Africa at Glasgow 2026: Nigeria Tops the Continent, But South Africa's Medal Haul Tells Its Own Story

The 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow have wrapped up, and while Australia (171 medals) and England (110) dominated the overall standings as usual, the story for African nations was a mixed one  headlined by Nigeria's continued rise as the continent's flagship program, even as South Africa quietly out-medalled everyone else from Africa.

Nigeria: Africa's Best, By the Metric That Matters Most

Team Nigeria finished 7th on the overall table with 24 medals,10 gold, 7 silver, and 7 bronze officially the highest-ranked African nation at the Games. It's the gold count that separates Nigeria from the rest of the continent: no other African team came close to double-digit golds.

The campaign had genuine landmark moments. Samuel Ogazi became the first Nigerian to win Commonwealth gold in the men's 400m, while Ezekiel Nathaniel became the first Nigerian man to top the podium in the 400m hurdles. Goodness Nwachukwu broke her own world record en route to gold in the women's F42 discus, Idris Riluwan won gold in para-powerlifting, and Chukwuebuka Enekwechi made history in the shot put. Star hurdler Tobi Amusan battled through injury to salvage bronze in the 100m hurdles after what she described as a bad fall affecting her race.

The performance also has historical weight: Nigeria has now climbed to 9th on the Commonwealth Games' all-time medal table with 271 total medals across its history — one of only nine nations ever to cross the 250-medal mark, and one of just two African countries (alongside Kenya) in the all-time top 10.

South Africa: More Medals, Fewer Golds

South Africa actually out-medalled Nigeria overall, finishing 11th globally with 28 medals but the composition (7 gold, 11 silver, 10 bronze) meant they ranked behind Nigeria on the gold-medal-first system the Commonwealth Games uses to order its table. It's a reminder that "most medals" and "best-ranked" aren't always the same thing at a Games where gold count decides position.

Kenya Holds Its Ground

Kenya finished 13th overall with 12 medals (3 gold, 4 silver, 5 bronze) — a smaller haul than Nigeria or South Africa's, but one that keeps Kenya's remarkable long-term record intact. Historically, Kenya sits 10th on the Commonwealth Games' all-time medal table with 258 medals, including 91 golds — more all-time golds, notably, than Nigeria has ever won, a testament to Kenya's enduring strength on the track and in distance running.

The Rest of the Continent

Beyond the podium-topping three, the medal table showed a wider spread of African success:

• Cameroon — 5 medals (1 gold, 1 silver, 3 bronze)

• Mauritius — 4 medals (1 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze)

• Uganda — 3 medals (2 gold, 1 silver)

• Namibia — 3 medals (1 gold, 2 silver)

• Lesotho — 2 medals (both gold)

• Zambia — 2 medals (both gold)

• Ghana — 1 medal

• Rwanda — 1 medal

• The Gambia — 1 medal

Lesotho and Zambia's returns are particularly notable for being all gold small medal counts, but perfect conversion rates. Rwanda's single medal is also historically significant: Rwanda had never won a Commonwealth Games medal before the Games entered their closing stages, part of a small group of nations, alongside Tuvalu, that had long been searching for their first-ever podium finish.

The Bigger Picture

Glasgow 2026 featured more than 74 nations and territories across 10 sports, with 1,168 medals awarded in 215 events, and organizers reported over 630,000 spectators attending in person. For African sport, the headline is less about any single number and more about depth: a Nigeria-South Africa-Kenya trio doing the heavy lifting at the top, a chasing pack of smaller but proud returns from Cameroon to The Gambia, and at least one country Rwanda potentially opening its medal account on the biggest stage the Commonwealth has to offer.

Medal tables can be subject to late corrections or reclassifications after Games close; figures reflect the final standings reported as competition concluded in Glasgow.