Connect with us
Anglostratits

Business

A New Era of Manipulation: How Deepfakes and Disinformation Threaten Business (By Anna Collard)

Published

on

Anna Collard

The WEF’s 2024 Global Risk Report named misinformation and disinformation as the top global risk, surpassing even climate and geopolitical instability

 A reality where falsity feels familiar, and information is weaponised to polarize societies and manipulate our belief systems

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, April 14, 2025/APO Group/ —By Anna Collard, SVP Content Strategy & Evangelist, KnowBe4 Africa  (www.KnowBe4.com).

Last weekend, at a typical South African braai (barbeque), I found myself in a heated conversation with someone highly educated—yet passionately defending a piece of Russian propaganda that had already been widely debunked. It was unsettling. The conversation quickly became irrational, emotional, and very uncomfortable. That moment crystallised something for me: we’re no longer just approaching an era where truth is under threat—we’re already living in it. A reality where falsity feels familiar, and information is weaponised to polarize societies and manipulate our belief systems. And now, with the democratisation of AI tools like deepfakes, anyone with enough intent can impersonate authority, generate convincing narratives, and erode trust—at scale.

The Evolution of Disinformation: From Election Interference to Enterprise Exploitation

The 2024 KnowBe4 Political Disinformation in Africa Survey (https://apo-opa.co/3RTVMu1) revealed a striking contradiction: while 84% of respondents use social media as their main news source, 80% admit that most fake news originates there. Despite this, 58% have never received any training on identifying misinformation​.

This confidence gap echoes findings in the Africa Cybersecurity & Awareness 2025 Report, (https://apo-opa.co/4ikY0xv) where 83% of respondents said they’d recognise a security threat if they saw one—yet 37% had fallen for fake news or disinformation, and 35% had lost money due to a scam.

What’s going wrong? It’s not a lack of intelligence—it’s psychology.

The Psychology of Believing the Untrue

Humans are not rational processors of information; we’re emotional, biased, and wired to believe things that feel easy and familiar. Disinformation campaigns—whether political or criminal—exploit this.

  1. The Illusory Truth Effect: The easier something is to process, the more likely we are to believe it—even if it’s false (Unkelbach et al., 2019). Fake content often uses bold headlines, simple language, and dramatic visuals that “feel” true.
  2. The Mere Exposure Effect: The more often we see something, the more we tend to like or accept it—regardless of its accuracy (Zajonc, 1968). Repetition breeds believability.
  3. Confirmation Bias: We’re more likely to believe and even share false information when it aligns with our values or beliefs.

A recent example is the viral deepfake image of Hurricane Helena shared across social media. Despite fact-checkers clearly identifying it as fake, the post continued to spread (https://apo-opa.co/3RMZHZH). Why? Because it resonated emotionally with users’ felt frustration and emotional frame of mind.

Deepfakes and State-Sponsored Deception

According to the Africa Centre for Strategic Studies, disinformation campaigns on the continent have nearly quadrupled since 2022. Even more troubling: nearly 60% are state-sponsored, often aiming to destabilise democracies and economies. The rise of AI-assisted manipulation adds fuel to this fire. Deepfakes now allow anyone to fabricate video or audio that’s nearly indistinguishable from the real thing.

Why This Matters for Business

This isn’t just about national security or political manipulation —it’s about corporate survival too. Today’s attackers don’t need to breach your firewall. They can trick your people. This has already led to corporate-level losses, like the Hong Kong finance employee tricked into transferring over $25 million during a fake video call with deepfaked “executives.” These corporate disinformation or narrative based attack can also result in:

  • Fake press releases can tank your stock.
  • Deepfaked CEOs can authorise wire transfers.
  • Viral falsehoods can ruin reputations before PR even logs in.

The WEF’s 2024 Global Risk Report named misinformation and disinformation as the top global risk, surpassing even climate and geopolitical instability. That’s a red flag businesses cannot ignore.

