Africa Check

05/08/2026

🏦 What happens if your microfinance bank loses its licence?

The Central Bank of Nigeria has revoked the licences of 46 microfinance banks, leaving many customers wondering what happens to their savings.

Our latest explainer breaks down:
✅ What the closures mean for customers
✅ How deposit insurance works
✅ What affected depositors should do
✅ How to check if a microfinance bank is licensed before you use it
✅ The red flags to look out for

Read the explainer here:

The CBN recently shut 46 microfinance banks. We explain what affected depositors should do.

04/08/2026

On last week's Feite Eerste, Africa Check researcher Keegan Leech unpacked some of the biggest misinformation stories making the rounds, including:

✅ Fake IEC recruitment posts using dodgy Facebook links
✅ False claims that Europe has banned South Africans because of xenophobic violence
✅ A misleading video claiming a white South African business owner is leaving the country because he "can't work with South Africans"

🎙️ Catch Feite Eerste with Africa Check every Monday at 4pm on Radio Eersteriver, or listen online and stay one step ahead of misinformation.

03/08/2026

The returns to Nairobi on 21-22 October 2026.

Join fact-checkers, journalists, researchers, policymakers, technologists and civil society leaders from across Africa for two days of discussions, practical workshops and collaboration on the future of information integrity.

This year's programme explores:
🤖 AI and information integrity
🗳️ Elections and democratic resilience
📱 Disinformation networks and platform accountability
🌍 Foreign influence operations
🧠 Media literacy and public trust
🤝 Building a more sustainable information integrity community

Previous summits have welcomed more than 800 participants from over 30 countries. We'd love to see you in Nairobi this October.

https://africacheck.info/nairobi_summit

🎟️ Register now (tickets available until 30 September): https://qkt.io/hzo7Ro

01/08/2026

⚠️ Some false claims do real harm.

Before sharing information about:
💰 Social grants
💼 Jobs
🎓 Bursaries
🏠 Government benefits
..take a moment to verify it.

False information about these topics can raise false hope, waste people's time and money, and make it harder to find reliable information.

Our latest fact-check investigated a viral graphic claiming Sassa had announced major grant increases for 2027. It hadn't.

READ MORE: https://africacheck.info/social_grants_increase

31/07/2026

🗳️ Who runs your municipality, and what can they actually do?

South Africa will hold local government elections on 4 November 2026, with the final in-person voter registration weekend on 1 and 2 August.

But before you vote, it helps to know what is really at stake.

Our latest explainer unpacks:
✅ How local elections work
✅ Why coalitions matter
✅ What municipalities can and can't control
✅ How councils affect daily life

From water and refuse collection to potholes, streetlights and local budgets, municipal decisions affect you every day. Understanding who is responsible for what can also help you spot campaign promises that local councils have no power to deliver.

https://africacheck.info/LGE_municipality

Ahead of the final in-person voter registration weekend, we explain how local elections work and why your vote matters.

30/07/2026

Viral posts falsely claim Europe has banned travel from South Africa over anti-migrant action. The clip of President Ramaphosa being shared is from 2021 and taken out of context.

Follow our live report on migration-related disinformation for verified updates, fact-checks and the claims you need to know about. https://africacheck.info/migration_disinfo_live_report

30/07/2026

One quick fact can stop a false claim from spreading.

Get short, shareable debunks and scam alerts on WhatsApp — made to be forwarded.

📲 Join our WhatsApp channel: https://africacheck.info/ac_whatsapp_channel

30/07/2026

🚰 No water. 💡 Broken streetlights. 🚧 Potholes. 🗑️ Uncollected rubbish.

These are everyday frustrations for many South Africans – and they're largely the responsibility of local municipalities.

That's why your vote in the 2026 local government elections matters.

Ahead of the final in-person voter registration weekend on 1 and 2 August, our latest explainer breaks down what municipalities are responsible for, what they can and can't do and why understanding all this can help you make a more informed choice at the ballot box.

Read more: https://africacheck.info/LGE_municipality

Ahead of the final in-person voter registration weekend, we explain how local elections work and why your vote matters.

28/07/2026

Three common narratives. What does the evidence actually show?

Last week on Feite Eerste with Africa Check, Cayley Clifford unpacked three of the most common claims shaping South Africa's migration debate and compared them with the available evidence.

📊 Are there really tens of millions of undocumented migrants in South Africa?
💼 Are migrants "taking" jobs from South Africans?
⚖️ Do migrants drive crime and place the biggest burden on public services?

🎙️ Catch Feite Eerste with Africa Check every Monday at 4pm on Radio Eersteriver or listen online and stay one step ahead of misinformation.

26/07/2026

📽️ AI can make people appear to say things they never said.

A viral video claims to show a white South African business owner saying South Africans are "drunk", don't want to work, and that he's moving his company to Zimbabwe.

❌ False. The video's audio was altered using AI.

The original footage tells a very different story. It shows the man arguing with someone about hiring practices, but he never says he's leaving South Africa or refuses to work with South Africans.

Follow our live report on migration-related disinformation for verified updates, fact-checks and the claims you need to know about.

False information about migration is spreading rapidly in South Africa, inflaming tensions and even putting lives at risk.