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Africa has long grappled with the challenge of identifying a common indigenous language for politics, trade and regional interactions. This chapter interrogates how the Southern African Development Community (SADC) navigates linguistic choices in its political communication as English dominates the region. Drawing on a qualitative content analysis of the SADC official Facebook page covering five recent SADC Summits; 2020 (Mozambique), 2021 (Lilongwe, Malawi), 2022 (Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo), 2023 (Luanda, Angola), and 2024 (Harare, Zimbabwe), the study finds that English and Portuguese remain the predominant languages in official communications. SADC leaders predominantly use these colonial languages when engaging in digital spheres. Additionally, audience engagement, based on user comments from SADC’s official Facebook page, occurs almost entirely in English, underscoring the linguistic barriers to broader participation. Using a decolonial approach, the chapter argues for the strategic integration of African indigenous languages through multilingual approaches, such as translation services, code-switching, and platform localisation, to foster greater inclusivity and understanding among SADC’s linguistically diverse citizenry.

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Rethinking a Decolonial Approach in African Political Communication: A Case of SADC’s Digital Platforms

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年

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  • Jennings Joy Chibike,
  • Samuel Anesu Muzhingi,
  • Kealeboga Aiseng,
  • Nkosana Prince Mkwebu

摘要

Africa has long grappled with the challenge of identifying a common indigenous language for politics, trade and regional interactions. This chapter interrogates how the Southern African Development Community (SADC) navigates linguistic choices in its political communication as English dominates the region. Drawing on a qualitative content analysis of the SADC official Facebook page covering five recent SADC Summits; 2020 (Mozambique), 2021 (Lilongwe, Malawi), 2022 (Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo), 2023 (Luanda, Angola), and 2024 (Harare, Zimbabwe), the study finds that English and Portuguese remain the predominant languages in official communications. SADC leaders predominantly use these colonial languages when engaging in digital spheres. Additionally, audience engagement, based on user comments from SADC’s official Facebook page, occurs almost entirely in English, underscoring the linguistic barriers to broader participation. Using a decolonial approach, the chapter argues for the strategic integration of African indigenous languages through multilingual approaches, such as translation services, code-switching, and platform localisation, to foster greater inclusivity and understanding among SADC’s linguistically diverse citizenry.