Some African First Ladies are stunning, charming, winning and approachable. And on the bright side, they’re well educated, smart, and in many ways as warm and lovely as they look. Above all, they seem to have marriages where equality and love are a given.
Here are 7 such African First Ladies listed in no particular order.
Chantal Biya from Cameroon
Chantal Biya has gained both national and international notoriety. Popularly referred to as the “Queen of Hearts” in Cameroon, the power-player is quite influential.
Not only does it have an impact on their position, but also on their style. At national or internal events, cameras always capture images of her in her golden-red locks.
Due to her great taste in fashion and style, Chantal has most of her outfits made to measure as she has openly declared her love for top quality designers as Chanel and Dior.
Despite her love of fashion, which is shared by First Lady Biya, another African First Lady, she also makes time for humanitarian activities. She is actively involved in charitable causes and some of her famous charitable organizations are African Synergy and the Chantal Biya Foundation.
Zeinab Suma Jammeh from The Gambia
Zeinab Suma is the “official” First Lady of The Gambia. She is simple, stunning and bold. She is a strong feminist who believes every woman has a right that should be protected. She showed her commitment to feminism when she protested against her husband Yahaya Jammeh after he took a younger (18 year old) second wife named Alima Sallah in 2010.
During this time, Suma moved to the United States and threatened to divorce him unless he divorced the new wife. She succeeded when her husband divorced Alima Sallah in early 2011. Suma is the mother of the President’s two children.
Princess Lalla Salma of Morocco
Princess Lalla Salma of Morocco is among the most stunning first ladies on the continent. She adds to her admirable position as First Lady in Morocco by being stylish. She was given the name Lalla when she married the king of the North African nation – making her the first wife of the Moroccan king and earning a royal title. Lalla is a traditional name given only to high-ranking female members of society and/or royalty in the North African part of our continent.
Aisha Muhammadu Buhari from Nigeria
Aisha is one of the newest First Ladies in West Africa “The first woman in Nigeria is not only pretty but also a career-oriented woman who is studying beauty therapy academically. A Beautician and Beauty Therapist, Aisha holds a Diploma in Beauty and Therapy from the Carlton Institute of Beauty Therapy in the UK and is a member of the UK Professional Education and Charity Trust.
Aisha Muhammadu Buhari married her husband, President Muhamadu Buhari, at the age of 18. They have five lovely children and one grandchild.
Ana Paula dos Santos from Angola
The First Lady of Angola is the wife of the current President of Angola, José Eduardo dos Santos. The great woman with a brilliant legal mind is the mother of three children. She supports landmine victims and even founded the Lvini Social Solidarity Fund – a non-governmental organization dedicated to helping civilians, especially vulnerable women and children. dos Santos is described by men as a woman who is remarkably impressive from the inside out.
Margaret Gakuo Kenyatta from Kenya
Margaret is in her 50s but hasn’t let age diminish her glitz, glamor and style. Not only has she retained her youthful glow, but she is also brilliant, vibrant and creative. As the wife of Uhuru Kenyatta, who was installed as President of Kenya in 2013, she made it her mission to save other women by launching an initiative to curb maternal deaths. Her commitment to reducing maternal mortality is a step that earned her recognition as the 2014 UN Person of the Year. For some political analysts, she is reserved and at times shy.
Hinda Deby Itno from Chad
Hinda, the first lady of Chad, is another notable first woman in style in Africa. She is respected by millions of Chadists as well as by her husband, President Idriss Deby Itno. The President has always expressed his fortunate position to have such a wife to help him run the country effectively. Hinda is wonderfully graceful, especially when you always dress up in a uniquely flowing gown and matching shawls. Her sense of style makes her the most elegant and still humble first lady in Africa.
These African First Ladies combine a perfect blend of beauty with intelligence. They have distinguished themselves by supporting the husbands of their heads of state and by attending various social classes in Africa for the advancement of Africans living in Africa. African First Ladies