Building upon the theoretical frameworks of Manuel Castells, Louis Althusser, Christian Fuchs and other critical theorists, the edited volume Digital and Social Media in Africa reframes digital platforms not as neutral tools of communication, but as deeply embedded in structures of authoritarian governance, surveillance and infrastructural domination. Rejecting techno-utopian narratives, the book offers a rigorous critique of the political economy of digital media in African contexts, foregrounding questions of ownership, regulation and ideological control. Through a series of empirically grounded case studies – spanning Zimbabwe, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Eswatini, Mozambique, South Africa and Nigeria – it examines mechanisms such as internet shutdowns, influencer manipulation, algorithmic gatekeeping and the instrumentalization of legal frameworks for digital repression.

The book comprises eight chapters, in addition to an Introduction and a Conclusion. It is organized thematically around key areas of inquiry, including infrastructural ownership and state control (Chapter 1), regulatory frameworks and legal constraints (Chapter 2), election-related censorship and state repression (Chapters 3 and 5), digital activism and social movements (Chapters 4 and 8), discursive inequalities and participatory asymmetries (Chapter 6), and the commodification of digital influence and content (Chapter 7).

Among these, several chapters stand out for their analytical depth and empirical richness. Chapter 1 establishes the conceptual groundwork of the volume by emphasizing the materiality of digital infrastructure. It compellingly links digital repression to broader structures of political economy and ideological control, arguing that state dominance over internet service providers (ISPs), gateway access and licensing regimes constitutes a key mechanism of authoritarian power retention, particularly in Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Uganda. Chapter 3 provides a sharp comparative analysis of state practices in Uganda and Zimbabwe during election periods. It demonstrates how legal instruments and internet shutdowns are systematically weaponized to suppress dissent, revealing digital regulation not merely as censorship, but as a strategic apparatus for disciplining public discourse at politically sensitive junctures. Chapter 6 turns the analytical focus towards platform dynamics, presenting a quantitative study of Twitter discourse during Zimbabwean elections. It challenges the prevailing assumption that social media constitutes a level playing field, showing instead how a small group of ‘superusers’ – primarily journalists, politicians and media organizations – monopolize discursive space, thereby reproducing elite dominance in digital publics.

One of the book’s key strengths lies in its theoretical sophistication. Drawing extensively on critical theory, particularly the Frankfurt School and traditions in critical media studies, the contributors move beyond surface-level commentary to offer a materialist analysis of digital infrastructures. For instance, Chapter 1’s conceptualization of ISPs as ‘technologies of power’ shifts attention from content to the infrastructural regulation of communication, highlighting how control over digital infrastructure becomes a mechanism of political dominance. A second notable strength is the volume’s empirical depth. Detailed case studies, such as Uganda’s 2021 election-related internet shutdown and Zimbabwe’s 2019 blackout, serve to concretize abstract theoretical claims, grounding critical analysis in lived political realities. Third, the book’s interdisciplinary scope enriches its analytical perspective. Contributions from scholars in communication, journalism, education and cultural studies produce a multifaceted account of Africa’s contested digital terrain. Particularly compelling is the analysis of digital cultural production, such as the case of digital influencer Salésio do Pânico in Chapter 7, which brings nuance to the volume’s predominantly political-economic focus. Fourth, the book is commendable for its Pan-African orientation. Rather than presenting a homogenizing narrative, it stresses national specificity by illustrating how different regimes and social actors engage with digital technologies within varied political and regulatory contexts.

That said, the volume is not without its limitations. On the one hand, its strong emphasis on state power and repression, though analytically compelling, leaves relatively limited space for examining user agency, particularly how everyday digital practices may resist, negotiate or subvert structural constraints. On the other hand, its predominant focus on Anglophone contexts, with limited engagement with Francophone and Lusophone regions, somewhat narrows the volume’s Pan-African representativeness.

Overall, Digital and Social Media in Africa is a timely, insightful and incisive volume that critically explores the power structures shaping the continent’s digital landscape. It will be of particular interest to scholars and graduate students in media, communication and African studies, as well as to policymakers, digital rights advocates and civil society practitioners concerned with digital governance and civic technology.