THE return of US President Donald Trump to office has triggered a surge in disinformation across Africa, with false claims circulating widely in South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya. According to AFP, researchers warn this trend marks a radical shift in how information is spread and consumed on the continent.
South Africa: land seizure and ‘white genocide’ myths
In South Africa, President Trump has reignited long-debunked conspiracy theories. In February, he falsely claimed that South Africa’s government was confiscating land from white farmers without compensation. ‘South Africa is confiscating land and treating certain classes of people VERY BADLY,’ Trump posted on social media.
However, officials and analysts clarified that no such land seizures have occurred. South Africa’s new legislation requires fair compensation for any expropriated land. Despite this, Trump’s comments revived the inflammatory ‘white genocide’ narrative.
Viral posts falsely claimed 60 white farmers were killed daily, and more than 4,000 had been murdered in six years. AFP fact-checking revealed that, in reality, around 50 people of all races die on farms each year. Police data showed that most of South Africa’s 19,000-plus murder victims between January and September 2024 were young Black men living in urban areas.
‘Trump is feeding into existing stereotypes,’ said Trust Matsilele, senior journalism lecturer at Birmingham City University. ‘People don’t necessarily care about the truth as long as it aligns with their political interests.’
Nigeria: AI-generated propaganda spreads
In Nigeria, Trump’s second term has emboldened separatist groups and critics of the government. Supporters of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) have leveraged artificial intelligence to create misleading content. One AI-generated video falsely showed Trump endorsing the IPOB movement. Another fabricated clip featured Finnish President Alexander Stubb supposedly backing the cause.
Lanre Olagunju, editor at CheckClimate.Africa, said that Trump’s influence ‘seeps into political discourse, emboldening leaders who use disinformation as a tool of control.’
Government critics have also exaggerated Nigeria’s HIV/AIDS rates and spread false claims about deported politicians and asset seizures linked to Trump’s new immigration policies.
‘Trump’s strategic use of social media institutionalised disinformation as a political weapon,’ Olagunju said.
Kenya: misinformation targets media and politics
Kenya has not been spared. Trump’s re-election has fuelled a spike in online disinformation targeting the country’s political landscape. One doctored TikTok video falsely claimed former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua attended Trump’s January 2025 inauguration. Gachagua was impeached last year and remains a rival to Kenyan President William Ruto.
Other false claims suggested Kenya had exited the World Health Organisation after Trump’s decision to leave the UN health agency. AFP verified that these claims recycled old footage tied to a known health disinformation figure.
Odanga Madung, a technology and society researcher, said that Trump’s return had emboldened far-right conspiracy theories. He pointed to Trump’s hostility toward fact-checkers and funding cuts to programmes like USAID, which have ‘fundamentally altered people’s capacity to filter misinformation.’
Nyakerario Omari, a disinformation specialist at Code for Africa, added that Kenya’s media landscape faces increased challenges. ‘Online attacks on media houses will likely intensify as we approach the 2027 elections,’ she said.
A radical shift in information sharing
Political analyst Gideon Chitanga warned that disinformation is reshaping how people communicate and process information in Africa. ‘We need new ways of filtering the disinformation,’ Chitanga said, as the continent grapples with rising misinformation threats.
