SquirrelPR’s RANKED2025 Reveals Africa’s Digital News Powerhouses and Emerging Trends
By Azeez Disu
SquirrelPR, a leading online media relations management solution, has released its inaugural pan-African digital news platform analysis, #RANKED2025, offering unprecedented insights into the consumption patterns and emerging trends across five of Africa’s largest markets: Nigeria, South Africa, Egypt, Kenya, and Ghana.
Building upon the success of its quarterly reports since 2023, which initially focused on Nigeria, this expanded annual analysis provides a crucial benchmark for assessing news influence in the rapidly evolving digital sphere.
The comprehensive report, officially presented virtually to the African media recently, is based on 12 months of historical data from Similarweb, evaluating key metrics such as web traffic, audience engagement, and social media influence.
James Ezechukwu, co-founder & Chief Technology Officer of SquirrelPR, emphasized the company’s commitment to data credibility through rigorous analysis in each covered country.
Also, Jonah Solomon, co-founder, SquirrelPR highlighted the report’s expansion and its value for businesses, PR practitioners, and others seeking informed decisions within the media industry, potentially inspiring greater audience engagement through compelling content.
Comparative Analysis: A Multi-Market Overview
The #RANKED2025 report reveals fascinating regional disparities and common trends across the five featured nations. Collectively, the 148 tracked digital news platforms amassed a staggering 4.1 billion total web visits in 2024.
• Egypt emerges as a digital powerhouse in terms of traffic, recording the highest total web visits at 1.7 billion with only 25 platforms tracked. Notably, Youm7 stands out as Africa’s most visited news platform with an astounding 450 million visits, underscoring that a platform’s reach isn’t solely dictated by its country’s population. This dominance is potentially fueled by a broad appeal beyond Egypt, coupled with the country’s high literacy and internet penetration rates.
• South Africa, tracking 51 platforms with 1.2 billion visits, demonstrates the most mature digital readership across categories, leading in business and technology news. News24 is the country’s most visited news platform with over 190 million visits.
• Nigeria, with the highest number of tracked platforms (130) and 1 billion visits, showcases strong performance in entertainment and pop culture, with Vanguard Online leading in overall visits at 150 million.
• Kenya recorded 429.3 million visits across 36 platforms, with Daily Nation as the top news platform (180 million+ visits).
• Ghana, with 29 platforms and 286 million visits, sees GhanaWeb as its leading news outlet (130 million+ visits).
A significant trend across all markets is the dominance of News & Current Affairs platforms, accounting for the majority of digital traffic. Egypt, South Africa, and Nigeria lead in this category, with several platforms exceeding 100 million annual visits.
However, the report also highlights the growing importance of niche media platforms in business, technology, and lifestyle, which are experiencing rapid growth as readers increasingly seek tailored content. While overall traffic might be lower in these categories compared to news and entertainment, niche platforms often boast higher engagement rates.
South Africa demonstrates strength in business and tech reporting, while Nigeria shows potential for growth in these areas, and Egypt currently has limited niche reporting. Ghana and Kenya present significant opportunities for the expansion of business, tech, and entertainment-focused digital media.
The report also underscores the critical role of social media as a key traffic driver, with platforms demonstrating strong social media engagement tending to achieve higher rankings in overall digital influence.
Tiered Ranking Structure and Key Leaders
To further understand platform influence, #RANKED2025 employs a tiered ranking system based on annual website visits. Tier 1 includes outlets with over 100 million visits, featuring prominent news platforms such as Youm7 (Egypt), News24 (South Africa), Daily Nation (Kenya), GhanaWeb (Ghana), and Vanguard Online (Nigeria).
Beyond overall news, the report identifies leaders in specific categories:
• Business News: Tier 1 leaders include BusinessTech (South Africa) and Nairametrics (Nigeria).
• Technology News: MyBroadband (South Africa) and Techpoint Africa (Nigeria) are among the Tier 1 tech news platforms.
• Entertainment & Lifestyle: Linda Ikeji Blog (Nigeria), Cape Town ETC (South Africa), and Pulse Kenya are highlighted as Tier 1 performers.
Strategic Implications for PR and Media Professionals
The #RANKED2025 report serves as a vital strategic blueprint for PR professionals, media agencies, and brands navigating Africa’s dynamic media ecosystem.
Rasheed Bolarinwa, President of the Association of Corporate Affairs Managers of Banks (ACAMB), lauded the report as “insightful and a game changer,” recognizing its potential to revolutionize the industry through its credibility.
The insights provided can empower professionals to:
• Identify the most influential media platforms for targeted campaigns.
• Align content strategies with demonstrated audience behavior.
• Negotiate more effectively with media partners based on quantifiable influence levels.
• Strengthen crisis response frameworks by understanding media reach.
• Leverage digital PR and SEO strategies for sustained brand visibility.
Conclusion: Adapting to a Rapidly Evolving Landscape
The digital media space in Africa is undergoing rapid transformation. The #RANKED2025 report underscores the importance for media professionals to adapt to evolving audience behaviors, including the increasing consumption of content via social media and video formats. Success in this competitive environment will hinge on investing in niche journalism, leveraging digital engagement strategies, and developing innovative revenue models.