Russian Disinformation Network Targeted South Africa’s Democratic Alliance, Leaked Documents Reveal

A massive leak of 76 documents has exposed what investigators describe as a Russian-controlled disinformation network operating across Africa and Latin America, with South Africa among its primary targets. The documents reveal a coordinated campaign specifically aimed at undermining the Democratic Alliance (DA), South Africa’s main opposition party, during the lead-up to the country’s May 2024 national elections.

The investigation, led by Forbidden Stories in collaboration with several media organizations including the Continent, All Eyes on Wagner, Dossier Center, OpenDemocracy, and iStories, confirmed the authenticity of the documents through open-source research and consultation with European security experts.

According to the leaked materials, a group of Russian operatives known simply as “The Company” spent approximately $7.3 million over ten months on influence operations spanning more than 30 countries. South Africa ranked among the top three nations targeted, behind only the Central African Republic and Mali in terms of expenditure.

The primary goal in South Africa was to “launch a counter campaign against the DA party” to prevent its “pro-West agenda” from gaining power. DA Federal Executive Chair Helen Zille has responded by calling on South Africa’s State Security Agency to investigate what she described as foreign interference in the country’s electoral process.

“These revelations confirm what many South Africans have long suspected: that coordinated disinformation, racial incitement, and inauthentic online amplification are being used to manipulate political discourse in our country,” Zille stated.

One particularly successful operation detailed in the documents involved the creation and viral spread of an image showing allegedly racist mugs supposedly ordered for the birthday of the DA’s leader. The campaign deliberately exploited historical perceptions of the DA as a “white party” to damage its reputation among Black voters.

According to the leaked documents, Russian operatives considered this campaign highly effective, noting that the hashtag “#DAmustfall became, for some time, the most popular in South Africa.” Their internal assessment claimed the “total reach exceeded 1.5 million users” with discussions centered around “public recognition of the DA as a source of racism in South African politics.”

Journalist Lea Peruchon, who participated in the investigation, explained that Russia’s influence operations typically follow a consistent pattern across target countries. Operations begin with a preparation phase where operatives survey the political landscape, map key actors, and approach high-ranking political figures to infiltrate networks of opinion leaders. This groundwork enables subsequent destabilization operations that are amplified through local media channels.

The broader objective of these campaigns, according to Peruchon, appears to be “pushing all Western policies, companies and supporters out of Africa” while advancing “Moscow’s interest in Africa and Latin America.” This aligns with Russia’s increasing economic and military presence on the African continent in recent years, particularly through private military contractors like the Wagner Group.

Zille warned that these foreign influence operations threaten South Africa’s post-apartheid constitutional project by deliberately reigniting racial divisions for political gain. She has called on the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to implement stronger oversight of digital campaigning ahead of the 2026 local government elections.

“South Africa’s future will be decided at the ballot box by South African voters, not by bots, not by propaganda, and not by foreign operatives,” Zille emphasized.

The revelations come amid growing global concern about foreign interference in democratic processes, with similar Russian influence operations having been identified in numerous countries across multiple continents. The detailed documentation provided in the leak offers rare insight into the structure, financing, and tactics of these operations, potentially providing valuable information for election authorities and security services worldwide.