Africa Check

What is the current proportion of male and female school principals in South Africa?

There is no publicly available data on the gender breakdown of all school principals, but researchers have calculated estimates. A 2024 international survey found that in South Africa, 66% of ...
Africa Check

In how many countries has there been evidence of social media manipulation in disinformation campaigns?

In 2021, University of Oxford researchers published a report which found evidence of coordinated social media manipulation in 81 countries in 2020. This was an increase from 70 countries in 2019, 48 ...
Africa Check

Do white households have the highest income in South Africa?

According to StatsSA’s 2022/23 Income and Expenditure Survey, white-headed households had the highest average annual income of any racial group in South Africa. The nationally representative survey ...
Africa Check

From presidential farm robbery to impeachment enquiry: tracking Ramaphosa's Phala Phala scandal

What has become known as the Phala Phala scandal has followed South Africa’s president Cyril Ramaphosa through his second term in office, drawing in some of ...
Africa Check

FACTSHEET: What we know about hantavirus, and how to keep up with the facts

You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. We believe that everyone needs the facts. You can republish the text of this article free of charge, both online ...
Africa Check

How many child rapes occur in South Africa per day?

The South African Police Service records statistics on sexual offences against victims under the age of 18. In 2024/25, a ...
Africa Check

Fact-checking Helen Zille’s claims about Johannesburg’s water crisis

Veteran South African politician Zille clashed with radio host Anele Mdoda, making claims about water infrastructure in Johannesburg and Cape Town. We tested them for accuracy. Zille was correct about ...
Africa Check

Are 30,000 children really 'trafficked' in South Africa every year? The claim exaggerates the problem

30,000 children “trafficked” into the sex trade every year in South Africa; 30,000 children “currently” being prostituted in South Africa. Human trafficking is rife in South Africa, if recent press ...
Africa Check

Are SA whites really being killed 'like flies'? Why Steve Hofmeyr is wrong

Are white Afrikaners really being killed “like flies”? Is a white South African farmer being “slaughtered every five days?” Would the number of whites “killed in SA in black on white violence” fill ...
Africa Check

FACTSHEET: The housing situation in South Africa

The provision of housing in South Africa was described as one of the country’s biggest challenges in 1994. But what is the situation now? How many houses have been delivered? And how many more are ...
Africa Check

GUIDE: Rape statistics in South Africa

As one of South Africa’s most pressing problems, rape levels in the country get discussed and reported on often. And as a result, many of the statistics used cross our desks here at Africa Check.
Africa Check

FACTSHEET: Nigeria rebases its economy again – here’s what sets it apart

We believe that everyone needs the facts. You can republish the text of this article free of charge, both online and in print. However, we ask that you pay attention to these simple guidelines. In a ...