Comparative navy enlisted ranks of Africa

Rank comparison chart of non-commissioned officers and other personnel for navies of African states.

Other ranks

Rank group	Senior NCOs																						Junior NCOs						Enlisted
Algerian National Navy [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
Angolan Navy [2] v t e																																			No insignia
	Sargento-mor						Sargento-chefe		Sargento-ajudante		Primeiro-sargento						Segundo-sargento						Sub-sargento						Cabo			Marinheiro			Grumete
Benin Navy [3] v t e																																			No insignia
	Major			Maître principal			Premier maître				Maître						Second maître						Quartier maître de 1er classe				Quartier maître 2ème classe		Matelot de 1ère classe						Matelot de 2ème classe
Botswana	No navy
Burkina Faso	No navy
Burundi	No navy
Cameroon Navy [4] [5] [6] v t e
	Maître principal						Premier maître				Maître						Second-maître						Quartier-maître de 1ère classe				Quartier-maître de 2ème classe		Matelot de 1re classe						Matelot
Cape Verdean Coast Guard [7] v t e
	Sargento-mor						Sargento-chefe		Sargento-principal		Primeiro-sargento						Segundo-sargento		Furriel		Segundo-furriel		Cabo-principal		Cabo de secção		Cabo-adjunto		Primeiro-cabo			Segundo-cabo
Central African Republic	No navy
Chad	No navy
Comoros	No navy
Navy of the DR Congo v t e																																			No insignia
	Maître chef principal			Premier maître chef			Maître chef		Premier maître	Second maître	Maître						Quartier maître										Premier matelot		Second matelot						Matelot	Recrue
Rank group	Senior NCOs																						Junior NCOs						Enlisted
Congolese Navy [8] v t e																																			No insignia
	Maitre-principal						Premier maitre				Maitre						Second maitre						Quartier-maitre de 1ère classe				Quartier-maitre de 2ème classe		Matelot de 1ère classe						Matelot de 2ème classe
Djiboutian Navy v t e
	Maître-principal						Premier maître				Maître						Second maître						Quartier-maitre se 1ère classe				Quartier-maitre se 2ème classe		Matelot brevet						Matelot
Egyptian Navy v t e
	مساعد أول Mosa'id awwal						مساعد Mosa'id		رقيب أول Raqib awwal		رقيب Raqib												عريف 'arif						جندي Jundi
Navy of Equatorial Guinea v t e
							Brigada				Sarjento												Cabo primero				Cabo								Marinero
Eritrean Navy v t e																																			No insignia
							Master sergeant				Staff sergeant						Sergeant						Corporal						Private first class						Private
Ethiopian Navy v t e
	ቺፍ ዋረንት ኦፊሰር Chīfi wareniti ofīseri				ማስተር ቺፍ Masiteri chīfi		ሲኒየር ቺፍ Sīnīyeri chīfi		ቺፍ Chīfi		ፒቲ ኦፊሰር 1ኛ ክላስ Pītī ofīseri ānidenya kilasi						ፒቲ ኦፊሰር 2ኛ ክላስ Pītī ofīseri huletenya kilasi						ፒቲ ኦፊሰር 3ኛ ክላስ Pītī ofīseri sositenya kilasi		ፒቲ ኦፊሰር 4ኛ ክላስ Pītī ofīseri āratenya kilasi		ሊዲንግ ሲማን Līdīnigi sīmani		ኤብል ሲማን Ēbili sīmani			ኦርድናሪ ሲማን Oridinarī sīmani			ሲማን ሪኩሩት Sīmani rīkuruti
Gabonese Navy v t e
	Maître-principal major			Maître-principal			Premier maître				Maître						Second maître						Quartier-maître de 1ère classe				Quartier-maître de 2ème classe		Matelot brevet						Matelot
Gambian Navy v t e
Ghana Navy v t e																													No insignia						No insignia
									Chief petty officer		Petty officer first class						Petty officer second class						Leading seaman						Able seaman						Ordinary seaman
Guinean Navy v t e
	Major			Maître principal			Premier maître				Maître						Second-maître						Quartier-maître de 1ère classe				Quartier-maître de 2ème classe		Matelot breveté						Matelot
Navy of Guinea-Bissau v t e
Navy of Ivory Coast [9] v t e
	Maitre-principal major			Maitre-principal			Premier maitre				Maitre						Second maitre						Quartier-maitre de 1ère classe				Quartier-maitre de 2ème classe		Matelot de 1ère classe						Matelot de 2ème classe
Kenya Navy [10] v t e																													No insignia
	Warrant officer class 1						Warrant officer class 2		Senior sergeant		Sergeant												Corporal						Private (or equivalent)
Lesotho	No navy
Liberian National Coast Guard [11] v t e
	Master chief petty officer						Senior chief petty officer		Chief petty officer		Petty officer first class						Petty officer second class						Petty officer third class				Seaman		Seaman recruit
Rank group	Senior NCOs																						Junior NCOs						Enlisted
Libyan Navy [12] v t e																																			No insignia
