Japanese courses
Japanese universities offer a great number of courses in English. Hence Japanese language skills are not necessarily required for your studies in Japanese universities. Learning Japanese, however, will make your life in Japan much easier and more fruitful once you arrive in the country.
If you are interested in learning Japanese - whether it is to study in Japan or just out of curiosity - there are a number of courses available in Africa and online. Below is a non-exhaustive list of Japanese courses.
Learn in your country
Madagasacar
Japanese Language Teacher's Association in Madagascar (JALTAM)
Learn online
Japanesepod101.com
Thousands of lessons, no credit card needed.
Learn Japanese in 4 Hours
All the Japanese basics you need.
TADOKU.org
(NPO Tadoku Supporters)
Reading a lot of books in Japanese.
Nihongo123
(University of Tsukuba)
Grammar and vocabulary from basic to intermediate levels.
Smartphone app at Google Play
Minato
(The Japan Foundation)
Self-study and tutored courses for beginners to advanced learners.
Irodori
(The Japan Foundation)
Japanese for Life in Japan.
Erin
(The Japan Foundation)
Video-based Japanese language studies and cultural understanding.
Anime-manga.jp
(Japan Foundation)
Learn casual Japanese expressions through anime and manga.
Easy Japanese
(NHK World Japan)
Conversational Japanese lessons in various languages.
Duolingo
Japanese lessons with full of game elements.
Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT)
If you are interested in acquiring a certified level of Japanese, you could take a Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT).
Examinations of JLTP are usually held once or twice a year (usually in July or in December) in Accra (Ghana), Nairobi (Kenya), Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire), Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo), Cotonou (Republic of Benin), Antananarivo (Madagascar), and Johannesburg (South Africa).
The full list of test centres and hosting institutions are available here. Please contact them directly for the latest exam schedules.