Unfortunately, fears for press freedom in all parts of Africa have been increasingly under threat in recent years, but it doesn’t come primarily from domestic players or ‘billionaire media’.

For example, the African Center for Strategic Studies is mapping a surge of disinformation in Africa, arguing that Russia and China are the biggest sources of misinformation and disinformation.

Nearly 60 percent of disinformation campaigns on the continent are foreign state-sponsored—with Russia, China, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, and Qatar as the primary sponsor.

In another report, China’s Narrative Warfare in Africa: Influence and Mechanisms, scholars say,

Multilateral exchanges enable the CCP to position itself as a “central node” within China’s African networks, encouraging a “group-think” mentality among the participating political elites. The CCP also trains over 2,000 African political cadres and several hundred local government officials annually, aiming to familiarize local political elites with China’s approach to economic development and political governance.

Additionally, the CCP funds and constructs government and party buildings, hospitals, and schools. A notable example is the $40 million construction of the Mwalimu Julius Nyerere Leadership School in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Completed in February 2022, the school serves as a hub for disseminating China’s governance model and political ideology among African elites.

In a Q&A, security analyst Beverly Ochieng, breaks down the growing presence of China and Russia in the region and their influence on media in the continent: "China and Russia are increasing their footprint”: How & why authoritarian states seek to exert influence through the media in Africa

So we shouldn’t downplay media concentration in Africa, but the problem is much bigger. The biggest problem comes from elsewhere.

[Edit typo.]