The convergence of state-sponsored disinformation, AI-enabled fraud, and employee overconfidence creates a perfect storm. Combating this new frontier of cyber risk requires more than just better firewalls. It demands informed minds, digital humility, and resilient cultures.

Building Cognitive Resilience

What can be done? While AI-empowered defenses can help improve detection capabilities, technology alone won’t save us. Organisations must also build cognitive immunity—the ability for employees to discern, verify, and challenge what they see and hear.

  1. Adopt a Zero Trust Mindset—Everywhere
    Just as systems don’t trust a device or user by default, people should treat information the same way, with a healthy dose of scepticism. Encourage employees to verify headlines, validate sources, and challenge urgency or emotional manipulation—even when it looks or sounds familiar.
  2. Introduce Digital Mindfulness Training
    Train employees to pause, reflect, and evaluate before they click, share, or respond. This awareness helps build cognitive resilience—especially against emotionally manipulative or repetitive content designed to bypass critical thinking. Educate on deepfakes, synthetic media, AI impersonation, and narrative manipulation. Build understanding of how human psychology is exploited—not just technology.
  3. Treat Disinformation Like a Threat Vector
    Monitor for fake press releases, viral social media posts, or impersonation attempts targeting your brand, leaders, or employees. Include reputational risk in your incident response plans.

The battle against disinformation isn’t just a technical one—it’s psychological. In a world where anything can be faked, the ability to pause, think clearly, and question intelligently is a vital layer of security. Truth has become a moving target. In this new era, clarity is a skill that we need to hone.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of KnowBe4

Energy

High-Level Minister Roundup to Headline African Energy Week 2026

Published

on

African Energy Chamber

African Energy Week 2026 will convene ministers from Algeria, Ghana, Senegal, Zambia and Niger to spotlight oil, gas expansion, reforms and investment opportunities continentwide

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, March 13, 2026/APO Group/ –A high-level ministerial roundup will take center stage at this year’s African Energy Week (AEW) 2026 – taking place in Cape Town from 12–16 October –, convening some of the continent’s most influential energy leaders at a defining moment for Africa’s oil, gas and power sectors. As hydrocarbon expansion converges with accelerating energy transition strategies, the gathering is set to spotlight real-time project execution, regulatory reform and cross-border infrastructure that are actively reshaping Africa’s energy future.

 

Confirmed ministers to date include Algeria’s Minister of Energy and Renewable Energies Mourad Adjal, Ghana’s Minister for Energy and Green Transition Dr. John Abdulai Jinapor, Senegal’s Minister of Energy, Petroleum and Mines Birame Soulèye Diop, Zambia’s Minister of Energy Makozo Chikote and Niger’s Minster of Petroleum Hamadou Tinni.

 

Fresh from a March OPEC+ decision to lift output to 977,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd), Algeria enters AEW 2026 amid a $60 billion sector transformation. The country is also advancing a 500-well exploration drive and accelerating its 1.48 GW “Project of the Century” solar rollout. Gas exports to Europe remains central to the country, supported by hydrogen corridor planning and refinery expansion aimed at boosting capacity to 50 million tons by 2029.

 

Following license extension for Jubilee and TEN to 2040 and the late-2025 restart of the Tema Oil Refinery, Ghana is pushing a $3.5 billion upstream reinvestment plan while settling $500 million in gas arrears. A 1,200 MW state thermal plant and expanded gas processing at Atuabo anchor its gas-to-power shift, alongside a renewed upstream push in the Voltaian Basin.

The participation of these distinguished ministers underscores the scale of opportunity unfolding across Africa’s energy landscape and the urgency of aligning policy with capital

 

Senegal’s delegation comes on the back of strong production momentum, with the Sangomar oil field delivering 36.1 million barrels in 2025, outperforming forecasts, while the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim LNG development ramped up to 2.9 million tons per annum following first gas. Dakar is now prioritizing domestic gas through refinery upgrades at the SAR refinery and preparations for Sangomar Phase 2 to push output beyond 100,000 bpd.

