<p>The study addressed two aims: first, how perceived insecurity and fear of crime at home are associated with state legitimacy in Africa, as proxied by citizens’ trust in government branches; second, how state legitimacy is linked to perceived insecurity and fear of crime at home in Africa. The study used a 9th round of the Afrobarometer survey, collected through face-to-face interviews with 53444 adults in 39 African countries. Due to the potential interdependence in the outcome variables, multivariate and bivariate probit models are employed; results indicated that perceived insecurity is negatively associated with institutional trust across all branches of government, particularly in rural areas, while fear of crime at home is not statistically significant to associate with citizens trust in institutions; additionally, state legitimacy had a significant negative association with perceived insecurity and fear of crime at home. Therefore, ensure citizens’ security by combating the fear of crime at home and in neighborhoods, enhancing law enforcement, digitalizing crime or insecurity reporting, and strengthening institutional capacity to foster strong trust between citizens and the state.</p>