The 2026 Reporters Without Borders (RSF) World Press Freedom Index shows a mixed, predominantly concerning landscape for journalism in Africa. While Namibia and Cape Verde lead with "satisfactory" rankings, most nations face "problematic" to "very serious" conditions, marked by increased legal constraints, physical safety issues, and economic pressures on media. According to the report,  press freedom has never been so strained in sub-Saharan Africa, a region battered by political instability, from the Great Lakes to the Sahel to Sudan. Wars, the criminalisation of journalism and economic challenges are the catalysts of this decline.  Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Jeanne Lagarde, Advocacy Officer for Reporters Without Borders for Sub Saharan Africa

<p>The 2026 Reporters Without Borders (RSF) World Press Freedom Index shows a mixed, predominantly concerning landscape for journalism in Africa. While Namibia and Cape Verde lead with "satisfactory" rankings, most nations face "problematic" to "very serious" conditions, marked by increased legal constraints, physical safety issues, and economic pressures on media. According to the report, &nbsp;press freedom has never been so strained in sub-Saharan Africa, a region battered by political instability, from the Great Lakes to the Sahel to Sudan. Wars, the criminalisation of journalism and economic challenges are the catalysts of this decline. &nbsp;Tsepiso Makwetla spoke to Jeanne Lagarde, Advocacy Officer for Reporters Without Borders for Sub Saharan Africa</p>