Digital media influence in Africa is being shaped more by strategic platform execution than population size, according to a new report released by SquirrelPR on Monday.
In a statement announcing the release of its annual RANKED2025 report, the company said the performance and reach of digital news platforms across the continent are increasingly determined by content relevance, cross-border reach, and social media strength.
The report, which analysed trends in five key African media markets—Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Egypt, and Ghana—revealed that Egypt’s Youm7, an Arabic-language news outlet, led in annual visits despite Egypt’s population of approximately 114 million.
SquirrelPR noted that Youm7 recorded over 450 million visits in 2024 alone, highlighting what it described as “the outsized influence of strategic media platforms regardless of national population.”
According to the company, RANKED2025 categorizes platforms into four content verticals—News & Public Affairs, Business & Financial News, Technology News, and Entertainment & Lifestyle—and groups them into three tiers of influence, based on annual visit volume.
“The data shows that media impact is no longer a simple function of country size. Platforms that invest in distribution strategy, content quality, and cross-border accessibility are outperforming even in smaller markets,” the company said in the statement.
“RANKED2025 equips media professionals with the clarity and context they need to thrive in a fast-evolving digital environment,” said SquirrelPR’s co-founder, James Ezechukwu, at the official launch of the report in Lagos, Nigeria.
“This report is not just about rankings – it’s about reshaping how we understand influence and how we communicate across borders,” he added.
SquirrelPR added that Tier 1 platforms—those with over 100 million annual visits—include Youm7 (Egypt), News24 (South Africa), Daily Nation (Kenya), GhanaWeb (Ghana), and Vanguard Online (Nigeria).
It also pointed to the growing influence of social media in amplifying reach, saying platforms with stronger social followings consistently ranked higher.
“Social media is emerging as the silent amplifier of digital news platforms. Strong audience engagement directly translates to higher visibility and influence,” the company stated.
The report also observed disparities in niche content coverage across the continent. SquirrelPR said Egypt had a broad general readership but lagged in specialised business and tech reporting.
Nigeria, it noted, performed well in entertainment journalism but showed room for growth in business and technology segments. South Africa was described as strong in business and tech, while Kenya and Ghana were cited for their balanced potential across categories.
According to the company, the insights from RANKED2025 offer media strategists and PR professionals a valuable tool for campaign planning, audience targeting, and digital PR strategy development.