The fifth edition of the Africa Facts Summit, a gathering of fact-checkers and information integrity experts from across Africa, will take place in Johannesburg, South Africa, between October 21 and October 22, 2026. The summit, organised by Africa Check and local partners, brings together key actors in the continent’s information ecosystem to discuss emerging challenges and solutions for promoting trustworthy information.
Since its inaugural edition in Nairobi, Kenya, in November 2022, the summit has become the premier platform for collaboration and capacity-building within Africa’s fact-checking community. The network has experienced remarkable growth from just two organisations in 2017 to 58 member organisations in over 30 African countries, operating in English, French and Arabic.
The event will feature panel discussions, workshops, presentations and interactive sessions exploring the most pressing issues shaping the information ecosystem today. Previous editions of the summit have brought together more than 800 participants from over 30 countries.
The key themes will include the impact of artificial intelligence on information integrity; disinformation networks and platform accountability; elections and democratic resilience; foreign influence operations; media literacy and public trust; and the long-term sustainability of the information integrity sector.
According to Hlalani Gumpo, Head of Outreach and Impact at Africa Check, “Information integrity work has become increasingly interconnected with broader questions about democracy, technology, public trust and civic participation. The summit creates an opportunity not only to examine emerging threats, but also to spotlight innovative responses, strengthen partnerships and build a more resilient ecosystem for the future.”
This year’s summit also marks a significant milestone with the establishment of the Africa Facts Network Advisory Committee, reflecting the maturing of a continental ecosystem that has grown far beyond any single organisation or country.
A major highlight of the summit is the African Fact-Checking Awards gala dinner, which recognises outstanding fact-checking journalism across three categories: working journalist, professional fact-checker, and student journalist. Winners in professional categories receive $3,000, with runners-up receiving $1,500, whilst student category winners receive $2,000 and runners-up $1,000.
Through these annual gatherings, the Africa Facts network continues to strengthen its mission of combating misinformation and disinformation, promoting media literacy, and building resilient communities across the continent while addressing critical issues such as gendered misinformation, linguistic diversity, climate crisis communication, and threats faced by fact-checkers and investigative journalists.
Interested participants should please visit here for tickets. Early registration is encouraged as places are limited, with tickets available until September 30, 2026.
For questions, please contact the summit organiser, Hlalani Gumpo, at hlalani@africacheck.org.
