Africanews turns 10: A decade of news, change and African perspectives

On April 20, 2026,we celebrate a decade of news, engagement and African voices with Africanews, the pan-African channel that for the past 10 years has told Africa’s story to the world and given a voice to a continent in the midst of transformation.

Nathalie Wakam, Africanews’ chief editor and one of the channel’s pioneers, has been part of the journey from its launch in Pointe-Noire, Republic of the Congo, to its operations in Lyon, France. She answers questions from the newsroom.

As we have just seen, you were involved in the launch of the television channel alongside Michael Peters. How far has it come?

“I believe that over the past 10 years, Africanews has gradually found its place in Africa’s media landscape.

Today, it is a news outlet people turn to for coverage of events across the continent, with continuous broadcasting in both French and English.

It relies heavily on correspondents on the ground, which makes it possible to cover realities that vary widely from one country to another and across local contexts. Their role is crucial to ensuring the accuracy of information today, at a time when fake news remains a major scourge.

Africanews has also undergone organizational changes, including a relocation to France, linked to economic constraints and the evolution of its business model.

Overall, the picture remains largely positive, but several major challenges persist: limited resources, fierce competition from social media, and the difficulty of covering a continent as vast and diverse in a balanced way.

In a complex African and global media environment, how can Africanews differentiate itself?

Africanews primarily serves as a relay for African news.

“It makes news from the continent more visible and more accessible, both within Africa and internationally.

It is a media outlet that allows audiences to follow what is happening across the continent's countries and regions and to circulate information fairly quickly.

So that is where its role lies: in disseminating and spotlighting African news within an information flow that has become entirely global.”

You also referenced social media earlier. Does this generate a requirement for ongoing reinvention?

“Today, Africanews is necessarily present on social media, because that is where a large share of information now circulates.

But the challenge is not only to publish content there; it is above all to adapt formats and production rhythms to these platforms. Today, putting a digital strategy in place is vital. For example, we have a debate programme produced mainly for online audiences.

In a context where information moves very quickly, sometimes nonstop, the challenge is to remain rigorous in verification and not give in to the logic of immediacy.

It also forces media organizations to be more responsive while preserving their essential role: explaining, providing context and prioritizing information.”

In this role as a relay, what major political changes have you observed in recent years?

What stands out most is that it depends greatly on the country.

“There is not just one single trend, in fact. In some places, things remain relatively stable, while in others we see periods of transition, tension or fairly rapid political change.

So we are really dealing with very different realities depending on the context …”

Over the past decade, Africa has experienced a highly mixed political landscape. The continent has been marked by coups, the rise of terrorism in the Sahel, electoral tensions and internal conflicts, as well as some democratic gains.

Between institutional stability in some states, political tensions in others and a reshaping of international balances, the continent shows sharply contrasting trajectories.

In countries such as Senegal, Ghana and Botswana, democratic institutions have held, with regular political alternation in some cases.

Elsewhere, tensions persist around constitutional frameworks and political competition, notably in Zimbabwe, Côte d’Ivoire and Cameroon.

In North Africa, the situation remains shaped by the aftermath of the Arab Spring, whose gains now appear more mixed across countries. In Egypt, the transition gave way to a strong presidential system. In Tunisia, the democratic process saw progress followed by recent setbacks. In Algeria, the Hirak movement in 2019 expressed a strong demand for change, without bringing major institutional transformation.

On the international front, partnerships are diversifying, with a growing presence of new actors, including Russia and some Gulf states.

At the same time, relations between citizens and institutions are evolving, driven by digital technology and broader access to information, which is raising expectations in terms of governance.

Finally, new forms of engagement are emerging among young people, often outside traditional parties, such as the Y’en a marre movement in Senegal and the #EndSARS mobilisations in Nigeria.

These developments continue to reshape the balance between political stability, social pressure and external influence.

Experts estimate Africa’s economic growth at around 3% to 4% in recent years — a broadly positive trend despite repeated crises, but with wide disparities between countries.

Africa has seen an acceleration in its economic and digital transformation over the past decade.

According to the International Monetary Fund and the African Development Bank, growth has remained around 3% to 4% despite the crises. It is real progress, but fragile and highly uneven across countries.

This trend has been driven by strong demographic growth and rapid urbanisation, with a youth population that is increasingly connected.

In this context, digital usage has expanded significantly, particularly through mobile phones, which have become central to exchanges and services.

One of the most dynamic sectors is fintech. Companies such as Flutterwave and Paystack in Nigeria have attracted international investment. In East Africa, Kenya has established itself as a hub for digital financial services.

At the same time, cultural industries, especially music, have benefited from digital distribution and are gaining greater international visibility.

From a development standpoint, major challenges remain, particularly financing infrastructure such as energy and transport. Debt burdens also remain a constraint for many states.

Finally, economic integration is progressing but remains incomplete, despite initiatives such as the African Continental Free Trade Area.

Africa has just gone through 10 years of security challenges. The alarming rise in insecurity, marked by conflict and repression, has weakened the stability of states and affected the lives of millions of people across the continent.

Over the past decade, Africa’s security environment has deteriorated significantly. Political violence has nearly doubled, fuelled by civil wars, jihadist attacks, local conflicts and state repression, making life more dangerous for millions of people.

The Ibrahim Index of African Governance reports a deterioration in security in many countries, notably Burkina Faso, Mali, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, Niger and Nigeria. One of the most significant shifts has been the emergence of the Sahel as a new global epicentre of terrorism, with Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger accounting for a substantial share of terrorism-related deaths worldwide.

The violence, which began with local uprisings in Mali and Boko Haram’s insurgency in Nigeria, has spread into a vast zone of jihadist, communal and criminal activity stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea and moving southwards toward coastal states such as Benin, Togo and Côte d’Ivoire.

In East Africa, Al-Shabaab remains active in Somalia and continues to carry out attacks in Kenya. Eastern DRC and northern Mozambique also remain major crisis zones. Meanwhile, military coups in Mali, Guinea, Sudan, Burkina Faso, Niger and Gabon have not succeeded in delivering the security they promised.

Organised crime, including kidnappings, cattle rustling, village raids and piracy, has worsened instability. These conflicts have triggered mass displacement and caused immense suffering, particularly in Sudan, Ethiopia, the central Sahel and eastern DRC.

Yet some countries, notably Ghana, Senegal, Botswana and Mauritius, have remained relatively stable, underscoring the importance of stronger institutions and governance.