Africa Check
Fact or spin? Fact-checking Nigerian president Tinubu’s Independence Day economics
9th October 2025 Nigeria celebrated 65 years of independence from colonial rule on 1 October 2025. In a national address, president Bola Tinubu reflected on... →
Fact-checking Helen Zille’s claims about Johannesburg’s water crisis
6th October 2025 In September 2025, the Democratic Alliance (DA) named its federal council chair, Helen Zille, as its mayoral candidate for Johannesburg ahead of... →
Mbeki and the jobs question: fact-checking employment from 1994 to 2008
1st October 2025 In September 2025, former South African president Thabo Mbeki hosted his foundation’s annual peace and security dialogue. During his address, one... →
A quick guide to commissions of inquiry in South Africa
30th September 2025 The Madlanga commission of inquiry, chaired by deputy chief justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, is set to begin its hearings on 17 September 2025. It was... →
No, South Africa hasn’t scrapped your right to self-defence – old trespassing claim resurfaces
30th September 2025 A video that first circulated on social media in 2022 has resurfaced, once again stoking fear about South Africans’ right to self-defence. In the... →
Fact-checking Kenyan president Ruto and governors’ chair Abdullahi at the 2025 devolution conference
9th September 2025 In August 2025, president William Ruto joined Kenya’s 47 governors in Homa Bay county, about 400 kilometres southwest of Nairobi, for the annual... →
Worried about ARVs in South Africa’s tap water? How to tell when journalists get the science wrong
8th September 2025 In July 2025, several South African news outlets resurfaced a 2020 report that looked at whether common HIV medications, known as antiretrovirals... →
As the US turns the tariff screws, what’s South Africa’s plan B?
3rd September 2025 Bruised by steep US tariffs on its exports, South Africa insists it’s far from knocked out. In August 2025, in one of its clearest public... →
Fact or fiction? Breaking down Gachagua’s US tour claims on bills, education and health
28th August 2025 During his six-week US tour which ended on 21 August 2025, former Kenyan deputy president Rigathi Gachagua sharply criticised the record of his... →
When trade wars hit home: how US tariffs could hurt ordinary South Africans
21st August 2025 South Africa is battling to negotiate reduced terms after the US unilaterally imposed “reciprocal” tariffs on allies and rivals alike. Many... →
Nigeria rebases its economy again – here’s what sets it apart
18th August 2025 In mid-2025, Nigeria’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) updated how it calculates gross domestic product or GDP, changing the base year from... →
‘Reimagining Nigeria’: fact-checking president’s adviser Tope Fasua’s bold economic claims
15th August 2025 In a July 2025 discussion on Arise News TV, Tope Fasua, economic adviser to Nigeria’s president, called for a bigger national budget to tackle... →
A year after youth-led revolt, 7 things to know about Kenyan president William Ruto’s 26-member cabinet
12th August 2025 On 8 August 2024, after a youth-led revolt severely weakened his government, Kenyan president William Ruto – having fired his entire cabinet –... →
From VAT to income tax: how Nigeria’s new tax rules affect you
30th July 2025 In June 2025, president Bola Tinubu signed four new tax reform bills into law, bringing big changes to how taxes are managed in Nigeria. After... →
HIV/Aids breakthrough not a ‘cure’, popular social media posts misrepresent the facts
26th June 2025 IN SHORT: While promising, a recent breakthrough in HIV research is not a “cure” or a “vaccine”, as several posts claim on social media. The... →
#1000DaysScorecard: Has Kenyan president Ruto delivered on jobs, the economy and infrastructure?
