Africa Must Combat Misinformation, Says Morolong at TikTok Summit

South Africa’s Deputy Minister Urges African Collaboration to Combat Digital Misinformation

South Africa’s Deputy Minister in the Presidency Kenny Morolong has issued a call for coordinated African action to protect information integrity across the continent, warning that unchecked misinformation on digital platforms represents one of the most pressing governance challenges of our time.

Speaking at the 2026 TikTok Safer Internet Summit held in Nairobi, Kenya, Morolong emphasized how social media platforms and their algorithms increasingly determine how billions of people worldwide access, consume and interpret information.

“Humanity has created a new form of bureaucracy: the global digital network,” Morolong told summit attendees, referencing the work of renowned historian Yuval Harari. “Algorithms shape how billions of people receive and consume information every day.”

The Deputy Minister highlighted that platforms like TikTok and other social networks have become powerful forces in organizing public attention, amplifying certain voices, and influencing societal perceptions of truth and authority.

While acknowledging that digital platforms have created unprecedented opportunities for knowledge-sharing, creativity and innovation, Morolong cautioned that they simultaneously enable the rapid proliferation of harmful content. He identified three distinct categories threatening information ecosystems: misinformation (inaccurate content shared without deceptive intent), disinformation (deliberately false information designed to mislead), and malinformation (factual information weaponized to cause harm).

“These forms of harmful information may have different origins, but they have the same destructive impact,” he noted, explaining how such content undermines institutional trust, exacerbates social divisions, and poses significant threats to democratic stability across African nations.

Morolong framed the protection of information integrity not merely as a technological challenge but as a fundamental issue affecting development, governance, and democratic processes. He pointed to South Africa’s National Communication Strategy Framework 2025-2030, implemented by the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS), which promotes coordinated and citizen-centered communication across government entities.

“Communication is not simply about messaging; it is about building trust between the state and the people,” Morolong emphasized, highlighting the critical relationship between effective public communication and governmental legitimacy.

The Deputy Minister also referenced regional initiatives like the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Protocol on Communications, which encourages member states to develop integrated communication systems supporting economic growth and social development across southern Africa. He characterized communications infrastructure and information systems as strategic national assets that should strengthen regional cooperation while serving broader public interests.

Addressing technology companies directly, Morolong outlined three priority areas where platforms could take proactive leadership in creating safer online environments. First, he called for more responsible algorithmic design that goes beyond engagement metrics to identify and reduce harmful content circulation. Second, he advocated for greater transparency in how recommendation systems function and how content moderation decisions are made. Finally, he urged technology companies to forge partnerships with governments, educators, and civil society organizations to enhance digital literacy, particularly among younger users.

Morolong was careful to distinguish his proposals from censorship efforts, framing them instead as calls for responsible stewardship of digital public spaces. “This is not a call for censorship. It is a call for responsible stewardship of the digital public sphere,” he clarified, while emphasizing the particular importance of protecting vulnerable populations including children, elderly users, and people with disabilities, who may be especially susceptible to online misinformation.

The Deputy Minister concluded his address with an appeal for strengthened collaboration between African governments and global technology companies to create more trustworthy digital environments that serve the continent’s development goals.

“Let this summit mark a new chapter of cooperation between platforms like TikTok and governments across the great and beautiful continent of Africa,” Morolong said, underscoring the importance of partnership in addressing these complex challenges.