What is the largest canyon in Africa?

The largest canyon in Africa is Fish River Canyon in southern Namibia.

Carved by the Fish River, Namibia’s longest interior river, the canyon extends for about 160 kilometres. In places it reaches approximately 27 kilometres in width and nearly 550 metres in depth, making it one of the continent’s most dramatic geological landscapes. The river is seasonal and can shrink to a chain of pools during dry periods, while late-summer floods can send water through the gorge.

The canyon’s formation reflects several major geological events. Ancient glaciation during the Karoo Ice Age helped deepen the landscape around 300 million years ago. Much later, the breakup of Gondwana and uplift of the African continent increased the river’s gradient, allowing the Fish River to cut farther into resistant gneiss and create its winding lower canyon.

Fish River Canyon is part of the /Ai/Ais–Richtersveld Transfrontier Park area. It is sometimes confused with Namibia’s Blyde River Canyon comparison or with the Grand Canyon in the United States. Those are separate landmarks; Fish River Canyon is the standard answer to the Africa-wide question.