logo
episode-header-image
Aug 2022
24m 52s

Has QAnon fuelled South Africa’s divisio...

Bbc World Service
About this episode

What happened when a bizarre US-based conspiracy theory surfaced a continent away in Africa?

In the second part of Trending’s mini series about the impact of QAnon around the world, we report from South Africa.

At the heart of QAnon is the baseless claim that former US president Donald Trump is waging a secret war against a cabal of powerful paedophiles who run American politics and Hollywood.

But in South Africa, elements of QAnon have been translated into the local context of pre-existing tensions in society, and are helping turn South Africans against both immigrants and one another.

Presenter: Jonathan Griffin Reporter: Mpho Lakaje Editor: Mike Wendling

Up next
Jun 2024
Trending is moving to the Documentary Podcast
BBC Trending's podcast feed is closing, but we'll be publishing new episodes in the BBC World Service's Documentary Podcast from now on. Search for The Documentary wherever you get your BBC podcasts, and subscribe to get new episodes of BBC Trending along with a range of exciting ... Show More
43s
Jun 2024
Colombia’s guerrilla recruitment video problem
Fighters from dissident armed groups in Colombia are using TikTok to glorify their lives as guerrillas and recruit youngsters.These armed groups didn't like the terms of a peace treaty negotiated between the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the government in 2016 ... Show More
18m 6s
Jun 2024
The Kenyan influencer championing climate denial
Jusper Machogu is a farmer from southwestern Kenya who describes himself as a “climate sceptic”: he wrongly claims that climate change is a “scam” or a “hoax” designed to hold Africa back. On social media, he has also become known as a staunch defender of fossil fuel exploration ... Show More
18m 7s
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2023
Not Just Coups: Meet the People’s Movements in the Streets of West Africa w/ Kambale Musavuli
Listen to the full episode on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/full-audio-not-w-90192326 The West African countries of Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali are in rebellion against their former colonial masters, while the imperialists of the Global North try desperately to contain ... Show More
35m 22s
Feb 2022
Are coups catching on in West Africa?
Burkina Faso just experienced the latest in a series of coups across West Africa. Frustration with the lavish lifestyle of aging heads of state, sustained security problems along the Sahel and an anti-colonial sentiment are all breeding discontent. But why so many countries and w ... Show More
23m 19s
Aug 2022
Who are South Africa’s Zama Zamas?
The term Zama Zama is a slang word in isiZulu, one of South Africa's official languages and loosely translates to ‘someone who is trying’ or a ‘hustler’. They are young miners, largely illegal, who take advantage of the lucrative mining industry in South Africa. They are back in ... Show More
16m 34s
Feb 2021
How did the QAnon conspiracy go global?
For people outside the US, QAnon seemed like a uniquely American threat — up until it wasn’t. The digital cult was born on the corners of the internet in 2017, but its adherents have taken offline action in several countries. So how does a baseless conspiracy theory that says Don ... Show More
26m 8s
May 2021
Why are Somalis being attacked in SA?
South Africa is no stranger to xenophobic violence. In recent years, reports of attacks against immigrants have become common. Somali nationals are often targeted – and so, when a recent shooting was reported in a Western Cape township, the Somali community got worried. Why exact ... Show More
12m 58s
May 2021
What exactly does state capture look like in South Africa?
When the South African President Cyril Ramaphosa appeared before a commission of inquiry in Johannesburg recently – he did what no other sitting ANC President had done before – give evidence against members of his own party. The inquiry into allegations of state capture was set u ... Show More
17m 8s
Jul 2022
Do young South Africans still believe in Nelson Mandela’s legacy?
Africa Daily is on the road in Africa… first stop: South Africa. And Alan has arrived just in time for Mandela day – a celebration of the former president’s birth. When Nelson Mandela became South Africa’s first democratically elected president in 1994, he was a hero in his own c ... Show More
19m 11s
Nov 2022
What goes on behind the scenes at peace talks?
Today Africa Daily meets the peace-makers:Betty Bigombe walked alone into the jungle to meet the notorious warlord Joseph Kony of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) – who had a reputation for cutting off the limbs or lips of his victims. Paul Nantulya worked alongside Nelson Mandel ... Show More
20m 54s
May 2024
Final election campaign rally in South Africa
South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa has promised to focus on job creation if the governing African National Congress is voted back into power next week. He was speaking during the ANC's final campaign rally at a football stadium in Johannesburg. Also in the programme: An Ame ... Show More
47m 28s