On February 22, 2023, key players from both the public and private sectors convened in Cape Town, South Africa for a Disinformation Conference. The conference was hosted by the Spanish Embassy, C5 Capital, a US-based venture capital firm, Liquid Intelligent Technologies, Constella Intelligence, and the Atlantic Council. The main topic of discussion was the intersection between disinformation campaigns and cybersecurity in Africa.
Over the past three years, there has been a significant increase in the digital presence of private and public entities, making it easier for malicious actors to disseminate disinformation. This has resulted in reputational damage and financial loss for organisations and entities. Disinformation campaigns have been used to influence the outcome of elections, spread false medical data about COVID-19 vaccine drives, and lay the groundwork for cyber-attacks on the continent.
The Disinformation Conference aimed to create awareness around disinformation while investigating its root causes. The lack of awareness about cyber-attacks and the role that misinformation campaigns on media platforms play to polarise and mislead narratives on the African continent is a growing concern. The conference facilitated a dialogue between the public and private sectors on this crucial topic.
Professor Sibusiso Vil-Nkomo, Executive Dean of the Thabo Mbeki African School of Public and International Affairs, opened the conference, followed by the Spanish Ambassador to South Africa, H.E. Raimundo Robredo Rubio, who reflected on the evolving disinformation challenges and the need for closer cooperation between governments, academia, and the private sector.
Andre Pienaar, C5 Capital Founder and CEO, facilitated a panel with Lord Robin Renwick, the previous British Ambassador to South Africa and the United States, who authored a book on the threat of disinformation. Pienaar emphasised the need for an open conversation in South Africa, journalists with integrity, and a society capable of critical thinking as the best antidote for disinformation.
Deon Geyser, CEO of Liquid Intelligent Technologies, South Africa, emphasised the increasing sophistication of nation-state level disinformation campaigns and cyber-attacks that target African countries. The effects of these attacks can undermine the trust needed to bring international investment to the continent.
The conference was a significant step towards cultivating public awareness and seeing private sector and government officials join efforts to probe the impact of threats in the online space and find ways to combat disinformation. Disinformation and the damage it can cause is a reality, and today’s conference was a much-needed initiative to address this growing concern that can destroy the social fabric of societies and sovereign democracies on the African continent and beyond.
