Food is normally foraged whilst walking across lily pads and other floating vegetation from either the surface of the water or from the lily pads themselves.
Whilst they will occasionally choose seeds the preferred diet of an African Jacana consists of freshwater insects and larvae, spiders, crustaceans and molluscs.
Whilst they are able to swim they prefer to walk in search of their food although they are also able to catch flying insects and have been seen to pick insects from the backs of buffalo and hippopotami.