26th June 2025 Kenya marked 62 years of self-rule on 1 June 2025. Just days later, on 9 June, president William Ruto celebrated 1 000 days in office since taking... →
Do white farmers produce most of our key crops? Unpacking viral claims about South African agriculture
17th June 2025 For weeks in May and June 2025, widely followed accounts on X have circulated eye-catching and divisive statistics about race and farming in South... →
Electrified or exaggerated? Fact-checking Nigerian power minister’s claims
5th June 2025 As Nigerian president Bola Tinubu enters the second half of his first term, attention has turned to how well he has kept his promises since taking... →
‘Death, death, death’: setting the record straight on Trump’s South Africa farm murder spectacle
27th May 2025 On 21 May 2025, a meeting at the White House drew global attention as South African president Cyril Ramaphosa faced his US counterpart Donald... →
Kenya's economic lead: Fact-checking president William Ruto's Tanzania and Uganda comparisons
13th May 2025 Just days after saying correctly – but controversially – that neighbours Uganda and Tanzania are classified as “least developed countries” while... →
Ruto’s mid-year scorecard: figures on rail, power and support for the elderly don’t add up
25th April 2025 Kenyan president William Ruto will be on a four-day state visit to China from 22 April 2025. This follows a trip in April by finance minister John... →
From 250 000 homes to fuzzy job numbers: Kenyan president’s claims under scrutiny
16th April 2025 As he begins the second half of his first term, Kenyan president William Ruto has been highlighting his achievements. One of his key talking points... →
Kenya’s president Ruto inflates wins on controversial health plan sign-ups
9th April 2025 In April 2025, Kenyan president William Ruto gave a media interview ahead of a high-profile tour of the Mount Kenya region, the restless political... →
Precision or spin? Evaluating Kenyan president Ruto’s mid-term economic scorecard
3rd April 2025 In March 2025, Kenyan president William Ruto reached the halfway point of his first five-year term. To mark the occasion, the government published... →
Kenyan leaders throw big tea party, but don’t serve the facts
28th March 2025 On 18 March 2025, the Kenyan government published president William Ruto’s mid-term scorecard, tracking progress on his election promises. It... →
Strong only on paper? Fact-checking Angie Motshekga’s claim about South Africa’s military might
27th March 2025 In March 2025, the Southern African Development Community said it would start gradually pulling troops out of the Democratic Republic of the Congo... →
Fact-checking healthcare influencer’s claims about Nigeria’s HIV stats
24th March 2025 US aid freezes under president Donald Trump have upended healthcare in dependent countries around the world. The cuts have affected the President’s... →
Do South Africa’s parliamentary cleaners earn R30,000 per month?
19th March 2025 In February 2025, the Democratic Alliance (DA), which is part of the coalition government in South Africa, presented its take on a budget to help... →
EXPLAINER: What South Africa’s Expropriation Act does and doesn’t allow
13th March 2025 Tensions between South Africa and the new US administration have made headlines in the early weeks of 2025. Early in February, US president... →
Pan-African scholar PLO Lumumba is correct – the African Union is ‘over 70% funded by outsiders’
26th February 2025 The African Union (AU) is a group of 55 African countries, with the African Union Commission (AUC) as its administrative arm. On 15 February 2025,... →
Fact-checking South Africa’s lawmakers as they debated the state of the nation
21st February 2025 In February 2025, South African parliamentarians debated president Cyril Ramaphosa’s state of the nation address (Sona). While some criticised and... →
The World Health Organization’s pandemic accord
18th February 2025 The Covid pandemic was one of the biggest public health crises in modern times. Concerned that the world was unprepared for the next pandemic, the... →
‘Navigating rapid change’: verifying South African president Cyril Ramaphosa’s 2025 state of the nation address
7th February 2025 South African president Cyril Ramaphosa delivered the first state of the nation address under the government of national unity, in which he called... →
Fact-checking former minister Osita Chidoka's claims on Nigeria's 2025 budget, debt and policing
30th January 2025 Well-known Nigerian politician, public servant and administrator Osita Chidoka is a sought-after voice on national issues. In a January 2025 TV... →
EXPLAINER: The controversy surrounding South Africa’s Bela Act
28th January 2025 As schools across South Africa settle into the 2025 academic year, a new education law remains the subject of much debate and controversy. The... →
No, ‘Detty December’ remittances in Nigeria did not equal 4% of the country’s GDP, as claimed by former governor
27th January 2025 The former governor of Nigeria's Lagos state Babatunde Raji Fashola was among the dignitaries who addressed new graduates of the University of... →
In Kenya in 2025, five disinformation trends are already unfolding
21st January 2025 Kenya will see a number of national campaigns and events in 2025, many of which are already causing controversy and muddying public debate. These... →
#NamibiaElections2024: Fact-checking opposition Popular Democratic Movement manifesto
26th November 2024 The Popular Democratic Movement (PDM), Namibia's official opposition party, launched its election manifesto in August 2024. In the 2019 general... →
MFWA, Dubawa and Ghana Fact establish Ghana Fact-checking Coalition ahead of December elections
21st November 2024 The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Dubawa, FactSpace West Africa and other civil society organisations working on information hygiene,... →
#OndoDecides2024: Fact-checking debate claims made by the two main candidates for the governor’s office
14th November 2024 Nigeria’s Ondo state goes to the polls on 16 November 2024 to elect a governor, with incumbent Lucky Aiyedatiwa of the All Progressives Congress... →
