sub-Saharan

American  

[suhb-suh-har-uhn, -hair-uhn, -hahr-uhn] / ˌsʌb səˈhær ən, -ˈhɛər ən, -ˈhɑr ən /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or in Africa south of the Sahara Desert.

   a sub-Saharan country; sub-Saharan peoples.

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sub-Saharan British  

adjective

1. in, of, or relating to Africa south of the Sahara desert

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sub-Saharan Cultural  

1. Region in Africa south of the Sahara desert.

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Etymology

Origin of sub-Saharan

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

She identified countries in Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and small island states as being in particular need.

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

Some 50,000 of the students were from sub-Saharan Africa.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

I think my first eureka moment was when I was traveling in sub-Saharan Africa on the Ivory Coast doing a site visit.

From Barron's • Mar. 5, 2026

Other recipients include Innovation: Africa, which delivers solar-powered clean water to sub-Saharan Africa, and IEA Ghana, a think tank, to help it explore ways to build nuclear plants in West Africa.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 18, 2026

First, when Eurasia’s Major Five domestic mammals reached sub-Saharan Africa, they were adopted by the most diverse African peoples wherever conditions permitted.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond