South Africa: No, You Do Not Need to Take 'Three Half Minute Pauses' to Avoid 'Sudden Unexpected Death' When Waking Up During the Night

IN SHORT: Social media posts warn users to avoid "unexpected death at night" by adhering to a "three half minute pauses" rule, but this strange advice is simply not true. Read more »

Nigeria: No, Bola Tinubu Has Not Suspended Courts in Nigeria Over Fear of Disqualification As President

IN SHORT: Facebook posts claim that Nigerian president Bola Tinubu has suspended all courts in the country over fear of disqualification. But there are no news reports of this in… Read more »

Africa: Do Not Throw Flour On a Fire. Flour Is a Fuel Which Can Itself Catch Alight

IN SHORT: While some substances dropped on a fire can smother the flames, flour should not be used for this purpose. Flour can fuel a fire. Read more »

Africa: No, Lemon Peel Is Not 10,000 Times Stronger Than Chemo and Can't Kill Cancer Cells, Among Other Things

IN SHORT: Facebook posts claim that lemon peel has a range of benefits, from curing cancer to regulating blood pressure. But there is no evidence to support these claims. Read more »

South Africa: Kenya Vs South Africa? Fact-Checking Claims About the Two Countries' Contrasting Economic Paths

South African publication the Daily Maverick recently published a glowing opinion piece on Kenya's growth trajectory, often contrasting it with South Africa's. The author made… Read more »

Kenya: No, Photo Doesn't Show Opposition Leader Raila Odinga Representing Kenya in the UK As Peace Talks Continue

IN SHORT: Raila Odinga was in the UK for a week in August 2023 for business and personal reasons. However, a photograph purporting to show him in a bilateral meeting was taken in… Read more »

Kenya: Beware of Fake Nairobi Governor Account Trying to Scam Kenyans By Pretending to Offer Loans

IN SHORT: A Facebook account impersonating Johnson Sakaja regularly posts loan offers. But it's a scam that tries to trick unsuspecting applicants into first paying a "security… Read more »

Kenya: No, Lang'ata MP Jalang'o Did Not Invite Facebook Users to Apply for a Job At His Home, Ignore Ad On Page With Huge Following

IN SHORT: A Facebook page inviting users to apply for a househelp job at Lang'ata MP's home is fake. Read more »

South Africa: #NationalConvention2024 - Fact-Checking Opposition Claims About Crime, Jobs and Voting in South Africa

As formations to unseat the ruling party ahead of the 2024 general elections begin to take shape, claims are being made about what the opposition says is the poor state of the… Read more »

Nigeria: Nigeria's Drug Agency Denies Appointing Singer Naira Marley As Ambassador

IN SHORT: Singer and songwriter Azeez Fashola, popularly known as Naira Marley, only visited the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency's offices. The agency has denied claims that… Read more »

South Africa: Is Poverty On the Decline in South Africa? We Fact-Checked Cyril Ramaphosa's ANC Claims

A number of sceptical readers asked us to take a closer look at pronouncements made by the president at the ANC's review of its manifesto. As we found, nuance also matters. Read more »

Nigeria: No, Pic Purporting to Show a Meeting Between Peter Obi and Seyi Tinubu Is Fake

IN SHORT: An image supposedly showing the meeting of Nigerian opposition leader Peter Obi and the president's son Seyi Tinubu has gone viral. But the photo is a manipulated photo… Read more »

West Africa: Niger Soldiers Remind Nigeria They're 'Not Playing'? No, Video of Independence Day Parade in Senegal

IN SHORT: A video has gone viral with the claim it shows the fearsome soldiers of Niger. But it was first posted online four months before the July 2023 coup in Niger and shows a… Read more »

Kenya: Former Kenyan Governor Mike Sonko Not Giving Out Cash On Facebook, Ignore Imposter Page

IN SHORT: Former Nairobi county governor Mike Sonko is known for both his flamboyance and generosity. But this Facebook page offering money in his name is on a scamming spree. Read more »

Kenya: Kenyans Beware! Facebook Account 'Icon Mentor Ctzn' Is Out to Scam You

IN SHORT: This Facebook account is offering cash to users from different Facebook groups who participate in its so-called promotions. But be warned, the account is run by a… Read more »

Kenya: No, Kenyan Actor Yasmeen Saiedi Not Running a Ksh35,000 Promotion On Facebook, Disregard Imposter Page

IN SHORT: This Facebook page promises cash giveaways in the name of Kenyan actor Yasmeen Saiedi. But it is another imposter account trying to scam fans. Read more »

Kenya: Beware of Facebook Account Impersonating Kenyan Actor Lucy Maina and Running Promotions

IN SHORT: Becky is a new Kenyan TV drama series that premiered in July 2023 on Citizen TV. But scammers have already started cashing in, using the main character's name and the… Read more »

Kenya: Kenyans, Beware of Facebook Pages Impersonating Citizen TV News Anchor Mashirima Kapombe and Trying to Scam You

IN SHORT: Scammers on social media often ride on the name of prominent personalities to defraud unsuspecting people. These two Facebook pages using Kenyan TV news anchor Mashirima… Read more »

Nigeria: No, 'Trust Gain Program Platform' Won't Double Your Money in an Hour. Nigerians, Beware of Scam On Facebook

IN SHORT: The so-called Trust Gain Program Platform is another investment scam discovered by Africa Check on Facebook. Several posts claim the platform is registered with the… Read more »

Nigeria: Dangote Refinery Says Reports of Exclusion of Locals Are Malicious

IN SHORT: Nigeria's first privately owned refinery was commissioned in May 2023, but the company denies claims that skilled locals were excluded. Read more »

Nigeria: No Evidence 2023 Presidential Election Runner-Up Obi Said He Could Fix Nigeria in a Month

IN SHORT: Nigeria's rising cost of living has sparked debate about the president's ability to deliver on his promises. But there's no evidence to support a claim that his rival… Read more »

Africa: Viral 'Quote' From World Trade Organization Chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala Fabricated

IN SHORT: A quote attributed to the head of the World Trade Organization about her meeting with Nigeria's president Bola Tinubu is circulating on Facebook. But the quote is… Read more »

Zimbabwe: Zim 2023 Election Watch - No Evidence for Claim That Election Commission Released a List of Ruling Party Candidates Nominated Late

IN SHORT: Social media posts claim that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) released a slate of 56 Zanu-PF candidates who submitted their nominations late. There is little… Read more »

Nigeria: Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu Calls for Rival Peter Obi to Be Disqualified in a Possible Election Rerun? No, Ignore Fabricated Quote

IN SHORT: Nigeria's presidential election petition tribunal has finished hearing the opposition's case against the electoral body. However, a Facebook post makes an unsubstantiated… Read more »

South Africa: Factsheet - Total Grid Collapse? Billions in Losses? We Answer 10 Questions About Load Shedding

Power outages affect livelihoods, the economy and have even claimed lives. Is South Africa approaching a grid failure? We unpack what that would look like and what the government… Read more »