As the integrity of elections—often a source of political and social instability—remains a challenge on the African continent, AfricTivistes launches Sóobu Tech4Elections, a digital tool designed to map, centralise, and make accessible citizen election initiatives across Africa since 2010. This platform highlights initiatives that play a crucial role in strengthening electoral democracies across the continent.

The platform takes its name Sóobu from Wolof, a West African language. Meaning “engagement” or “mobilisation,” “sóobu” underscores the deep involvement of civil society in consolidating electoral and democratic processes. It aims to promote electoral transparency, strengthen civic participation, foster collaboration among key stakeholders, and highlight civic innovation in democratic governance.

In response to the erosion of the rule of law and recurring tensions across the continent, civil society has been actively working for decades to enhance the transparency and integrity of electoral processes. Through innovative and unifying initiatives, these actors contribute to building a more resilient and inclusive democracy.

It is within this context that Sóobu AfricTivistes, Tech4Elections operates by offering an interactive platform that allows:

• The identification and mapping of electoral civic initiatives since 2010.
• The facilitation of information exchange and best practices among stakeholders.
• The promotion of over 100 electoral initiatives across Africa.

This initiative is part of the Democracy, Elections and Governance pillar of AfricTivistes’ Strategic Plan. It is also integrated into the pan-African project AHEAD Africa, which aims to improve electoral integrity and equip civil society to strengthen democratic systems and processes.

As part of this AHEAD Africa project, AfricTivistes has established an innovation lab dedicated to enhancing electoral processes in Africa. This observatory for monitoring, alerting, funding, and civic participation is structured around five key components:

• A one-stop online portal to centralise and facilitate access to electoral resources and initiatives.
• A travelling school which includes a MOOC designed to build the capacity of civil society actors and young people.
• An Africa Election Centre providing technical support to Situation Rooms and hosting an electoral hackathon.
• A funding mechanism to support innovative citizen initiatives in the electoral field.

Are you involved in a citizen election initiative? Contribute to our continental mapping by registering it on the platform! Register now

Discover the wealth of citizen election initiatives across Africa on the Sóobu AfricTivistes, Tech4Elections platform.

For more information, contact us at: info@africtivistes.org