The country has tens of millions of voters. We bring you up to speed on one of Africa’s most anticipated elections.

drugs

No, activated charcoal won’t counteract date rape drugs – seek medical attention

Kashim Shettima of Nigeria’s ruling All Progressive Congress (APC)

#NigeriaDecides2023: Ruling APC party chiefs fall flat with TV claims about the economy

The All Progressives Congress hopes to retain power in February polls. But several claims recently made by top party leaders didn’t add up.

scam

fact-checkers

deepfake

A cover girl? Not so fast. How a fact-checker almost got scammed and how you can avoid a similar fate

So what happened to me, how did I figure it out, and what are the warning signs that you can look out for?

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Elections

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Africa

Nigeria election factsheet

FACTSHEET: What you need to know about Nigeria’s pivotal 2023 general elections

date rape

drugs

No, activated charcoal won’t counteract date rape drugs – seek medical attention

APC

Economy

Kashim Shettima

Festus Keyamo

#NigeriaDecides2023: Ruling APC party chiefs fall flat with TV claims about the economy

scam

fact-checkers

deepfake

A cover girl? Not so fast. How a fact-checker almost got scammed and how you can avoid a similar fate

Kenya deputy president and presidential candidate on the Kenya Kwanza Alliance, William Ruto.

SIMON MAINA / AFP

Kenya Election Report

William Ruto

#KenyaDecides2022: Fact-checking William Ruto’s manifesto ahead of presidential election

As Kenya votes on 9 August, we looked at the manifesto of William Ruto, one of four presidential candidates. How did he fare with his facts?...

Azimio la Umoja coalition presidential candidate Raila Odinga launches his the party's manifesto on 6 June 2022.

SIMON MAINA / AFP

Kenya Election Report

Kenya

Elections

Raila Odinga

#KenyaDecides2022: Fact-checking Raila Odinga’s manifesto ahead of presidential election

As Kenya votes on 9 August, we looked at the manifesto of Raila Odinga, one of four presidential candidates. How did he fare with his facts?

Kenya Election Report

From no-shows to walk-outs: Fact-checking Kenya’s presidential candidates debate

Kenyans were treated to a debate that did not disappoint for drama. Only two of the four candidates eventually faced the moderators.

Kenya will host a presidential debate before election day

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Featured

A cover girl? Not so fast. How a fact-checker almost got scammed and how you can avoid a similar fate

So what happened to me, how did I figure it out, and what are the warning signs that you can look out for?

Ahead of major #NigeriaDecides2023 elections, country’s fact-checkers write open letter to politicians

As the election campaigns officially start in Nigeria, a coalition of its fact-checkers is asking politicians to reject misinformation and p...

Nigeria president Muhammadu Buhari leaves elected office in 2023, having been first elected in 2015

PIUS UTOMI EKPEI / AFP

Nigeria election blog

ANALYSIS: Are Nigerians better off under Buhari's administration? On the trail of president’s much-discussed interview

President Muhammadu Buhari has been keen to talk up his legacy as the February 2023 elections approach. We go deeper behind the numbers.

statistics

stats

fact-checkers

Why good statistics are so important for fact checkers

Andrew Dudfield, Head of Product at Full Fact, presents the high-level insights following interviews with fact checkers around the world abo...

technology

What’s up with your data on WhatsApp? Explaining the app’s new privacy terms

Experts have described the changes as cosmetic, but that did not stop a pushback by users, many who sought options.

ANALYSIS: Fact-checking claims about service delivery in South Africa since 1994

With South African municipal elections set to take place in 2021, we can expect a lot of service delivery comparisons. They may not all add ...

journalists

science journalism

COMMENT: We need science journalists not press release cheerleaders

Science journalism, unlike science communication, exists to serve the reader. Getting it wrong can only undermine the public's trust in scie...

account

Duduzane

Twitter

ANALYSIS: No, that's not Duduzane Zuma’s Twitter account. Here’s why

Is the @Duduzane__Zuma Twitter account really run by former South African president Jacob Zuma’s son? Some online sleuthing reveals the acco...

fact-checking

African Fact Checking Awards

Press release: First-ever Africa Facts summit to be held in Kenya in early November

The two-day Africa Facts summit, to be held in Nairobi in early November, will bring together fact-checking organisations and experts from a...

