Humanity is facing an increasing challenge with respect to water scarcity (WS). This issue is driven by climate change, population growth, and socioeconomic growth combined with inadequate water resources management. In particular, there is considerable concern over virtual water (VW) transfers, which pose difficulties for water resources and food security sustainability. In this study, we assessed the i) VW content of crops, ii) VW flows, iii) WS, iv) water dependency (WD), v) water self-sufficiency, and vi) water savings/losses in African countries at different time series. We also addressed censorious issues and challenges for sustainable development in water-scarce regions. The results showed that the average net VW import was positive (108.9 x 10^9 m3/a). The WS values for East African countries were > 100, indicating overexploitation. In addition, the overall WD in Africa was 4655% in recent years. The trade of main grains between Africa and the rest of the planet corresponded to a global water loss of 2820.7 x 10^9 m3/a. However, a shift was observed in the ranking of commodities imported from one region to another owing to the evolution of a country’s economic development. The VW export of a country depended on the population size, gross domestic product, agricultural production, and area of arable land. Finally, we highlight opportunities for enhancing water use efficiency by increasing food production in water-scarce regions, thereby contributing to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals.