AI-Driven Disinformation and Political Influence on WhatsApp in South Africa’s 2024 Elections

This study investigates the role of encrypted messaging apps, specifically WhatsApp, in disseminating political disinformation during South Africa’s 2024 general elections. Drawing on a dataset of 22,384 messages from 47 politically active WhatsApp groups and 6,283 unique users, the study identifies how AI-generated deepfakes, emotional manipulation, and ideological group structures facilitated the spread of false political narratives. Using MyFactChecker, an AI-powered sentiment and verification tool, we reveal that disinformation most frequently relied on fear-based appeals (41%), identity-driven rhetoric (32%), and content mimicking credible journalism (27%). The findings show that disinformation gained traction not through factual accuracy but through emotional resonance and relational trust within ideologically cohesive groups. Even when flagged as false, corrective content was often dismissed as propaganda or foreign interference, thus underscoring how truth contests unfold within closed, affective networks.