SquirrelPR Releases RANKED2025 Report, Revealing Over 4 Billion Visits Across Africa’s Digital News Platforms

SquirrelPR, Africa’s leading PR management software has announced the release of RANKED2025, its highly anticipated annual report that analyses the performance and influence of digital news platforms across Africa. The latest edition sheds light on the evolving consumption patterns, platform influence, and emerging trends in five key African media markets: Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Egypt, and Ghana.

The report reveals a striking insight from Egypt, where the population of approximately 114 million contrasts sharply with the over 450 million visits recorded by a single digital news platform in 2024. This key data point underscores a broader truth echoed throughout the report - that digital media influence is less about population size and more about platform strategy, content relevance, and cross-border reach.

At the top of the rankings is Youm7, an Arabic-language news platform based in Egypt, which leads in total annual visits. With Egypt’s literacy rate at 74% and internet penetration at 72%, Youm7’s digital dominance illustrates how national infrastructure, content appeal, and regional accessibility intersect to boost media impact - not only within the country but also across the wider Middle East.

Key Findings from RANKED2025

RANKED2025 categorizes digital news platforms into four major content verticals: News & Public Affairs, Business & Financial News, Technology News, and Entertainment & Lifestyle. Across these categories, the report recorded over 4 billion total visits in 2024 from the five featured markets. The platforms are further grouped into three influence-based tiers: Tier 1: 100M+ annual visits, Tier 2: 10M - 99M visits, and Tier 3: Niche platforms with at least 50,000 visits (particularly in business, tech, and entertainment sectors)

Notable Tier 1 platforms include Youm7 (Egypt), News24 (South Africa), Daily Nation (Kenya), GhanaWeb (Ghana), and Vanguard Online (Nigeria).

Social Media as the Silent Amplifier

The report emphasizes the critical role of social media engagement in shaping digital influence. Platforms with stronger social media followings consistently perform better in overall rankings, revealing a strong link between audience engagement and news platform visibility.

While general news continues to dominate, niche content segments remain largely untapped. Egypt has a high general readership but limited specialization in business or tech. Nigeria shines in entertainment journalism, though business and tech coverage are still developing. South Africa boasts maturity in business and tech but lacks in entertainment-focused outlets. Ghana and Kenya show promising potential across all three niche segments.

A Strategic Blueprint for PR Professionals

For public relations and communications professionals, RANKED2025 offers more than data - it delivers actionable intelligence. Agencies, brands, and media strategists can use the insights to identify high-impact media platforms for campaign targeting, align messaging with consumer engagement patterns, negotiate smarter media partnerships based on traffic and reach, strengthen digital PR and SEO strategies, and inform crisis communications with a clearer understanding of media influence.

“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.

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