							Master sergeant				Staff sergeant						Sergeant						Corporal						Private 1st class						Private
Madagascar Navy [13] v t e																																			No insignia
	Maître principal			Premier maître			Maître		Second-maître de hors classe		Second-maître de 1ère classe						Second-maître de 2ème classe						Quartier-maître de 1ère classe				Quartier-maître de 2ème classe								Matelot
Malawi Navy [14] v t e																													No insignia
	Warrant officer class 1						Warrant officer class 2		Staff sergeant		Sergeant												Corporal				Lance corporal		Private (or equivalent)
Mali	No navy
Mauritanian Navy [15] v t e
	مساعد أول بحري Mosa'id awwal baḥriun						مساعد بحري Mosa'id baḥriun				رقيب أول بحري Raqib awwal baḥriun						رقيب بحري Raqib baḥriun										عريف بحري 'arif baḥriun								بحار Biḥaar
Mauritius	No navy
Royal Moroccan Navy [16] v t e																																			No insignia
	Maître principal						Premier maître		Maître		Second-maître de 1ère classe						Second-maître de 2ème classe						Quartier-maître de 1ère classe				Quartier-maître de 2ème classe		Matelot de 1ère classe						Matelot
Mozambique Naval Command v t e
									Intendente		Primeiro-sargento						Segundo-sargento												Primeiro-cabo			Segundo-cabo			Marinheiro
Namibian Navy [17] v t e																													No insignia
	Warrant officer class 1						Warrant officer class 2		Chief petty officer		Petty officer												Leading seaman				Able seaman		Seaman
Niger	No navy
Nigerian Navy [18] v t e																																			No insignia
	Navy Warrant Officer			Master Warrant Officer			Warrant Officer				Petty officer												Leading seaman				Able seaman		Seaman						Ordinary seaman
Rwanda	No navy
Rank group	Senior NCOs																						Junior NCOs						Enlisted
Coast Guard of São Tomé and Príncipe v t e																																			No insignia
	Sargento-mor						Sargento-chefe		Sargento-ajudante		Primeiro-sargento						Segundo-sargento		Primerio-subsargento		Subsargento		Cabo				Primeiro-marinheiro		Segundo-marinheiro						Grumete
Senegalese Navy v t e																																			No insignia
	Maitre-principal						Premier maitre				Maitre						Second maitre						Quartier-maitre se 1ere classe				Quartier-maitre se 2eme classe		Matelot brevet						Matelot
Seychelles Coast Guard [19] v t e																													No insignia
	Warrant officer class 1						Warrant officer class 2		Staff sergeant		Sergeant												Corporal				Lance corporal		Private (or equivalent)
Sierra Leone Navy v t e
	Warrant officer class 1						Warrant officer class 2		Chief petty officer		Petty officer												Leading seaman						Able seaman						Seaman
Somali Navy [20] v t e																													No insignia
	Musharax sarkaal			Sadex xarígle			Laba xarígle		Xarígle		Sadex alífle												Laba alífle				Alífle		Dable
South African Navy [21] v t e
	Warrant officer class 1						Warrant officer class 2		Chief petty officer		Petty officer												Leading seaman						Able seaman						Seaman
South Sudan	No navy
Sudanese Navy [22] v t e																													No insignia
							مساعد Mosa'id		رقيب أول Raqib awwal		رقيب Raqib												عريف 'arif				وكيل عريف Wakil 'arif		جندي Jundiun
Swaziland	No navy
Tanzania Naval Command v t e																													No insignia
	Afisa mteule daraja la kwanza						Afisa mteule daraja la pili		Sajinitaji		Sajenti												Koplo				Koplo usu		Mtu ndege
Togolese Navy [23] v t e																																			No insignia
	Major			Maître principal			Premier-maître				Maître						Second-maître						Quartier-maitre de 1ère classe				Quartier-maitre de 2ème classe		Matelot de 1ère classe						Matelot de 2ème classe
Tunisian National Navy [24] [25] v t e
	وكيل أعلى بالبحرية Wakil 'aelaa bialbaḥria			وكيل أول بالبحرية Wakil 'awal bialbaḥria			وكيل بالبحرية Wakil bialbaḥria				عريف أول بالبحرية Earif 'awal bialbaḥria						عريف بالبحرية Earif bialbaḥria						رقيب أول بالبحرية Raqib 'awal bialbaḥria				رقيب بالبحرية Raqib bialbaḥria		جندي أول بحرية Jundiun awwal bialbaḥria						جندي متطوع بحرية Jundiun bialbaḥria
	Maître-principal			Premier maître			Maître				Second maître de 1ère classe						Second maître de 2ème classe						Quartier-maitre de 1ère classe				Quartier-maitre de 2ème classe		Matelot breveté						Matelot
Uganda	No navy
Zambia	No navy
Zimbabwe	No navy
Rank group	Senior NCOs																						Junior NCOs						Enlisted

