Which African country was the first to have a female prime minister?

The Central African Republic was the first African country to have a female prime minister: Elisabeth Domitien, who took office in 1975. She was also the first woman to serve as a prime minister anywhere in Africa.

Domitien was appointed on 2 January 1975 by President Jean-Bédel Bokassa, who had created the office as part of a new government. Before becoming prime minister, she was a leading figure in the Movement for the Social Evolution of Black Africa, the country’s dominant political movement, and an influential organizer among women and farmers.

Her premiership lasted only until April 1976. Domitien opposed Bokassa’s plan to proclaim himself emperor, and the disagreement led to her dismissal and the removal of her cabinet. During her time in office, she advocated improving women’s economic position and sometimes challenged the president, including by pressing for fair treatment of people detained without trial.

The question asks about the first female prime minister, not the first female president or first woman cabinet minister. Those are different milestones. Domitien remains the Central African Republic’s first—and, according to standard references, only—woman to have held the prime-ministerial post.