The paper presents the results of a study of 11863 specimens of Nomioidinae caught in Africa (excepting Madagascar) from 43 institutions and private collections. In total, 33 species belonging to three genera of Nomioidinae are found in the African fauna. All of the species are redescribed, figured and keyed. Their variability is analysed. Distributional maps in Africa are provided for all species. The types of nearly all the nominal taxa described earlier are examined. Seven new species and one new subspecies are described: Cellariella inexpectata n. sp., C. schwarzi n, sp., Ceylalictus congoensis n. sp., Nomioides deceptor capverdensis n. ssp., N. griswoldi n. sp., N. kenyensis n. sp., N. micheneri n. sp., and N. paulyi Pesenko, n. sp. New status is established for the following nominal taxa: Nomioides maculiventris var. fulviventris Blüthgen 1925 and N. somalicus ssp. kalaharicus Cockerell 1936 are considered separate species in the genus Cellariella: Nomioides karachensis var. desertorum Blüthgen 1925, a separate species in the genus Ceylalictus, Nomioides canariensis Blüthgen 1937, an insular subspecies of N. deceptor Saunders 1908; Nomioides maurus Blüthgen 1925, an African subspecies of N. minutissimus (Rossi 1790). The names Nomioides elbanus Blüthgen 1934 and N. squamiger Saunders 1908 are resurrected. The following new synonymies are established: Nomioides somalica ssp. kalaharica Cockerell 1936 = Cellariella brooksi Pesenko 1993; Nomioides somalicus Magretti 1899 = N. somalicus var. completus Blüthgen 1934 = N. atomellus Cockerell 1936; Nomioides deceptor Saunders 1908 = N. minutissimus var. deserticola Blüthgen 1925; Ceratina maculiventris Cameron 1905 = Nomioides maculiventris var. convergens Blüthgen 1934 = N. callonotus Cockerell 1936 = N. maculiventris var cyaneonotus Cockerell 1937; Nomioides minutissimus spp. maurus Blüthgen 1925 = N. senecionis Cockerell 1931 = N. maurus var. tingitanus Blüthgen 1933. Lectotypes are designated for the following nominal taxa: Ceratina maculiventris Cameron 1905; Nomioides callonotus Cockerell 1936; N. maculiventris var cyaneonotus Cockerell 1937, N. somalicus ssp. kalaharicus Cockerell 1936. The morphological evolution, phylogeny and geographical history of the subfamily Nomioidinae are presented and discussed. The paper includes 228 line drawings on 39 figures in the text, 124 colour, 8 black and white, 48 SEM photos and 33 maps on 20 plates, 7 tables, and provided with a list of 140 papers cited.