US President Barack Obama has hailed the "amazing" strides that Africa has made in achieving democracy.
Mr Obama made the comments in Senegal after meeting President Macky Sall on the first leg of his African tour.
He said Senegal was one of the US's "strongest partners" on the continent and was becoming a "great example" of good governance.
This is Mr Obama's third visit to Africa since he became president in 2008.
His trip is expected to focus on boosting economic ties and promoting good governance.
'Combat corruption'All the countries he plans to visit - Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania - are stable democracies.
"Start Quote
End Quote Ben Rhodes Obama foreign policy adviserIt's not enough to have elections... You need to have independent judiciaries"
He has excluded from his itinerary Kenya, where his father was born, and Nigeria, Africa's biggest oil-producer, which has been hit by an Islamist insurgency.
The South African leg of his trip is expected to be overshadowed by the continuing critical condition of former President Nelson Mandela.
The White House has said it will defer to the wishes of Mr Mandela's family over whether the ex-leader is well enough to receive a visit from him in hospital.
US officials said the indictment of Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta at the International Criminal Court on charges of fuelling violence after the 2007 election, which he denies, made it politically impossible for Mr Obama to visit the country, the AFP news agency reports.
Crowds welcomed Mr Obama's motorcade in Senegal's capital, Dakar, on Thursday, cheering and waving home-made signs as he made his way to the presidential palace for a meeting with Mr Sall, the Associated Press news agency reports.
Some in the crowd drummed and sang outside the palace gates as Mr Sall and his wife, Marieme Faye Sall, welcomed them, it reports.
Mr Obama said Africa had made "great progress" in achieving democracy, singling out Senegal, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast and Niger for praise.
Goree: Slave island
- 16-19th Century: Slaves shipped from Goree
- 1776: Slave House built
- 1978: Designated World Heritage Site
- Notable visitors: Pope John Paul II, Nelson Mandela, Bill Clinton, George W Bush
"Senegal is one of the most stable democracies in Africa and one of the strongest partners that we have in the region. It's moving in the right direction with reforms to deepen democratic institutions and as more Africans across this continent stand up and demand governments that are accountable and serve the people, I believe Senegal can be a great example," Mr Obama said.
He is now due to visit the Supreme Court in Dakar to speak about the importance of an independent judiciary and the rule of law in Africa's development.
"It's not enough to have elections, it's not enough to have democratically elected leaders. You need to have independent judiciaries. You need to have confidence in the rule of law. You need to have efforts to combat corruption,'' Mr Obama's foreign policy adviser Ben Rhodes is quoted by Associated Press news agency as saying.
"You need to have efforts to combat corruption because, frankly, not only is that good for democracy and respect for human rights, but it's critical to Africa's economic growth."
Mr Obama, along with his wife and children, will also travel by ferry to Senegal's Goree Island, a memorial to Africans who were caught up in the Atlantic slave trade.
The visit is expected to be emotional because Mr Obama is the son of an African and Michelle Obama is a descendant of slaves, correspondents say.
"A visit like this by an American president, any American president, is powerful," said White House spokesman Jay Carney.
"I think that will be the case when President Obama visits and I'm sure particularly so, given that he is African American."
On Sunday, Mr Obama is expected to visit Robben Island, where Mr Mandela was jailed for 18 of the 27 years he spent in prison, on the second leg of his African tour.
However, it is unclear whether the visit will take place because of Mr Mandela's deteriorating health, correspondents say.
Mr Obama is due to end his African tour with a visit to Tanzania, where he will pay his respects at a memorial outside the US embassy in the main city, Dar es Salaam, in honour of 11 people killed in a bombing by al-Qaeda in 1998.
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