As the global fight against Covid-19 intensifies, bot accounts continue to spread countless conspiracy theories about the virus – putting...
Weekly Social Cohesion Report
The Challenge
What happens on public social media and in reality appear to be worlds apart. Conversations on social media contribute in constructive ways to the issues that affect our lives every day. It highlights peoples’ fears and aspirations, their wishes and desires, their anger and distrust. More importantly it tracks the social issues that have the potential to divide us, cause social upheaval and undermine South African society.
This report keeps track of these issues on social media and summarises the trending, highest impact, and most active themes and their narratives on public social media.
The CABC’s team of data analysts use online tools to track conversations daily on social media, and analyse the rich and useful data.
Project Objective
The Analysis of social media conversations support CABC projects to conduct their work. Current projects include countering xenophobia, digital narrative manipulation and countering misogyny.
An edited version of the report is published in mainstream media and available to the public, civil society organisations, government and other institutions who track issues of social cohesion in South Africa.
Published Reports

CABC short film receives international recognition
Press release April 13 2020 CABC short film receives international recognition A new Public Service Announcement which uses cutting edge...

Stay on top of your truth
Sharpen your skills and be 1 step ahead of misinformation. Explore First Draft’s extensive free library of training content including...

Learn to Discern (L2D) – Media Literacy Training
Learn to Discern is a program that aims to share their approach with individuals in order to help them create...

The rise of fake Facebook accounts, the why and the how.
Fake accounts are mostly used to amplify the popularity or dislike of a person or movement, thus manipulating users’ views...

Tracking the cracks in Covid-19 lockdown
MEDIA RELEASE 09 April 2020 ISSUED BY: Centre for Analytics and Behavioural Change / #careZA A unique peek into how South...

How liars create the “illusion of truth”
How do politicians and people in powerful positions get away with spreading false information and fake news? And why do...

COVID-19 Truth offensive | Spotlight
A painting shows a sick man inside a hand sanitiser bottle, surrounded with human skulls. The painting is the work...

SPOTLIGHT: ‘Truth offensive’ needed to counter Covid-19 vaccine misinformation, says messaging expert | Daily Maverick
From paintings by artists like Xolani Sivunda to communication campaigns launched by provincial health departments, the fight against Covid-19-related misinformation...

Flatten The Curve – Newzroom Afrika
Misinformation putting the mass vaccination strategy at risk Watch full interview

Disinformation harms health and democracy | The Mail & Guardian
Conspiracy theorists abuse emotive topics to suck the air out of legitimate debate and further their own sinister agendas. Written...