South Africa is preparing for pivotal national elections in May 2024, 30 years since it became a constitutional democracy. In what is predicted to be a major reshaping of the political landscape, a record number of political parties are expected to contest.
As these parties formulate their strategies to convince voters that they can create jobs, deliver services and infrastructure, and govern effectively, South Africans across the country will have to deal with an influx of information, some of it accurate and some of it not.
To help cut through the noise, we’ve put all our election resources in one place. Check out our fact-checking reports, analyses, factsheets and more.
Fact-checking reports
Promises kept and broken in the African National Congress’ election manifestos: 2019 vs 2024
South Africa’s ruling party made several commitments in its 2019 manifesto. How many were kept & how many made it back to the 2024 version?
#ManifestoCheck: Verifying 9 claims from the Democratic Alliance’s ‘Rescue Plan for South Africa’
Did the Democratic Alliance get its facts right when it outlined how it would tackle several problem areas if it were voted into power?
Fact-checking EFF party leader Julius Malema's manifesto launch speech: 'Nothing has changed since 1994'
As the Economic Freedom Fighters unveiled its 2024 election manifesto, Malema was keen to highlight the failures of the current government.
Blogs
COMMENT: How South Africa’s top brass continue to inflate government housing figures and why it matters
Government officials maintain that over 4 million houses have been provided to the poor. We explain why this claim is misleading.
PRESS RELEASE: Africa Check, South African media and Google create election fact-checking coalition
The broad-based coalition aims to help voters critically engage with information and make informed decisions in the voting booth.
Meta programme fact-checks
Factsheets
FACTSHEET: Total grid collapse? Billions in losses? We answer 10 questions about load shedding in South Africa
Is South Africa approaching grid failure? We unpack what that would look like and what the government is doing to tackle the energy crisis.
LOCAL ELECTION FACTSHEET: Housing in South Africa
Ahead of the local government elections, our factsheet answers voters’ questions about housing.
LOCAL ELECTION FACTSHEET: Sanitation in South Africa
We answer these and other sanitation questions in the run-up to the 2021 municipal elections.
Useful resources
GUIDE: How to verify a voice note from your phone
Voice messages have many advantages – they are expressive and convenient, for example. But they are also a large channel for the dissemination of false information.
GUIDE: Five steps to fight fake news and false information on WhatsApp
Always ask yourself (and other users) these five questions before you forward a WhatsApp message. Be aware before you share!
GUIDE: How to tell if a news article is reliable
If it’s a big and important issue, be cautious about what you share or see shared on social media.
GUIDE: How to verify images on your smartphone
With rising awareness of “fake news”, people are more cautious of reflexively hitting share. But how can you quickly verify whether what you’re seeing is true, especially when you’re on your mobile phone?
Help others sort fact from fiction with these graphics & videos
5 steps to fight misinformation on WhatsApp
Use this tipsheet for advice on how to verify information you receive on WhatsApp.
Evaluating election manifestos
Use this video for steps to evaluate claims made in election manifestos.
Do you know the difference between a fact and an opinion?
We break down how to tell facts from opinions, and how this matters when it comes to fact-checking.
WhatsApp misinformation
Help break the cycle of misinformation by asking these 5 questions before forwarding anything on WhatsApp.
How to deal with family members who share misinformation
Sometimes friends and family inadvertently help spread mis- and disinformation. But how do you get them to stop? We have some tips.
In the media...
Unpacking Rise Mzansi's 2024 election manifesto (Newzroom Afrika)
Researcher Keegan Leech speaks to Newzroom Afrika's Mpho Sithole about claims made in Rise Mzansi's election manifesto.
Misinformation & fact-checking ahead of elections (eNuus)
Africa Check's head of training, Carina van Wyk, was interviewed by eNuus on misinformation and our fact-checking work in the lead-up to the elections in South Africa.
Promises made in the 2023 State of the Nation Address (Radio 702)
Thabo Shole-Mashao speaks to Cayley Clifford, Deputy Chief Editor at Africa Check, about Cyril Ramaphosa's 2023 State of the Nation Address and whether any of the promises he made were kept.
Combating election disinformation (SABC)
Africa Check and various South African media organisations, including SABC and Google, have joined forces to create an innovative election fact-checking collaboration to combat misinformation.
A look at how media is affecting voters in SA (SABC)
Concern over online interference during the elections is now an international concern. In this discussion, panelists look at how media can affect South African voters.
Coalition to fight misinformation (Newzroom Afrika)
Africa Check, South African media and Google are creating an election fact-checking coalition. The collaboration is aimed at helping voters make informed decisions in the voting booth and curbing election misinformation. Researcher Keegan Leech has more.
A Coalition working to combat misinformation ahead of SA elections (Radio 702)
John Perlman chats to Keegan Leech, Africa Check researcher, about an initiative to combat misinformation ahead of the South African Elections.
Spotting misinformation online (Die GROOT Ontbyt)
With national elections around the corner, Africa Check researcher Keegan Leech sits down with Die GROOT Ontbyt to discuss how the public can spot misinformation online.
A look back at Cyril Ramaphosa's SONA promises (Newzroom Afrika)
Ahead of Ramaphosa’s 2024 address, we checked whether South Africa’s president has kept his word on infrastructure, development and education.
Role of the media in delivering factual information (eNCA)
Sorting fact from fiction when it comes to the information shared by political parties and politicans in the run-up to South Africa's elections.
Websites we love!
Statistics South Africa
Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) is the country's national statistics agency. It produces timely, accurate and accessible statistics on a range of important topics.
Parliamentary Monitoring Group
PMG provides accurate, objective, and current information on all parliamentary committee proceedings in the form of detailed, unofficial minutes, documents and sound recordings.
Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa
The Electoral Commission is an independent constitutional body. It manages free and fair elections of legislative bodies and institutions through the participation of citizens, political parties and civil society.
SANEF 2024 Elections Portal
The SANEF 2024 Elections Portal provides useful resources for journalists reporting on elections.
Get involved
Seen an election claim that needs debunking? Tag us on Twitter @AfricaCheck or send it to us on [email protected].