Last reviewed: July 2026

Africa News Sources

A working directory of news sources for Sub-Saharan Africa, covering major outlets and significant independent and new media, in native languages and English. Descriptions are factual: ownership, funding model, and editorial reputation, not bias scores. Where a country’s press faces serious restriction, that is noted directly. North African countries are covered under the Middle East region. This directory currently covers six larger countries plus an “other sources” list. More countries will be added over time.

Nigeria

Africa’s most populous country has one of the continent’s most active independent digital press sectors, alongside a large ecosystem of newspapers with varying degrees of political and business alignment.

Major / Mainstream

The Punch (English) — Nigeria’s highest-circulation daily.
The Guardian Nigeria (English) — Long-established national daily, unaffiliated with the UK paper of the same name.
Vanguard (English) — Major national daily with wide circulation.
ThisDay (English) — National daily known for business and political coverage.
Daily Trust (English) — Leading daily based in northern Nigeria, with strong coverage of that region.
The Nation (English) — Major national daily.

Independent / New Media

Premium Times (English) — Independent outlet known for investigative reporting on corruption and governance; its associated nonprofit, the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development, trains investigative journalists across West Africa.
The ICIR (English) — Independent nonprofit news agency founded in 2010, focused on investigative reporting on corruption and accountability; its staff have faced police questioning over their reporting.
Sahara Reporters (English) — Independent, diaspora-based outlet known for adversarial reporting on government and elite conduct; operates largely from outside Nigeria.

South Africa

South Africa has one of Africa’s strongest traditions of independent investigative journalism, including several nonprofit newsrooms that emerged from or alongside legacy print outlets.

Major / Mainstream

News24 (English) — South Africa’s largest digital news platform.
Mail & Guardian (English) — Historic weekly with a strong investigative tradition dating to the apartheid era.
Sunday Times (English) — South Africa’s largest-circulation weekly newspaper.
The Citizen (English) — National daily.
IOL (Independent Online) (English) — Major digital news platform aggregating regional and national titles.

Independent / New Media

Daily Maverick (English) — Independent outlet not owned by or affiliated with any media group; funded by reader membership, advertising, and grants. Known for its role in the GuptaLeaks investigation into state corruption.
amaBhungane (English) — Independent nonprofit investigative unit that began inside the Mail & Guardian before spinning off; runs a regional support network for investigative newsrooms across Southern Africa.
GroundUp (English) — Independent nonprofit outlet focused on social justice and community-level reporting.

Kenya

A small number of large media houses dominate print and broadcast, while a newer generation of independent investigative outlets, several founded by journalists who left those same houses, has grown despite legal and funding pressure.

Major / Mainstream

Daily Nation (English) — Kenya’s largest-circulation daily, part of Nation Media Group.
The Standard (English) — Kenya’s oldest newspaper.
The Star (English) — Major national daily.
Citizen Digital (English) — Digital arm of Kenya’s most-watched private television network.
Business Daily Africa (English) — Leading business and financial daily, part of Nation Media Group.

Independent / New Media

Africa Uncensored (English) — Independent media house founded by veteran Kenyan investigative journalists; has faced legal threats and pressure on its funders over its reporting.
The Elephant (English) — Independent outlet publishing long-form analysis and investigative journalism on Kenyan and East African affairs.

Ethiopia

Ethiopia’s press operates under serious and sustained restriction; Reporters Without Borders ranks it 148th of 180 countries as of 2025, citing government use of security justifications to limit reporting. Independent journalism exists but operates under real constraint, and coverage gaps on sensitive topics should be read in that context.

Major / State-Linked

Ethiopian News Agency (Amharic; English) — State news agency.
Fana Broadcasting Corporate (Amharic; English) — Major broadcaster with historic ties to the ruling coalition.
Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (Amharic; English) — State broadcaster, television and radio.
The Ethiopian Herald (English) — State-owned English-language daily, the country’s oldest English newspaper.
Walta Information Center (Amharic; English) — State-linked news agency.

Independent

Addis Standard (English) — Independent news magazine that has faced government pressure and periods of suspended operation over its reporting.
The Reporter (English/Amharic) — Independent weekly with relatively wide circulation.
Ethiopia Insight (English) — Independent outlet publishing analysis and reporting, largely by contributors outside government structures.

Ghana

Ghana is regularly ranked among Africa’s freest press environments; the 1992 constitution allows new outlets to launch without a license, producing a large and pluralistic media sector.

Major / Mainstream

Joy News / MyJoyOnline (English) — Widely watched private broadcaster and news site.
Daily Graphic (English) — Ghana’s highest-circulation newspaper, state-owned.
The Ghanaian Times (English) — State-owned national daily.
CitiNewsroom (English) — Digital arm of a major private broadcaster, widely read.
3News (English) — Digital news platform tied to a private television network.

Independent / New Media

GhanaWeb (English) — Large independent news and information portal aggregating national coverage alongside original reporting.
The Fourth Estate (English) — Independent investigative journalism initiative of the Media Foundation for West Africa.
Modern Ghana (English) — Large independent news portal.

Senegal

Senegal has one of West Africa’s most stable democratic and press traditions; a state-owned flagship daily coexists with a genuinely competitive independent press, almost entirely French-language.

Major / Mainstream

Le Soleil (French) — Senegal’s oldest and most widely circulated daily, state-owned but covering a broad range of topics.
Seneweb (French) — Senegal’s most-visited digital news platform, privately owned.
RTS (Radiodiffusion Télévision Sénégalaise) (French) — Senegal’s national public broadcaster.
Agence de Presse Sénégalaise (APS) (French) — State news agency.
Sud Quotidien (French) — Privately owned daily covering politics, economy, and culture.

Independent

Le Quotidien (French) — Independent daily respected for political reporting and commentary.
EnQuête+ (French) — Independent outlet noted for in-depth investigations.
Dakaractu (French) — Independent digital-native outlet with radio and TV coverage.

Other Africa Sources

A working list of additional sources across the region, to be expanded into full country sections over time.

The Citizen (Tanzania; English) — Major independent-leaning national daily.
Daily Monitor (Uganda; English) — Major daily, part of the regional Nation Media Group.
NewsDay (Zimbabwe; English) — Independent daily, an alternative to state-owned outlets.
News Diggers (Zambia; English) — Independent digital outlet known for critical political coverage.
Actualite.cd (Democratic Republic of Congo; French) — Independent digital news outlet.
Zitamar News (Mozambique; English) — Independent English-language outlet covering a primarily Portuguese-speaking country.
Mmegi (Botswana; English) — Independent daily.
The Namibian (Namibia; English) — Independent daily with roots in anti-apartheid-era reporting.
The New Times (Rwanda; English) — Major English-language daily, closely aligned with the government.