Onome Amuge
Africans are leading the world in grassroots political participation, with far more citizens attending community meetings and working collectively to raise issues than counterparts in Asia, Latin America, or the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), a new Afrobarometer report has revealed.
The Afrobarometer study, which draws on survey data from 39 African countries collected between 1999 and 2023, showcases a continent where citizens are more inclined to engage in local forms of democracy, even if voter turnout and formal political affiliation still lag behind parts of Asia.
According to the findings, nearly half of Africans (48 percent) reported attending at least one community meeting in the past year, almost double the 26 percent recorded across 17 Latin American countries. Similarly, 42 percent of Africans said they had joined others to raise an issue in their community, compared to between 12 and 17 percent across Asia, Latin America, and the MENA region.
Analysts say the results may reflect Africa’s longstanding traditions of participatory governance, from village councils to tribal decision-making structures, which often emphasise consensus-building and community voice. Afrobarometer researchers argue that this history continues to shape modern civic behaviour, particularly in environments where citizens may feel national governments are distant or unresponsive.
“Where formal political structures can sometimes seem inaccessible, Africans have leaned into local and communal spaces as vehicles for agency,” the report notes.
The findings show that African citizens are not waiting for national politics to deliver change but are instead mobilising at the grassroots to solve local problems, influence leaders, and hold institutions accountable.
While Africa trails Asia on voter turnout (72 percent compared with 81 percent),it is well ahead of MENA (55 percent) and on par with Latin America (71 percent). Similarly, 41 percent of Africans identify with a political party, second only to Asia (53 percent) and well above Latin America and MENA (24 percent each).
This balance, the report notes, reflects an electorate that is politically aware but often more invested in local engagement than in national party structures. In many countries, political parties remain plagued by issues of patronage, weak institutionalisation, and limited grassroots reach.
By contrast, participation through meetings, issue-based organising, or engaging local councillors and traditional leaders feels more tangible to ordinary citizens. Indeed, Africans are more likely than Asians to contact their elected local representatives or traditional leaders, though Asians still lead when it comes to contacting members of parliament.
One area where Africa lags is protest participation. Only 8–10 per cent of Africans report taking part in demonstrations, compared with 20 percent in the MENA region, where political upheavals and citizen activism have reshaped state–society relations over the past decade.
For policymakers and leaders, the report underscores the importance of investing in local governance frameworks that amplify citizen voice. Afrobarometer’s evidence indicates that Africans are eager to engage,but governments must create channels that translate community participation into policy impact.
The report’s country scorecards, which provide national-level snapshots of citizen engagement, also highlight variations across the continent. In some states, strong turnout at community meetings contrasts sharply with lower voter engagement, while in others, political party affiliation remains unusually weak.
