Quickstart

Create an API key, make a first request, and move from country lookups to current signals and historical data.

Most /v1/* routes require an API key. Generate one in the dashboard before you start integrating.

Integration Strategy

Treat Africa API as one client with reusable transport concerns:

one base URL
one bearer-token strategy
one error handling path
feature modules on top (countries, signals, data, markets, trade, government)

The fastest way to get value from the platform is:

check Coverage to see the live country and domain map
start with /v1/countries/{country_code}/signals for a compact service-ready snapshot
move to /v1/data when you need explicit metrics, time series, or comparisons

open "https://africa-api.com/dashboard"

Create an account or sign in, then generate an API key in the dashboard.

export AFRICA_API_KEY="your_api_key_here"

curl "https://api.africa-api.com/v1/countries/ng/signals" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $AFRICA_API_KEY"

curl "https://api.africa-api.com/v1/countries/ng" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $AFRICA_API_KEY"

curl "https://api.africa-api.com/v1/data?country_code=ke&metric_key=population_total&latest=true" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $AFRICA_API_KEY"

curl "https://api.africa-api.com/v1/trade/overview/ng?top_limit=5" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $AFRICA_API_KEY"

Use these only when you need deployment or freshness context:

curl "https://api.africa-api.com/health"
curl "https://api.africa-api.com/v1/platform/version"

Check live country and domain coverage before you build around a specific signal family.

Start with the simplest current snapshot when you need a useful country payload quickly.

Add official FX, exchange, and ticker coverage once you move beyond country snapshots.

Learn the canonical observation query surface.

Understand when to use reference records, profiles, and signals.

Review key handling, public routes, and request format.