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The Africa Facts Summit returns to Johannesburg on 21–22 October 2026, bringing together fact-checkers, journalists, researchers, technologists, policymakers and civil society leaders from across the continent.

At a time when AI-generated content, disinformation campaigns, digital scams and declining trust are reshaping Africa’s information landscape, the summit offers a vital space for collaboration, innovation and practical solutions.

With participants from more than 30 countries expected, this fifth edition will explore the future of information integrity, democratic resilience and public trust.

Early registration is now open, with tickets available until 30 September 2026.

From crime and scams to health and AI, we’ve fact-checked it all. Which topics sparked the most buzz – and how do they stack up globally? Discover the trends in our monthly tracker.

In April, we fact-checked 100 claims doing the rounds on social media. From claims about the selling of Cape Town and the health benefits of avocado to “police trainee” jobs, three topics topped the debunk charts in South Africa.

These were government and politics, health and scams.

On our WhatsApp line, claims on crime and justice accounted for 58% of all messages sent to us on WhatsApp. These messages include the often-debunked claim that the Dew brand of bottled water is poisonous and the false warning that strangers asking for help using a smartphone may actually be scammers conducting “AI biometric identity fraud”.

Claims on economy and health followed second and third for the month.

But how does this relate to global trends?

Leading global market research firm, Ipsos, collects data trends of what worries the world for several countries, including South Africa. 

Once again, the firm found that unemployment and crime and violence continue to top the charts of what South Africans worry about the most.

Ipsos’s category of crime and violence, standing at 54% for April, continues to mirror claims sent to us by subscribers, in the form of false warnings.

A weekly guide to spotting, understanding and stopping viral misinformation.

A widely shared graphic on South African social media claims that 99.5% of migrants targeted during recent anti-migrant demonstrations in Durban are legally in the country and allowed to live and work there, and attributes the statement to Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi.

But there is no evidence that Motsoaledi made this claim, and the statistic is being taken out of context.

Why this is misleading

First, misattribution: The Department of Health confirmed the post is fake, stating the quote was “fabricated and falsely attributed” to the minister. Motsoaledi did not make this statement.

Second, missing context: The “99.5%” figure appears to come from a single verification exercise involving around 460 foreign nationals in Durban.

In that specific group, only two people were found without valid documentation, producing the 99.5% figure. However, this applies only to that one group on one day, not to all migrants in Durban or South Africa.

Why context matters

Removing the context of the verification operation turns a limited snapshot into a general claim about an entire population. That is misleading because the group tested is not representative of all migrants in Durban, the phrase “targeted migrants” is vague and undefined, and no broader data exists to support city-wide or national conclusions.

What the data actually shows

While the operation does suggest high compliance within that specific group, experts caution that there is no reliable way to generalise this to all migrants in Durban or South Africa.

Estimates of undocumented migration are inherently difficult to verify, and official statistics often do not capture legal status accurately. 

A roundup of some of the most popular but completely untrue stories and visuals of the week. None of these are legit, despite being widely shared. 

FALSE: Online claims that Samia Suluhu Hassan has ordered South Africans to leave Tanzania and closed borders with South Africa are false. Tanzanian officials have dismissed the claim as intended to damage relations between the two countries.

FALSE: A notice circulating on social media claims that the Asian country of Cambodia has ordered all African nationals to leave the country or face arrest and a hefty fine. However, the notice is fabricated.

FALSE: A viral Facebook video claims the European Union demanded Tanzanian president Samia Suluhu Hassan be removed. But while the German lawmaker David McAllister criticised Tanzania’s human rights record, he did not call for Hassan’s removal. 

SCAM: According to posts doing the rounds in South Africa, social media users can find out the “5 amazing benefits” of okra water in exchange for “a simple hello”. But these claims are scams using engagement bait to drive traffic to their website and offer no trustworthy health advice.

Kenya 🇰🇪

FALSE: Online posts falsely claim a photo shows Ebola patients from the US being welcomed to Kenya. But the image is from a 2018 photo, with no reports of any Ebola cases or arrivals in Kenya in 2026, at time of publication. 

FALSE: Viral posts using a photo that they claim shows university students marching to the capital city to protest fuel prices in April 2026 are misleading. The image is old and actually shows commuters walking during a matatu strike in 2018.

FAKE: A letter has gone viral on social media in Kenya, claiming the ride-hailing company Bolt will stop operating in the country on 8 June 2026. But Bolt has denied this and says its Kenyan operations remain fully active.

Nigeria 🇳🇬

FALSE: Social media posts falsely claim photos of scarred children show the students abducted in Oyo state, Nigeria, in May 2026. But the photos have been online since 2020 and are unrelated to the incident.  

FALSE: Viral Facebook posts claiming Peter Obi has won the Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential ticket with 45 million votes are false. The party's primaries are yet to be held, and so no results have been announced.

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Your weekly dose of facts in newsletter form is created by Laura Kapelari (@laurakapelari). It is edited by Lee Mwiti (@LMAfrican) and Cayley Clifford (@cayleyclifford).