Natural lakes are thought to be globally important sources of greenhouse gases (CO ₂ , CH ₄ , and N ₂ O) to the atmosphere although nearly no data have been previously reported from Africa. We collected CO ₂ , CH ₄ , and N ₂ O data in 24 African lakes that accounted for 49% of total lacustrine surface area of the African continent and covered a wide range of morphology and productivity. The surface water concentrations of dissolved CO ₂ were much lower than values attributed in current literature to tropical lakes and lower than in boreal systems because of a higher productivity. In contrast, surface water–dissolved CH ₄ concentrations were generally higher than in boreal systems. The lowest CO ₂ and the highest CH ₄ concentrations were observed in the more shallow and productive lakes. Emissions of CO ₂ may likely have been substantially overestimated by a factor between 9 and 18 in African lakes and between 6 and 26 in pan-tropical lakes.