Algorithms, bots and elections in Africa: how social media influences political choices

Social media provides spaces for participation -- but also for misinformation. Photo by Omar Marques/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

The rise in the use of smartphones and an increased adoption of mobile internet in Africa are fundamentally altering the media ecology for election campaigns.

As mobile phones become commonplace, even in Africa’s poorest countries, the uptake of social media has become ubiquitous. Applications like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, WhatsApp and blogs form an integral part of today’s political communication landscape in much of the continent.