On April 20, 2026, we celebrate a decade of information, engagement and African voices with Africanews, the pan-African channel which, for 10 years, has been telling the world about Africa and giving a voice to a continent in full transformation.
Nathalie Wakam, editor-in-chief of Africanews, has been among the channel's pioneers since its launch in Pointe-Noire, Congo, and later in Lyon, France. You participated in the television station's launch alongside Michael Peters. What a journey it's been...
I believe that in ten years, Africanews has gradually found its place in the African media landscape. Today, it's a go-to source for news from across the continent, with continuous coverage in both French and English. It relies heavily on its correspondents on the ground, which allows it to cover very different realities depending on the country and local context. They are of paramount importance for the accuracy of the information because of the scourge of fake news.
Africanews has also undergone organizational changes, notably a relocation to France due to economic constraints and the evolution of its business model. The overall assessment remains positive, but with several significant challenges: available resources, intense competition from social media, and the difficulty of providing balanced coverage of such a vast and diverse continent.
In a multifaceted African and international media landscape, how can one stand out from the crowd?
Africanews primarily plays a role in relaying African news. It makes news from the continent more visible and accessible, both in Africa and internationally.
It's a media platform that allows us to follow what's happening in different countries and regions of the continent, and to circulate information quite quickly. We facilitate the dissemination and highlighting of African news within a flow of information that has become truly global.
You mention social media. Is there a necessary need to reinvent oneself?
Today, Africanews inevitably has a presence on social media, because that's where a large part of the information circulates. But the challenge isn't just publishing content there: it's primarily about adapting formats and production schedules to these platforms.
Implementing a digital strategy is vital. For example, we have a debate program that is primarily produced online.
In a context where information travels very quickly, sometimes continuously, the challenge is to maintain rigorous verification and not succumb to the logic of immediacy. This also requires the media to be more responsive, while retaining their essential role: explaining, contextualizing, and prioritizing information.
In this role as a liaison, what major political changes have you observed in recent years?
What's most striking is that it varies enormously from country to country. There isn't a single trend. In some places, things remain fairly stable, while in others, we see periods of transition, tension, or quite rapid political change.