Has pandemic raised South Africans’ stress levels by 56%? And is cannabis the answer? Two claims in news article checked

A article suggests CBD as a way to reduce stress and that stress of South Africans is up 56% since the start of the Covid pandemic.

Did journalists’ TV ‘hangout’ get facts about healthcare in Nigeria right?

Discussing the state of healthcare amid a crippling doctors’ strike, a TV panel made several claims. We checked them out.

Fact-checked: 9 claims about South African schools from Ernst Roets

A member of management for the Afrikaner-rights group AfriForum rubbished the state of South African education. We sorted the wheat from the...

Nairobi’s Covid-19 positive cases tie Kenyan president, health ministry and major media house in knots

In a random sample of five people in the capital, three are likely to be positive, said Uhuru Kenyatta. We took a closer look at this claim.

Cities

dangerous

Six South African cities in top 20 of world’s ‘most dangerous’? Crime index based on website users’ opinions

The country is infamous for high rates of crime and violence. But a widely reported crime ranking of its cities was based on the perceptions...

SONA

debate

gender-based violence

Education

Debating the state of South Africa: did members of parliament get their facts straight?

Was there a 64% drop in gender-based violence in 2020? Will half of grade 1 pupils never make it to their school-leaving exams? We check the...

PIUS UTOMI EKPEI / AFP

FACTSHEET: Understanding Nigeria's new varsity admission rules

A recent amendment to Nigeria’s higher education admission policy has rekindled debate about access to tertiary institutions in the country.

FACTSHEET: Excess deaths in South Africa explained

The number of excess deaths may be a more accurate and concerning measure of the Covid pandemic than the daily death toll. But how are exces...

Ashraf Hendricks/GroundUp

FACTSHEET: How deaths are recorded in South Africa

Covid has trained a spotlight on causes of death and how deaths are recorded across the world. We disentangle what paperwork has to be filed...

Nigeria election factsheet

FACTSHEET: What you need to know about Nigeria’s pivotal 2023 general elections

The country has tens of millions of voters. We bring you up to speed on one of Africa’s most anticipated elections.

Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) of Kenya staff

FACTSHEET: 22 quick facts about Kenya’s 2022 election

Let us bring you up to speed on what you should know about one of the most-watched elections on the continent.

An undated file image of the Marburg virus

FACTSHEET: What you should know about Marburg virus disease as Nigeria raises the alarm

Marburg disease, caused by a virus related to Ebola, is rare but severe, and often fatal. But what is Marburg and how does it spread?

PIUS UTOMI EKPEI / AFP

FACTSHEET: What the numbers say about the fortunes of Nigeria’s women

Recently, bills to amend Nigeria’s constitution and improve the participation of women in society were rejected by legislators. We look at w...

PIUS UTOMI EKPEI / AFP

Oil

gas

industry

FACTSHEET: Five questions about Nigeria’s ‘secretive’ oil and gas industry

Nigeria is a major oil producer, and wants the real owners of assets in the crucial industry to be known. Why does this matter?

FACTSHEET: Abortions in Africa

This factsheet looks at estimates of the number of abortions in the region and explains the broad categories of abortion laws.

Women’s Month Quiz

As we celebrate the strength and beauty of our women, we also have to address the uncomfortable truth - that violence against women in South...

Youth Month Quiz

Challenge yourself with our youth month quiz to see how much you know about young people in South Africa.

Africa Month Quiz

It’s Africa Month! Take our quiz to see how much you know about your Africa.

Info Finder

Featured Spot Checks

Recycled mental health stats said to be from World Health Organization continue to circulate in Nigerian media

Yes, roughly 11 babies born in Kenya every four minutes. Much-shared but phantom ‘CIA’ claim gets there in the end

No, you still have the right to defend yourself from home invaders – viral video misunderstands proposed South African trespassing bill

No publicly available data supports claim that 80% of women who give birth at South African hospital are undocumented Zimbabweans

Yes, Kenya’s Roots Party deputy presidential candidate has a case for the medical use of marijuana

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Recycled mental health stats said to be from World Health Organization continue to circulate in Nigerian media

No, quokkas don’t throw babies at predators, but won’t win ‘Best Mom’ award

Another #DurbanStorm hoax: Image of car sideways in sinkhole from Ukraine

No, elephants don’t think people are ‘cute’ – in the wild they see us as a threat

No, cassava doesn’t cure cancer – and could make it worse

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No, South Africa’s late Zulu king Zwelithini didn’t get a R71.3 million salary

Still no evidence for #15MillionIllegalMigrants in South Africa

How do Nigeria and Saudi Arabia compare for poverty and unemployment?

