Africa Check

📸 United for truth at #AfricaFactsSummit2025! From every corner of Africa, fact-checkers & info integrity experts came together — and for the first time ever, in a French-speaking country. 🇸🇳 A milestone of growth, resilience & collaboration in the fight against misinformation. 🌍

8/8 This wasn’t just a misleading poll. It shows signs of a coordinated effort to shape public opinion around a political candidate. africacheck.info/macky_sall_poll #FactCheck #Disinformation #AfricaCheck

1/8 A viral “poll” has named the former president of Senegal Macky Sall as the frontrunner to be @UN secretary-general. But the firm behind it? Untraceable. The author? A ghost. @AfricaCheck_Fr's investigation reveals signs of a coordinated influence campaign in favour of Sall’s candidacy. africacheck.info/macky_sall_poll

7/8 A common link? The outlet Afrique Media — repeatedly among the first to publish these polls and amplify them. africacheck.info/macky_sall_poll

6/8 This isn’t the first time “Holding Price Limited” has appeared. We found similar “polls” in: 🇨🇫 Central African Republic 🇨🇲 Cameroon 🇨🇬 Congo-Brazzaville Each time favouring the eventual winners. africacheck.info/macky_sall_poll

5/8 So how did this spread so widely? 📢 Coordinated amplification: • Identical posts across pro-Sall accounts • Rapid pickup by multiple websites • Republishing by media without verification africacheck.info/macky_sall_poll

4/8 The viral claim also claimed the @_AfricanUnion backs Sall’s candidacy. That’s false. In reality, enough AU member states – 20 – opposed it to block endorsement. africacheck.info/macky_sall_poll

3/8 It gets worse. The poll’s supposed author — a “professor of geopolitics” — also appears to be a ghost. No academic record. No publications. Nothing. africacheck.info/macky_sall_poll

2/8 The poll was attributed to a firm called “Holding Price Limited”. The problem: 🔍 We found no trace of this company anywhere, including in UK or US registries 🔍 No credible online presence africacheck.info/macky_sall_poll

With unemployment high in South Africa, scammers are taking advantage – often targeting young jobseekers online. These scams can lead to identity theft or financial loss. Know the red flags and protect yourself. Read our fact-check on a fake ad for ‘5,500 police trainees’ in South Africa for a closer look at how these scams work: africacheck.info/police_trainee…

📣 Call for Proposals: #AfricaFactsSummit 2026 Got ideas on AI, disinformation, elections or media literacy? 🗓 Deadline: 30 June 🔗 Submit: africacheck.info/summit_proposa… 📧 hlalani@africacheck.org

🇰🇪 A quote attributed to Kenyan president @WilliamsRuto, dismissing the Kisii community’s contribution in elections, has gone viral. However, the graphics with the quote have been fabricated, and there is no evidence Ruto said any such thing. africacheck.info/ruto_quote

🇳🇬 A video has gone viral in Nigeria, with the claim that it shows a billboard and buses inside an electoral commission office suggesting bias on the part of the commission. But the commission has said the video does not show its property. africacheck.info/nigeria_inecof…

🇿🇦 A video claiming that Cape Town is officially a province of the US, after South Africa’s @Our_DA party secured a loan from the “Bezos Foundation”, is circulating online. But this claim is false, and the audio shared as evidence has been fabricated. africacheck.info/da_capetown

🥬 Claims that cabbage juice should be used as a treatment for ulcers and gastritis are false. Studies on cabbage juice’s effects are outdated and experts advise following “highly effective” treatment from verified medical professionals. africacheck.info/cabbage_juice

🇰🇪 In defending rising fuel prices, President @WilliamsRuto argued Kenya should be compared to other “middle-income” economies and not its “least-developed” East African neighbours. Our fact-check looked at the data. africacheck.info/kenya_middle_i…

Kenya’s highest recorded fuel prices came in Oct 2023 – up to KSh225.64 (petrol) and KSh214.99 (diesel) in Mandera. National averages were also higher than today’s levels. africacheck.info/kenya_pump_pri…

Claim: “Even at the bullish oil market … in Kenya we are at unprecedented levels at the pump.” Verdict: Exaggerated africacheck.info/kenya_pump_pri…

⛽ What explains #Kenya’s consistently high fuel costs? We checked 4 claims from a TV clash between Kenyan lawmaker @NdindiNyoro and @EPRA_KE director Edward Kinyua. 🟢 1 mostly correct | 🟡 2 exaggerated | 🔴 1 incorrect Bottom line: Yes, global prices matter – but taxes, timing & policy also shape pump prices. africacheck.info/kenya_pump_pri…

Nyoro is right that current pump prices are high. But “unprecedented” doesn’t hold up. africacheck.info/kenya_pump_pri…

Revised pricing following a VAT cut put maximum prices in Nairobi at KSh197.60 for petrol and KSh196.63 for diesel. africacheck.info/kenya_pump_pri…

Claim: “Currently, the barrel of oil is $98 per barrel, but Kenyans are paying KSh206.” Verdict: Incorrect africacheck.info/kenya_pump_pri…