Social media activism in Tanzania: Exploring @MariaSTsehai and @fatma_karume use of X to influence socio-political change

Abstract

This article examines how Tanzanian activists utilize the affordances of X (formerly Twitter) to drive socio-political change in the country. Social media has emerged as a powerful tool for activism, fostering dialogue, enhancing visibility, facilitating communication, and mobilizing support. While significant research has explored the role of social media in activism globally, there is limited scholarly focus on its impact and mechanisms within the Tanzanian socio-political context. To address this gap, we analyzed 6,384 tweets from two Tanzanian activists' X accounts using Twitonomy for descriptive analysis and Qualitative Data Analysis Miner Lite for thematic analysis. The conceptual frameworks of online listening and digital citizenship informed our analysis and interpretation of the findings. The results reveal that Tanzanian activists leveraged X to advocate for democracy and human rights, discuss national political and economic issues, and disseminate information. Their online activism has been instrumental in achieving key objectives, including overturning the ban on public political meetings, securing the release of political prisoners, and advancing the agenda for a new constitution. The conversational nature of their discourse highlights the practice of mutual listening among activists. We conclude that while social media offers significant potential to foster socio-political change, its effectiveness depends on its responsible and strategic use. To strengthen this impact, we recommend integrating digital citizenship into Tanzania's civic education policies and providing targeted training on content creation for activism and political engagement