The media landscape is a powerful and often ruthless space, where both individuals and nations use it to shape perceptions and control narratives. Media has long been used to influence public opinion, sometimes distorting the truth for political or economic gain. Africa has been a major victim of this manipulation, with its image tainted for decades by misleading portrayals of poverty, corruption, and instability. Now, the continent faces a new challenge: countering external control over its media and reclaiming its narrative.
For years, Western media has painted Africa as a continent plagued by hunger, disease, and conflict, a place defined by poverty and chaos. This narrative has not only damaged Africa’s global image but also influenced international policy and economic decisions. These portrayals have perpetuated stereotypes that Africa is a place of hardship, low intelligence, and corruption, a continent to be exploited rather than respected.
However, the rise of social media has allowed more Africans to challenge these stereotypes and uncover hidden truths about their continent. More people are now aware of the media’s role in shaping these narratives and are starting to push back against them. Yet, as Africa seeks to redefine its image, new forces have entered the scene.
China has been steadily expanding its influence over African media through a complex network of state-controlled platforms, partnerships with local news outlets, and journalist training programmes. This strategy is part of China’s broader geopolitical agenda, which seeks to present Beijing as a generous and reliable partner to African nations.
Researcher Mitchell Gallagher describes this as a strategic “war for Africa’s media soul.” Gallagher argues that China aims to reshape perceptions by positioning itself as a benevolent provider of resources and support.
“The strategy appears to be working, with some African media outlets giving increasingly favourable coverage to China,” he wrote in a February article for The Conversation Africa. “But there is also a growing backlash as media consumers and professionals become more aware of the underlying agenda.”
Journalists Haruna Mohammed Salisu and Idris Mohammed recently explored China’s media influence in Africa. They noted that China has invested heavily in African media, particularly through platforms such as China Global Television Network (CGTN) Africa and strategic partnerships with local broadcasters.
In a report published by the London School of Economics, they argued that China’s media strategy promotes a narrative of mutual cooperation and non-interference while downplaying China’s human rights record and political influence.
China’s media expansion is not accidental. A strategy of “media warfare” has been part of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) policy since 2003, aimed at influencing public and political opinion. In Africa, this involves securing positive media coverage to shape favourable policies and attitudes toward China’s presence on the continent.
Harsh Pandey, a researcher at Jawaharlal Nehru University, traced China’s global media push back to 2008.
“It started in Africa,” he wrote in a 2024 article for Financial Express. “China pledged over $6 billion to strengthen its presence in the global media sector. This included creating African television satellites, combining African and Chinese channels, and presenting China in a positive light to African audiences.”
China’s media strategy includes training African journalists, influencers, and media professionals through well-funded exchange programmes and study tours in China. High-profile African media personalities are often targeted, adding credibility to China’s message when communicated through trusted local voices.
Ugandan news site PML Daily reported that these efforts have been effective in embedding pro-China narratives within African media.
CGTN and Xinhua News Agency are at the heart of China’s media operation in Africa. Xinhua has 37 offices across the continent more than any other international news agency. Meanwhile, StarTimes, a Chinese-owned satellite television provider, offers affordable packages to African audiences, but its main international news sources are two 24-hour CCP-controlled outlets.
While China’s media expansion has gained traction, it has also sparked resistance. In Ghana, government officials have raised concerns about local media agreements that favour Chinese-produced content. In Kenya, independent journalists are questioning the true cost of China’s financial influence on media independence.
Gallagher observed similar trends in other parts of the continent, “In Kenya, voices of dissent are beginning to rise, and media professionals immune to Beijing’s allure are probing the true costs of Chinese financial undertakings,” he wrote. “In South Africa, media watchdogs are sounding alarms, pointing to a gradual attrition of press freedoms that come packaged with promises of growth and prosperity.”
Africa now faces a critical moment in its media evolution. As China’s influence grows and Western media narratives persist, African media houses are under pressure to reclaim control over the continent’s story. With limited resources and small budgets, this is a formidable challenge. However, the rise of independent media platforms and a more informed public presents an opportunity for Africa to redefine its narrative and assert its true identity on the global stage.
The path forward requires African media to develop independent, well-funded platforms capable of challenging foreign narratives. Greater investment in local journalism, training, and infrastructure will empower African media to tell authentic stories, stories that reflect the continent’s diversity, strength, and resilience.
