Social Media and Elections in Africa, Volume 1

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xv

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2. The Changing Face of Election Campaigning in Africa

   • Martin N. Ndlela, Winston Mano

   Pages 1-12

3. Social Media Algorithms, Bots and Elections in Africa

   • Martin N. Ndlela

   Pages 13-37

4. Directions of Political Communication in Africa: Methodology for the Search of an African Model and Epistemology

   • Thomas C. Ijere

   Pages 39-60

5. Alternative Responses to Presidential Tweets on Elections in Africa: A New Counter Power?

   • Winston Mano

   Pages 61-73

6. Tweeting the July 2018 Elections in Zimbabwe

   • Allen Munoriyarwa, Collen Chambwera

   Pages 75-96

7. Social Media and Participation in Ghana’s 2016 Elections

   • Wilberforce S. Dzisah

   Pages 97-118

8. Social Media Use in the 2018 Presidential Election in Cameroon

   • Kingsley L. Ngange

   Pages 119-146

9. Hybrid Media System and the July 2018 Elections in “Post-Mugabe” Zimbabwe

   • Admire Mare, Trust Matsilele

   Pages 147-176

10. Social Media and Elections: A Case of Botswana, Lesotho and Eswatini

    • Maxwell V. Mthembu, Carolyne M. Lunga

    Pages 177-193

11. Social Media and Elections in Uganda: The Case of Bobi Wine and the Arua Primary Elections

    • Hannah Muzee, Andrew Osehi Enaifoghe

    Pages 195-213

12. Intra-Party Election Campaigns in Ghana: An Analysis of Facebook Use

    • Akwasi Bosompem Boateng, Donal Patrick McCracken, Musara Lubombo

    Pages 215-232

13. Back Matter

    Pages 233-237

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This book brings together fresh evidence and new theoretical frameworks in a unique analysis of the increasing role of social media in political campaigns and electoral processes across Africa. Supported by contemporary and historical cases studies, it engages with the main drives behind the various appropriations of social media for election campaigns, organization, and voter mobilization. Contributors in this volume delve into changing and complex aspects of social media, offering an appraisal of theoretical perspectives and examining fascinating case studies which social media use is redefining elections across Africa. Contributions show that new media ecologies are resulting in new policy regimes, user behaviors, and communication models that have implications for electoral processes. The book also provides preliminary analysis of emerging forms of algorithm-driven campaigns, fake news, information distortions and other methods that undermine electoral democracy in Africa.

• social media
• African elections
• political communication
• democratisation
• digital media

“Ndlela and Mano’s book provides an original contribution to its field. The contributions deliver fresh and lively analysis of social media and elections in Africa, and are all-encompassing and comprehensive in their range.” (Bruce Mutsvairo, Professor of Journalism, Auburn University, USA)

• Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Elverum, Norway

  Martin N. Ndlela

• University of Westminster, Harrow Campus, London, UK

  Winston Mano

Martin N. Ndlela is Associate Professor at the School of Business and Social Sciences, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, and Research Associate at the Department of Strategic Communication at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa. He is a co-editor of the Journal of African Media Studies.

Winston Mano is Reader and member of the Communication Research Institute’s Global Media Research Network. Mano is also the Principal Editor of the Journal of African Media Studies and a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa.

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