Africa: South Africa's #nationalshutdown - Beware Misleading Visuals Circulating On Social Media

The Economic Freedom Fighters party was on Monday 20 March protesting a slew of grievances. But not all was what it seemed to be. Read more »

South Africa: No, This Photo Doesn't Show a Crumbling Bridge Support in 2023 South Africa - It's From an Earthquake in Japan in 2004

IN SHORT: South Africans and Ugandans on social media were quick to claim a photo showing a damaged concrete pillar was down to vandalism. But this isn't true - the photo shows a… Read more »

South Africa: Debating the State of the Nation - South African MPs' Claims About Crime, Education, Service Delivery and More Scrutinised

Are only 4% of rapes reported in South Africa? Is 54% of water lost to leaks and poor infrastructure? We checked these and other claims made during the 2023 state of the nation… Read more »

Kenya: Video of High School Students Being Bullied Not From Kenya, but Zimbabwe

IN SHORT: A video and photos circulating on social media claims to show two high school boys being bullied by fellow students in Kenya. However, the incident took place in… Read more »

Africa: Don't Be Fooled - Ignore Facebook Page Advertising Policing, Firefighting and Nursing Training in South Africa

IN SHORT: South African job-seekers should steer away from Facebook posts offering opportunities in the correctional services. Read more »

South Africa: 2022 SONA Promises - South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa Zero for Two On State Utilities Eskom and Transnet

As president Cyril Ramaphosa prepares to deliver his state of the nation address for 2023, we look back at two promises made a year ago he and his government have not kept. Read more »

Zimbabwe: Road Riddled With Potholes in Harare, Zimbabwe? No, Photo From India

IN SHORT: Zimbabwe's road infrastructure may be crumbling, but a photo shared widely on social media of a road riddled with truly massive potholes is not from the southern African… Read more »

Nigeria: Danger! Bitter Kola Eye Drops Won't Cure Glaucoma, Myopia and Other Eye Problems - See Doctor Instead

IN SHORT: Our eyes are sensitive and easily damaged, which could lead to blindness. Don't put anything in your eyes that hasn't been approved by a qualified health professional. Read more »

South Africa: Controversial Anti-Women Social Media Influencer Andrew Tate Has Not Been Released From Detention in Romania

IN SHORT: The arrest of Andrew Tate in Romania on allegations of human trafficking made headlines in December 2022. Despite persistent social media rumours, he, his brother and two… Read more »

South Africa: No, Strange Claim That International Football Association Requested to Keep Late Brazilian Legend Pelé's Feet for 'Historical Reasons' Is Not True

IN SHORT: Pelé, the Brazilian footballer considered by many the greatest of all time, died on 29 December 2022 at the age of 82. But despite persistent rumours on social… Read more »

South Africa: No, Facebook Post Does Not Show Images of Over 80 Iranian Muslims Being Baptised

IN SHORT: Photos are circulating on Facebook in South Africa with the claim they show the Christian baptism of more than 80 Iranian Muslims, in Germany. But each photo is from a… Read more »

South Africa: No Evidence South African Provincial Minister Nomusa Dube Made Racial Remark in 2011 Statement About Deadly Kwazulu-Natal Lightning Strikes

IN SHORT: An old quote attributed to then-provincial minister, now premier of KwaZulu-Natal, Nomusa Dube-Ncube, has been circulating on social media in South Africa. While some of… Read more »

South Africa: No Evidence Limpopo Province-Born South African Politician Julius Malema Is Actually From Zimbabwe

IN SHORT: A photo of a group of young men keeps popping up on Facebook in South Africa, with the claim it shows opposition politician Julius Malema and that he is originally from… Read more »

South Africa: The Changing Face of Covid Misinformation in South Africa - 2020 to 2022 in Review

Fact-checkers aren't seeing anywhere near the volume of false information about Covid-19 as we did in the heyday of the pandemic. But as fears about the virus recede, other health… Read more »

South Africa: No, South Africa's Durban Harbour Isn't a 'Dumping Site' Full of Litter in December 2022 - Photos and Footage From 2019 Floods

IN SHORT: Many South Africans head to Durban for the summer holidays, but in December 2022 a number of alarming social media posts appeared to discourage this, showing the city's… Read more »

South Africa: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly - We Rate South African Government Websites

South Africans have the right to access government information, so it's important that agency and department websites work well. Africa Check's researchers review these sites -… Read more »

South Africa: No, People Eight People Arrested in South African Tender Fraud Case Aren't 'Democratic Alliance Officials'

IN SHORT: Two people who work for the Democratic Alliance-run Cape Town municipality were implicated in the fraud, but there is no evidence that they are "officials" in the… Read more »

South Africa: South Africans Took Wrong Covid Vaccine? No!

IN SHORT: A tweet claiming that South Africans were given the "wrong Covid vaccine" is incorrect. A batch of an unauthorised nasal spray to help treat Covid symptoms was ordered by… Read more »

Kenya: No, Photo of Crude Outdoor Classroom From Malawi - Not Constituency of Controversial New Kenyan MP

IN SHORT: A recently elected MP sparked outrage with his proposal that Kenya's two-term limit on a president's service be done away with. But a photo of students in a makeshift log… Read more »

South Africa: Jabbed Germans Banned From Buying Cars? No. Tired Old Covid Disinformation Gets Weirder

IN SHORT: Almost three years after the Covid pandemic began, conspiracy theorists are still trying to sell their ideas online. This time, it's not true that the 75% of Germans… Read more »

South Africa: No, South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa Has Not Resigned

IN SHORT: A scandal over stolen money at the private farm of South African president Cyril Ramaphosa has raised the spectre of his resignation. But he has not left office, as a… Read more »

South Africa: No Unusual Typhoid Fever 'Outbreak' in South Africa in November - or February - 2022

IN SHORT: A message going viral in November 2022 claims that high numbers of typhoid fever cases have been reported in eight of South Africa's nine provinces. But the message is an… Read more »

South Africa: No, Murder Suspect Dejywan Floyd Not the Younger Brother of Murder Victim George Floyd

IN SHORT: A false rumour about George Floyd, a black man murdered by a white police officer in the USA, has reached South Africa. As other fact-checkers have found, a man with the… Read more »

South Africa: No, Us Actor Sean Penn Didn't Film Fake Videos of the Invasion of Ukraine in March 2022 - No Proof Anyone Has

IN SHORT: We've seen plenty of outlandish claims about the war between Russia and Ukraine on social media. But one claiming actor Sean Penn was involved in faking the entire… Read more »

South Africa: Thousands of Migrants Have Jobs in Eskom, Vodacom and Govt? No, Viral Message Plain Wrong

Harmful rumours about migrants from other African countries get attention on social media in South Africa. One recent claim about the jobs they hold is wildly inflated. Read more »