Deadline: April 10, 2026
Are you a journalist driven by a passion for truth? Apply for the CfA/AFCA Fact-checking Fellowship Program 2026 and help expose misinformation while reinforcing information integrity across Southern Africa.
Code for Africa (CfA), through its African Fact-checking Alliance (AFCA), is offering stipend-based fellowships to journalists and fact-checkers in Southern Africa. The fellowship seeks to equip participants with the skills and tools to investigate, debunk misinformation and disinformation and strengthen information integrity in the region.
This fellowship is part of the “Strengthening Information Integrity and Democratic Resilience in Southern Africa” project, which is a continuation and expansion of the “Detecting, Disrupting and Deplatforming Malign Actors” project, supported by Norway’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Building on the impact of the 2024–2025 phase, this new phase (2026–2027) aims to further strengthen information integrity and democratic resilience across the region. The focus countries include: Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Benefits
- Each Fellow will receive a monthly stipend.
- Fellows will receive hands-on technical training and one-on-one mentorship from PesaCheck’s fact-checking team, iLAB investigative analysts, and CfA’s staff, including technologists, data analysts, multimedia producers, and editors. They will also receive support to enhance existing CheckDesks or launch flagship CheckDesks within their newsrooms.
- Fellows will publish their projects on their media platforms and receive assistance in publishing internationally.
Eligibility
- Must not work for any paramilitary or security organisation and must be non-partisan.
- Must be established journalists or digital storytellers with at least one year of media experience and a portfolio of published work.
- Preferred experience in fact-checking.
- Must be affiliated with a media partner and publish or broadcast their work in mainstream media.
- Must be fluent in English and/or French, depending on the official language of their country.
- Must have access to a reliable computer with stable internet connectivity to participate in programme activities and online courses/mentoring.
- Must be based in one of the following countries: Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
- Must commit to publishing/disseminating work on an appropriate public platform. CfA will assist with partnerships/syndications where appropriate.
- Must commit to sharing new skills and knowledge within their organisation, by sharing projects and techniques with peers.
- Must be available for virtual meetings.
Application
The deadline for applications is 10 April 2026. Late applications will not be considered.
For more information, visit CfA/AFCA Fact-checking Fellowship.
