The Impact of Online Activism on Civic Engagement in Sub‐Saharan Africa

Tchapo Gbandi, Yawo Agbényégan Noglo, Komivi Afawubo, Kwami Ossadzifo Wonyra and Victor Nyatefe

African Development Review, 2025, vol. 37, issue 3

Abstract: Social media has witnessed a significant surge over the past decade as a platform for diverse interactions across various domains, including politics and religion. However, the effects of social media in Africa remain underexplored. This paper analysed the impact of online political and religious activism on the civic engagement of social media users in seven sub‐Saharan African (SSA) countries. We examined the propensity for civic engagement of netizens, which encompasses their inclination to vote and volunteer. Using impact analysis methods and data from the Household and individual information and communication technologies' access and usage survey 2017–2018, the results show that political and religious engagement on social media does not influence netizens' propensity to vote. As for the propensity to volunteer, only online political engagement matters. In sum, our findings indicate that although online engagement can create a sense of participation, only political activism translates into concrete civic actions (i.e., volunteering). Policymakers should bridge digital participation with offline civic engagement by promoting civic education, formalising online opinion leaders and advancing e‐government to boost transparency and trust. Our results also show that male and youth netizens with political interest are most likely to volunteer. These results reveal that social media alone is insufficient to challenge real‐life norms in SSA countries.

Date: 2025
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