The fake news epidemic: How disinformation is undermining Africa’s future

In the past, the most dangerous weapons in Africa were guns, machetes, and propaganda leaflets. Today, all it takes is a well-crafted lie shared on WhatsApp to sow fear, fuel tribal tensions, manipulate elections, or mislead a nation during a health crisis. Welcome to Africa’s new epidemic — fake news.

While the continent battles issues like poverty, unemployment, and corruption, another silent but equally destructive threat is creeping through our societies: disinformation and misinformation. From viral videos to deepfake audios, fake health tips to political smear campaigns, Africa’s information space is under siege.

And it’s not just an abstract problem. The consequences are very real — and deeply personal.

When a message becomes a weapon

In Zimbabwe, a doctored video clip of a politician “confessing” to election rigging spread like wildfire just days before voters went to the polls.

In Nigeria, false claims that saltwater could cure Ebola led to multiple hospitalisations and even deaths.

What do all these have in common? An erosion of public trust. Once trust in institutions and information sources is lost, rebuilding it becomes almost impossible.

Who’s behind it?

The perpetrators are not always obvious.

Some are political operatives looking to manipulate public opinion.

Others are foreign actors, using Africa as a testing ground for information warfare tactics.

Then there are the unwitting participants — ordinary citizens forwarding false content in good faith, not realising the damage they’re causing.

Add in troll farms, paid influencers, and shadowy PR firms, and you have a digital ecosystem ripe for manipulation.

Elections in the age of lies

African elections have become fertile ground for misinformation. In countries like Kenya and South Africa, political parties now employ digital strategists whose job is not just to promote their candidate — but to destroy the opponent through disinformation.

Fake polls, misleading headlines, doctored memes — they all contribute to a polluted information space. And the scariest part? It works.

When voters make decisions based on lies, democracy suffers. Trust in media collapses. Civil discourse dies. The result is a population that becomes polarised, cynical, and vulnerable to exploitation.

Fake news kills — literally

The COVID-19 pandemic offered a terrifying glimpse into how quickly lies can spread — and how deadly they can be. Across the continent, people refused vaccines, self-medicated with harmful substances, or rejected medical advice altogether because of viral misinformation.

But this isn’t new. During past outbreaks — Ebola, HIV/AIDS, even cholera — fake news has always had a body count. What’s changed is the scale and speed with which it spreads in today’s hyper-connected Africa.

Why Africa is especially vulnerable

Several factors make the continent more susceptible:

• High mobile phone usage, but low digital literacy
• Weak media regulation and fragmented oversight
• Deep political divisions and ethnic sensitivities
• Underfunded journalism that struggles to compete with viral content

In many rural communities, WhatsApp is the internet, and what comes through it is treated as gospel truth.

What can be done?

This battle will not be won with fact-checkers alone. It requires a multi-pronged response:

1. Digital literacy campaigns in schools and communities
2. Stronger protections for independent journalism
3. Ethical frameworks for social media platforms
4. Regional cooperation to track and shut down disinformation networks
5. Empowering citizens to think critically and question what they read

Want to go deeper?

This post only scratches the surface of a continent-wide crisis. If you're a journalist, policymaker, activist, educator, or simply someone who cares about the future of truth in Africa, I invite you to read my latest book:

Truth Under Siege: Inside Africa’s Information Wars

Inside, I explore:

• How disinformation shaped key African elections
• The rise of troll farms and digital mercenaries
• The impact of fake news during pandemics
• Interviews with journalists and victims of viral lies
• Solutions for reclaiming Africa’s information integrity

 Get the book on Amazon here 

Final thoughts

Africa’s future is too important to be left in the hands of digital manipulators. We must reclaim our narratives, protect our information spaces, and teach the next generation not just to consume content — but to question it.

Because in the end, truth is not just a moral value — it’s a tool of survival.