World May 09, 2026 · 1 min read

‘Watching us is like watching a cousin’: the online creators reshaping Africa’s news ecosphere

Africa is leading a change in news consumption habits – and transforming the lives of current affairs enthusiastsLast year Amahle-Imvelo Jaxa posted a TikTok video about South African peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. She explained an argument that had erupted between the South...

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The Guardian
by Rachel Savage in Johannesburg, Carlos Mureithi in Nairobi and Eromo Egbejule in Abidjan
‘Watching us is like watching a cousin’: the online creators reshaping Africa’s news ecosphere

Africa is leading a change in news consumption habits – and transforming the lives of current affairs enthusiasts

Last year Amahle-Imvelo Jaxa posted a TikTok video about South African peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. She explained an argument that had erupted between the South African and Rwandan presidents, then listed roles different South African groups would play in a war with Rwanda: the Sotho strategists, the Xhosa negotiators, the Afrikaner muscle. The video went viral and she racked up 100,000 followers in three days.

This breakout video enabled Jaxa to pivot from being a marketing and restaurant entrepreneur to a “professional yapper and current affairs enthusiast”, part of a group of content creators explaining the news to young South Africans who, like many of their global peers, are eschewing traditional news in favour of social media.

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This article was originally published by The Guardian and written by Rachel Savage in Johannesburg, Carlos Mureithi in Nairobi and Eromo Egbejule in Abidjan.

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