Students, educators and cultural institutions in parts of Africa are set to lose direct access to British Council services after the organisation announced plans to close its permanent offices in Botswana, Mozambique and Tanzania. The move is part of a wider restructuring that will see it withdraw completely from nine countries.
The British Council, one of the UK’s most prominent soft-power institutions, has struggled financially since the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out much of the income it generated from English-language teaching and examination services. The loss in revenue forced the organisation to rely on a UK government loan that has since grown to £197 million ($265 million).
In addition to the three African countries, the British Council will close offices in Chile, Peru, Croatia, and Trinidad and Tobago, bringing the confirmed total to seven of the nine countries affected. Six of those countries receive UK official development assistance, while Croatia’s operations are funded under a separate arrangement, according to The Independent.
The organisation said the restructuring could have been more severe. It recently secured £40 million ($54 million) in additional non-aid funding over the next three years, avoiding a scenario in which up to 40% of its overseas network could have been shut down. Even so, officials said reducing the size of the network is necessary to create a more modern, efficient and financially sustainable organisation.
A recent National Audit Office report highlighted the scale of the challenge. It said the British Council’s recovery strategy aims to deliver £306 million in net benefits by the 2029-30 financial year through office closures in as many as 11 countries and a workforce reduction of about 25%, or roughly 2,200 full-time jobs. The watchdog also warned that, even if the plan succeeds, the charity is expected to continue operating at a deficit until the end of the decade, with reserves projected to fall as low as negative £184 million.
Speaking before the Public Accounts Committee, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office interim permanent under-secretary Nick Dyer defended the government’s response. He said ministers had restructured the pandemic loan and increased funding to support the Council’s recovery, arguing that Britain no longer needs a permanent office in every country to project its influence. He said advances in digital delivery make it possible to maintain many programmes without a physical presence.
Committee chair Geoffrey Clifton-Brown questioned that approach, noting that the British Council had already eliminated around 2,000 jobs and now faces another reduction of a similar size. He warned that repeated cuts could damage staff morale and weaken Britain’s global influence instead of strengthening it.
A British Council spokesperson told The Independent that the decision followed a review of operating costs, government priorities, growth prospects, and existing contracts and partnerships. The organisation declined to say whether additional office closures are being considered. It added that UK aid funding is expected to remain at previous levels and that some programmes will continue through local partners and alternative delivery models.
The cuts reflect a broader trend among Western governments as they reduce overseas spending in response to mounting domestic financial pressures. The United States has also scaled back several international development programmes this year, raising concerns about the future of education, healthcare and governance initiatives across Africa.
For many African countries, the changes will have an immediate impact. Fewer local British Council offices mean reduced access to scholarships, cultural exchange opportunities and educational partnerships that have shaped Britain’s engagement with the continent for decades, even as London argues that its influence can continue without a permanent presence in every capital.
By: Andrews Kwesi Yeboah