Nigeria | Undermining the political class
- Details
- By Theophilus Abbah
- Investigations
By all accounts, the Nigerian electorate did not need to be prompted by cartoons, mockery, or musical protest to overwhelmingly vote for opposition candidates in the 2023 elections. The disgust against the "political class", its patronage system, and neglect of public services such as health, education, and security had and has become widespread in the country, increasingly fuelling not only political protests, but also armed rebellion, ethnic tension, crime, and a desire to "japa", simply migrate away altogether.
Cameroon | Dents in the dictatorship
- Details
- By Elizabeth BanyiTabi
- Investigations
"Satire will never die. After six months of suspension, here we are again," headlines Le Popoli's comeback edition of 8 February 2026. The lead caption on the front page is accompanied by a drawing of a pen lying in an open coffin, as if to say: "We were buried, but we are still alive." It is a space where even humourists and artists often find themselves in notoriously media-hostile Cameroon.
Zimbabwe | The parody tsunami
- Details
- By Mukudzei Madenyika
- Investigations
A daring contingent of young, tech-savvy content creators routinely battle censorship, arrests and worse to help increase awareness of Zimbabwe’s critical issues through humour. The wave is not confined to politics: the environment, economics and even religious beliefs are being questioned in a tsunami of YouTube, TikTok and other parody productions. But the ruling party ZANU PF, its militants and government are the butt of most jokes.
Africa | Artivists
- Details
- By Theophilus Abbah, Josephine Chinele, Elizabeth BanyiTabi and Mukudzei Madenyika
- Investigations
Samantha Kureya was abducted and tortured, yet came back to continue her comedy show. Satirical performer Bon Kalindo was arrested fifteen times. Cartoonist Mustapha Bulama was slammed by Nigeria's First Lady, and the fun-poking newspaper Le Popoli recently emerged from a six-month publication ban. But their following on social media, especially among the youth, keeps increasing. A team of investigative journalists in Zimbabwe, Malawi, Nigeria, and Cameroon discovered how the power of laughter, especially laughter at authorities, is undermining "politicians who use big words to confuse the public" across the African continent.
Reimagining Europe | Glitching to Rebuild
- Details
- By Phila Hillie
- Arts
The first keynote address of the Euroculture Intensive Programme for students and scholars, hosted at the University of Groningen, has just begun. Heidi Sincuba has set the tone by reading Ezinkomponi (In the Gold Mines) by Dr B.W. Vilakazi in isiZulu, the South African language in which it was originally written. A bold and intentional move, it leaves one wondering how this relates to Euroculture and Reimagining Europe: Connectivity, Creativity and Care, the theme of the Intensive Programme, which forms part of the Erasmus Mundus Master Programme Euroculture at the University of Groningen.
Africa | When art becomes dissent
- Details
- By Blessing Oladunjoye
- Arts
A new pan-African arts magazine documents how art across the continent is routinely subjected to abuse, attacks, and other violations. However, despite these growing pressures, artists continue to persist and thrive.
Editorial July 2026 | The ways of Africa’s wealth
- Details
- By ZAM Reporter
- Politics & Opinion
Africa’s wealth enriches many, but rarely its own citizens. In Big Brother Wildlife, a transnational team of journalists exposes how Africa’s rich natural heritage and wildlife are increasingly being fenced off — using even military-grade surveillance technology — to benefit foreign visitors, while local communities face ever-growing restrictions on the use of their own land.
Africa | Big Brother Wildlife
- Details
- By Benon Oluka, Sam Schramski and Tulani Ngwenya
- Investigations
Surveillance technology designed to protect endangered species is being weaponised against communities living in natural areas across the African continent. Its repercussions range from harassment to physical violence.
Announcement | ZAM strengthens its Board of Governors
- Details
- By ZAM Reporter
- Politics & Opinion
ZAM is thrilled to welcome two highly skilled professionals to our board. Oyunga Pala is a writer, executive coach, and curator-in-chief of “The Elephant” media platform in Nairobi. Dr Marcus Desando is a Cultural Leader, Arts Executive, Opera Director, and former Director of the Prins Claus Fonds. He will take up the position of Chair of our board. They join Dineo Nhlapo and Milton van Wyk, our much-valued Treasurer and Secretary. Together, they form an inspiring and driven team of governors, ready to guide our organisation forward.
Africa | Strange bedfellows
- Details
- By Emmanuel K. Dogbevi/ZAM
- Investigations
African autocrats — and the US right wing — demand “sovereignty” at a Family Values conference in Accra
Editorial May 2026 | Tone-deaf
- Details
- By ZAM Reporter
- Politics & Opinion
African audiences’ responses to our “Elections Circus” publication — which detailed how more than €100 million of EU taxpayers’ money, earmarked for free and fair elections, has largely benefited ruling elites rather than supporting meaningful democratic change — have been overwhelming. Hundreds of readers accessed the online link as soon as it went live, and print copies sold in significantly higher numbers than usual.
DRC | Behind enemy lines
- Details
- By Ukweli Coalition Media Hub/ZAM
- Investigations
Ever since the capture of much of the eastern DRC by Rwanda-aligned rebel movements, journalists in the region have been forced to work under new, dictatorial, rulers. Amid their challenges are broadcasting bans, muzzled sources, direct threats, and self-censorship. As if that wasn’t enough, they are now also viewed with suspicion by their own DRC government and journalists’ union in the capital, Kinshasa.
