Singer and musician Elton John has extended his search for a child to adopt to Africa, after he was banned from doing so in Ukraine.

The 62-year-old singing legend and his civil partner David Furnish are contemplating adopting a child in Africa, reported The Telegraph.

"We were in Africa for the (Sir Elton John) Aids Foundation and met a boy, and immediately thought about adopting him," Furnish said.

But the couple soon found out that the boy has a family and decided not to proceed.

"When we found out he had a maternal grandmother, and brother and sister, we realised it wouldn't be the right thing to take him away from the family he had there," he added.

The pair, who "married" in a civil partnership ceremony in Windsor in 2005, have decided that they will not challenge the Ukrainian government after one of its ministers said Sir Elton was too old to adopt and that it did not allow homosexuals to do so.

"We would love to adopt Lev, but that does not seem possible under Ukrainian rules," said Furnish.

John has at least 10 godchildren, including the son of John Lennon, Sean, and the son of Elizabeth Hurley, Damian.