South Africa’s economy contracts by 51% in the second quarter of 2020? Not so fast

Disregard viral red circle eye test on WhatsApp, visit an eye doctor

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Podcasts

Did WHO-recommended ratio of doctors to patients, as former Nigerian senator claimed?

Does Nigeria rank number one in open defecation worldwide? (Radio One 103.5 FM Lagos)

Claims about education in Nigeria checked (Radio One 103.5 FM Lagos)

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Promise Tracker

They campaigned and promised to change your life for the better. You voted for them. But have they kept their word? We have picked out 10 key promises made by governments in Nigeria, South Africa and Kenya and are tracking progress on them.

ANC Tracker
APC Tracker
Jubilee Party Tracker

ANC Tracker

The African National Congress (ANC) has been in power since 1994. In 2019, it faced South African voters for the sixth time. But what is the status of promises it has made to voters in the last 10 years?

APC Tracker

Nigeria’s All Progressives Congress was re-elected in 2019. As it made its case to voters, how did it perform on some of the main promises it made ahead of its 2015 win? EDITOR'S NOTE: These pledges are collated from the party’s manifesto and its covenant with Nigerians. The latter document was subject to much debate after the party sought to disavow it. The APC did walk back promises for its first 100 days in office. Other publications have collated more promises. Also, the president’s first term in office ended officially on 29 May 2019 when he had spent four years in office.

Jubilee Party Tracker

Kenya’s Jubilee Party has been in office since 2013, and last year won re-election. But has it delivered on the promises it made ahead of those two elections? We tracked key ones.

Try Our Promise Tracker

Our media literacy work

Videos
Blog

UNDEF-funded project teaches tricks of the fact-checking trade

Harnessing the power of radio in Africa to fight Covid-19 misinformation

Three lessons from fighting Covid-19 vaccine misinformation on community radio stations in Kenya

Know the Facts Get the Vax – helping people make better choices about Covid and vaccines

Africa Check launches Fact Ambassador programme

Find out about our media literacy work

Podcasts

The New LO: How To Handle The Internet (Part 4)

The New LO: How To Handle The Internet (Part 3)

The New LO: How To Handle The Internet (Part 2)

How to verify information on WhatsApp?

5 steps to fight misinformation

Fact-checks by other African fact-checkers

These are selected fact-checks by members of the Africa Facts network of fact-checkers and other reputable organisations who are fighting the spread of false information across the continent.

Please note: While we do curate these third party fact-checking articles, Africa Check is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Africa Check sorts fact from fiction

FACTSHEET: What you need to know about Nigeria’s pivotal 2023 general elections

No, activated charcoal won’t counteract date rape drugs – seek medical attention

#NigeriaDecides2023: Ruling APC party chiefs fall flat with TV claims about the economy

A cover girl? Not so fast. How a fact-checker almost got scammed and how you can avoid a similar fate

Kenya election information hub

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Featured Spot Checks

Podcasts

Did WHO-recommended ratio of doctors to patients, as former Nigerian senator claimed?

Does Nigeria rank number one in open defecation worldwide? (Radio One 103.5 FM Lagos)

Claims about education in Nigeria checked (Radio One 103.5 FM Lagos)

We need your help to fight misinformation

Promise Tracker

ANC Tracker

ANC Tracker

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APC Tracker

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Jubilee Party Tracker

Our media literacy work

Podcasts

The New LO: How To Handle The Internet (Part 4)

The New LO: How To Handle The Internet (Part 3)

The New LO: How To Handle The Internet (Part 2)

How to verify information on WhatsApp?

Fact-checks by other African fact-checkers

Nigerian law will prohibit all foreigners appearing in adverts, not specifically white models

023: Partisan politics and online hate speech among journalists

Viral video falsely depicts Queen Elizabeth throwing foods at ‘African children’

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