The signing of the Expropriation Bill sparked widespread debate across online platforms, eliciting a range of reactions, reports the Centre for Analytics and Behavioural Change (CABC). While some applaud it as a progressive move toward much-needed reform, others express concern, drawing parallels to Zimbabwe's controversial land reform policies and viewing it as a potential threat to farmers.
Over 450,000 mentions about the Expropriation Bill were made on X between 23 January and 10 February 2025.
Misinformation is also being used to drive divisive narratives around the topic. To combat the misinformation that has been spreading, the CABC studied the discourse surrounding expropriation on X (formerly Twitter) in its report, Online Conversation about the Expropriation Act. According to the report, two types of authors are involved in the conversation on X, those who publish large amounts of content and those who post less content but receive more engagement.
In January 2025, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the controversial land expropriation bill into law. The law, which replaces the pre-democratic Expropriation Act of 1975, allows the government to seize land in the name of "public interest." Per Section 25 of the Constitution, the public interest encompasses not only public services such as transit and hospitals but also "national commitments to land reform and equitable access to South Africa's natural resources."
As a result of confusion surrounding the Expropriation Bill, misinformation and disinformation have reinforced racial tensions and inflamed fear over current land ownership.
The bill drew significant international attention, particularly after US President Donald Trump referenced it in his criticism of the country's land reform policies. Trump said it enabled the government to unfairly confiscate property, alleging that certain groups, specifically white Afrikaners, were being "badly treated unjustly". In response, he issued an executive order to stop financial aid to South Africa, accusing the government of violating the rights of its white citizens and allowing violent attacks on Afrikaner farmers. Trump's order also included provisions to offer refugee status to South African farmers, citing concerns over land seizures without compensation.
CABC reports that accounts of those opposing the bill were compared to Zimbabwe's land reform policies, while others accused Ramaphosa and the government of targeting white farmers. However, the government dismissed these claims, denying any systematic targeting of white farmers and clarifying that the Expropriation Act does not endorse unfair land confiscations.
There was a variation in the top 10 most retweeted posts in the conversation, the researchers found. President Cyril Ramaphosa's post dispelling misinformation about land "confiscation" was retweeted more than 13,000 times.
Many of the authors who contributed the most amplified and reposted content expressed either confusion about how expropriation will be implemented; or an anti-expropriation stance.
According to the CABC, their analytics tool detected over 3,000 TikTok mentions related to the Expropriation Bill, revealing a conversation that appears less influenced by disinformation and antagonistic narratives compared to discussions on X (formerly Twitter). The most engaged posts primarily stemmed from media coverage, with notable contributions from outlets like CGTN and Al Jazeera, as well as organizational accounts such as the Orania Movement and The Gareth Cliff Show.
Despite this, the discourse on TikTok remained polarized, with key terms like ANC, Trump, Orania, Minerals, and President Ramaphosa dominating the conversation.
Global interest
According to the CABC's analytics tool, a significant portion of mentions about expropriation from 20 January to 5 February originated from accounts in the Global North. Of the 141,000 mentions geolocated, 60,339 were from South Africa, 40,226 were from the USA, and 8,255 were from the United Kingdom.
The spread of disinformation and fearmongering surrounding expropriation has a long-standing history. Members of the AfriForum amplified these concerns internationally through their #TheWorldMustKnow campaign. The groups' representatives traveled across the Global North, including the United States, Hungary, and the Netherlands, speaking at conservative conferences and engaging with organizations to "drum up" issues related to alleged land seizures and farm attacks.
Several international influencers and organizations used the X platform to report racist disinformation narratives within the South African context. Some of these accounts, such as 'iamyesyouareno,' supported the notion that apartheid was 'better' for South Africa, while 'tatethetalisman', brother of manosphere influencer Andrew Tate, further stoked the flames of "white genocide" and "ethnic persecution" within the country.
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In addition, noted Malaysian far-right influencer Ian Miles Cheong commented on the state of the country, claiming that there's "mass famine" and "ethnic cleansing" are a result of the government's repressive policies.
Claims of "white genocide" and predictions of South Africa descending into violent chaos circulated for some time and are not new. In a previous report, the CABC debunked this misinformation, which had gained traction with support from figures like Elon Musk. The report aimed to clarify and counter the false narrative surrounding these claims.
Dis- and misinformation about "white genocide" and "violent chaos" in South Africa is not new. In 2024, the CABC released a report dispelling the claims of "white genocide".