See also

• Comparative navy enlisted ranks of the Commonwealth
• Ranks and insignia of NATO navies enlisted

References

1. "Ranks". mdn.dz. Ministry of National Defence (Algeria). Retrieved 30 May 2021.
2. "Postos da Marinha". faa.ao (in Portuguese). Angolan Navy. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
3. "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.
4. "Grades Et Appellations Sous-Officier Superieurs Marine Nationale". Ministère de la défense du Cameroun (in French). 4 August 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
5. "Grades Et Appellations Sous-Officier Subalternes Marine Nationale". Ministère de la défense du Cameroun (in French). 4 August 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
6. "Grades Et Appellations Militaires du Rang Marine Nationale". Ministère de la défense du Cameroun (in French). 4 August 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
7. "Anexo A". Boletim Oficial (in Portuguese). 1 (4). Government of Cape Verde: 133–136. 18 January 2017.
8. "Grades appellations distinctions". defense.gouv.cg (in French). Ministry of National Defense (Republic of the Congo). Retrieved 7 June 2021.
9. "GRADES / APPELLATIONS / DISTINCTIONS". defense.gouv.ci (in French). Ministère de la Défense. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
10. "KDF Ranks". mod.go.ke. Ministry of Defence - Kenya. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
11. "Defense Act of 2008" (PDF). 3 September 2008. p. 8. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 July 2025. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
12. Tartter, Jean R. (1989). "National Security". In Metz, Helen Chapin (ed.). Libya: a country study. Area Handbook (4th ed.). Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. pp. 270–271. LCCN   88600480 . Retrieved 28 October 2021.
13. "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.
14. "Non-Commissioned Officers". Malawi Defence Force. Archived from the original on 13 April 2025. Retrieved 12 October 2025.
15. "رتب الأفراد غير الضباط" [Ranks of Non-officers]. armee.mr/ (in Arabic). Armed Forces of Mauritania. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
16. Ehrenreich, Frederich (1985). "National Security". In Nelson, Harold D. (ed.). Morocco: a country study . Area Handbook (5th ed.). Washington, D.C.: American University. pp. 350–351. LCCN   85600265 . Retrieved 16 September 2023.
17. "Government Notice" (PDF). Government Gazette of the Republic of Namibia. Vol. 4547. 20 August 2010. pp. 99–102. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
18. 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.
19. "Rank structure". spdf.sc. Seychelles People's Defence Forces. Archived from the original on 18 July 2019. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
20. 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.
21. "Rank Insignia". navy.mil.za. Department of Defence (South Africa). Archived from the original on 18 May 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
22. "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.
23. "Journal officiel de la république togolaise" (PDF) (in French). 12 February 2008. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
24. "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.
25. "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.