Who Were the First Catholics in Sub-Saharan Africa?

by Admin · February 24, 2026

King Afonso I

Question: Where in sub-Saharan Africa (that is, outside North Africa, Ethiopia and Sudan) was the Catholic Church first established?

Answer: The first Catholic community in sub-Saharan Africa in the modern era was established in the late 15th century in the Kingdom of Kongo, in what is now Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Portuguese explorers and missionaries, led by Diogo Cão, arrived in Kongo in 1483 and were warmly received by King Nzinga a Nkuwu.

In 1491, the king was baptised and took the Christian name João I. In the interim, he had sent his son and heir, Mvemba a Nzinga, to Portugal to receive a Catholic education. When the prince returned to Kongo in 1491, bringing with him several Portuguese priests, he too was baptised, taking the name Afonso.

Church established

Among the priests brought to Kongo by Afonso was Fr Diogo de Anunciação, who helped to establish the Catholic Church in the region. The Church quickly gained converts among the Kongo people, and by the end of the 15th century, there were reportedly over 100000 baptised Catholics in the kingdom. The Church established schools, hospitals, and other institutions, playing a key role in the development of Kongo’s society and culture.

King Nzinga a Nkuwu’s own conversion was short-lived, largely due to the Church’s ban on polygamy, but his son, who reigned as Afonso I from 1509 to late 1542, remained a lifelong Catholic.

Published in the October 2025 issue of The Southern Cross magazine