lankan or Japanese descent.
  South Africa holds the largest Buddhist population in the continent. According to 2010s estimates, Buddhist adherents are increasing to between 0.2% 0.3% of the South African population, or between 100 and 150 thousand people, however, the number of practicing Buddhists may be lower.
  The African countries and territories in the Indian Ocean are also having significant Buddhist minorities. Mauritius has the highest Buddhist percentage among African countries due to high number of Chinese people. However, the number of practicing Buddhists is only about 0.4, and Madagascar is also home of about 20 thousand Buddhists. In the Seychelles and Réunion, Buddhists represented about 0.1% to 0.2% of the island populations.
  In North Africa, about 0.3% of the Libya's population are also Buddhists. There are also two Buddhist centers in Casablanca, Morocco.
context_section_description: Buddhism, as a major world religion, is practiced in Africa. Though there have been some conversion amongst Africans, most of the Buddhists in Africa are of Asian, mostly Chinese, Vietnamese, Sri Lankan or Japanese descent.
  South Africa holds the largest Buddhist population in the continent. According to 2010s estimates, Buddhist adherents (included Taoism and Chinese Folk Religion) are increasing to between 0.2% 0.3% of the South African population, or between 100 and 150 thousand people, however, the number of practicing Buddhists may be lower.
  The African countries and territories in the Indian Ocean are also having significant Buddhist minorities. Mauritius has the highest Buddhist percentage (between 1.5 to 2%  of the total population) among African countries due to high number of Chinese people (nearly 40 thousands or 3% of the Mauritian population). However, the number of practicing Buddhists is only about 0.4, and Madagascar is also home of about 20 thousand Buddhists (or about 0.1% of the total population). In the Seychelles and Réunion, Buddhists represented about 0.1% to 0.2% of the island populations.
  In North Africa, about 0.3% (or about 20 thousand people) of the Libya's population are also Buddhists (mostly foreign workers from Asia). There are also two Buddhist centers in Casablanca, Morocco.
  There are some Buddhist centers or temples can be found in Sub-Saharan African countries like: Botswana, Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
  There have also been cases of some high-profile celebrities converting to Buddhism such as Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, a famous British actor of Nigerian descent.
  One of the very few monastics of African descent is Ven. Bhante Buddharakkhita from Uganda, founder of the Uganda Buddhist Centre.
caption: Nan Hua Temple in Bronkhorstspruit, South Africa is the largest Buddhist pagoda in Africa.
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