 

Zambia is redefining its power mix after drought-induced hydro shortfalls. New solar capacity – including the 200 MW Chisamba expansion and 136 MW Itimpi Phase 2 – is part of a broader 2,500 MW diversification drive. Cabinet has approved major regional fuel pipelines, while the Energy Single Licensing System fast-tracks approvals. Lusaka targets 10 GW generation by 2030, with solar and wind rising to one-third of supply.

Niger’s presence reflects its emergence as a serious oil exporter, with the fully operational 1,950-km Niger-Benin pipeline now moving up to 90,000 bpd to international markets. Alongside uranium expansion and renewed cooperation with Algeria on upstream assets, Niamey is advancing digital oversight reforms and reinforcing energy sovereignty amid evolving geopolitical dynamics.

 

“The participation of these distinguished ministers underscores the scale of opportunity unfolding across Africa’s energy landscape and the urgency of aligning policy with capital,” says NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber. “Their leadership reflects a continent moving decisively from strategy to execution, creating a platform where investors can engage directly with the policymakers shaping Africa’s next wave of oil, gas and energy growth.”

 

At AEW 2026, this ministerial cohort will be well-positioned to offer investors direct insight into Africa’s most dynamic energy markets – where new barrels, new pipelines and new megawatts are reshaping regional growth trajectories in real time.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

Continue Reading

Business

Enlit Africa 2026 Programme: 280+ speakers, African nuclear 2.0, Bruce Whitfield Business Breakfast

Published

on

Enlit Africa

The event, taking place 19-21 May 2026 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, expects 7,200+ attendees and 250+ exhibitors, making it Africa’s largest gathering of energy and water professionals

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, March 12, 2026/APO Group/ –Enlit Africa (https://apo-opa.co/4cEX08g) has released its full 2026 conference programme, featuring 280+ speakers across 8 specialised tracks including a new African Nuclear 2.0 session covering Koeberg’s 20-year life extension and Ghana’s nuclear vendor selection process.

 

The event, taking place 19-21 May 2026 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, expects 7,200+ attendees and 250+ exhibitors, making it Africa’s largest gathering of energy and water professionals.

Award-winning business journalist and best-selling author Bruce Whitfield will deliver the opening address at the Project & Investment Network Business Breakfast on 19 May, kicking off three days of strategic sessions, deal-making platforms, and technical masterclasses.

New programme content includes:

African Nuclear 2.0 – A dedicated session examining the transition from planning to execution, featuring:

Koeberg Nuclear Power Station’s successful 20-year life extension (Units 1 and 2 now licensed until 2044/2045)

Ghana’s progression to Phase 3 of its nuclear programme, evaluating US, Chinese, and Russian technology bids

West African Power Pool‘s 10 GW regional nuclear capacity target

Small Modular Reactor (SMR) deployment readiness across African grids

Independent Transmission Projects (ITP) – A new session exploring how private investment is unlocking Africa’s transmission bottleneck, featuring global case studies from India’s PowerGrid and lessons for scaling grid capacity across the continent.

Generation Masterclasses – Five interactive roundtables on gas-to-power, nuclear, hydro power, clean coal, and hydrogen.

AI in Africa’s Power Grid – Examining practical deployment realities, real-time analytics, and predictive maintenance applications already in operation across African utilities.

Conference sessions and technical hub sessions on the expo floor are CPD-accredited by the South African Institute of Electrical Engineers (SAIEE) and the South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE).

Co-located platforms:

Water Security Africa features country playbooks from Namibia (55-year potable reuse programme), Uganda (NRW reduction from 42% to 32%), Cape Town (Day Zero recovery strategies), and sector-specific stewardship sessions with Harmony Gold, Heineken, Mediclinic, and Growthpoint Properties.

Project & Investment Network (P&IN), part of the new Level 2 Executive Experience, connects project developers, investors, African utility CEOs, and DFIs through structured matchmaking, ministerial dialogues, and project briefings. Over the past two years, P&IN has facilitated $3 billion in project pitches.

Utility CEO Forum brings together 35+ confirmed utility CEOs under Chatham House Rule for candid, off-the-record strategic discussions on unbundling, prosumer management, and financial sustainability.

Municipal Forum addresses South African municipalities’ distribution, metering, and revenue challenges, including sessions on NRW management, tariff reform, Cost of Supply studies, and electrifying informal settlements.

Technical Hub sessions on the exhibition floor offer free, CPD-accredited training across Power, Renewable Energy & Storage, and Water tracks, with confirmed speakers from Eskom, ENGIE SA, ACTOM, National Transmission Company South Africa (NTCSA), RenEnergy, and Matla Energy.

Site visits on 22 May include Koeberg Nuclear Power Station and the V&A Waterfront desalination plant.

Pass options:
Free expo pass registration: https://apo-opa.co/4bl2bYu

Free expo passes provide access to 250+ exhibitors and CPD-accredited Technical Hub sessions.

Delegate Pass:
Early bird registration closes 3 April 2026. Delegate passes start at R15,100 (Silver), with P&IN Executive passes at R32,000 including access to the Bruce Whitfield breakfast, Level 2 executive lounge, and investor matchmaking.

Download the full programme: https://apo-opa.co/3NwCble

Register: https://apo-opa.co/4cEX08g

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of VUKA Group.

Continue Reading

Business

Binance Secures Second Major Legal Victory in U.S. Court Under Anti-Terrorism Act in Two Weeks

Published

on

Binance

US Federal Court in Alabama Dismisses All Claims Against Binance in Latest Lawsuit Victory

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, March 12, 2026/APO Group/ –Binance (www.Binance.com), the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, announced today that a U.S. federal court in Alabama has dismissed all claims against the company in a lawsuit alleging violations of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA). This marks Binance’s second major legal victory in an  ATA matter within one week, following their victory in the Southern District of New York.

A Full and Complete Legal Victory

In a detailed 19-page ruling, the Court found the plaintiffs’ complaint to be legally and factually deficient. The court’s decision to dismiss every claim across the board represents a decisive legal victory for Binance.

Sanctions compliance and terrorism financing are serious matters of law – they require evidence, legal rigour, and due process

The judge described the filing as a “shotgun pleading.” The complaint failed to clearly specify the claims and improperly grouped all defendants together without distinguishing individual conduct or liability. The ruling also emphasized that the plaintiffs did not meet the basic pleading standard to provide a “short and plain statement” of their claims.

Following the ruling, the court granted the plaintiffs until April 10, 2026, to file an amended complaint addressing the deficiencies identified. However, the judge warned that failure to adequately address these issues would result in dismissal of the entire case.

Building on Momentum and Upholding Legal Integrity

“This decision reinforces our unwavering commitment to protecting Binance and our community from unsubstantiated and bad-faith lawsuits,” shared Eleanor Hughes, General Counsel at Binance. “Sanctions compliance and terrorism financing are serious matters of law – they require evidence, legal rigour, and due process. Courts have now examined these claims on two separate occasions and found them to be without merit. These outcomes speak for themselves. We will not tolerate attempts to misuse the legal system to target our industry, and we remain as committed as ever to transparency, security, and lawful conduct in everything we do”.

This latest decision follows closely on the heels of Binance’s comprehensive victory in New York (https://apo-opa.co/46Xg0ev), where the Court similarly rejected allegations that the company assisted, participated in, or conspired with terrorists. Together, these rulings reflect Binance’s strong resolve to protect its platform and community.

Binance has consistently invested in industry-leading compliance infrastructure, regulatory engagement, and legal governance. The company will continue to vigorously defend itself against any attempts to bring unfounded claims or misrepresent its operations.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Binance.

Continue Reading

Trending