No, Kenya’s Standard did not run ‘Scramble for Tanzania’s minerals’ front page headline with George Soros
IN SHORT: An image circulating on social media appears to show the front page of Kenya’s Standard newspaper dated 21 November 2025, with the banner “Scramble for Tanzania’s MINERALS!” and a large photo of billionaire George Soros. But the front page is fake.
An image has been circulating online since late November 2025, with sensational headlines about Tanzania’s minerals.
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The image appears to be a cover of the Standard, one of Kenya’s leading daily newspapers, dated 21 November.
At the top of the page, a strapline reads: “Scramble for Tanzania’s MINERALS!” The page shows photos of colourful mineral rocks and a large image of billionaire financier and philanthropist George Soros.
The summary below the headline claims that “greed” and “strategic misinformation” are driving a high-stakes scramble for Tanzania’s rich mineral deposits.
The image has a red circle on the bottom of the page that says: “Tanzania’s gold export receipts reached a record 54.43 billion for the year ending in September 2025. This marks a substantial increase from previous years and was driven by rising global prices.”
Tanzania is one of Africa’s major producers of gold and other minerals, such as graphite, nickel and rare earth elements, important for batteries and the global energy transition. Its growing role in global supply chains has attracted attention from investors, governments and commentators.
Recent news reports show that gold exports have surged, rising by about 35% in the year to September 2025 to a record US$4.3 billion, helped by high international prices.
Soros is a well-known financier. His Open Society Foundations have long funded governance and transparency work, including campaigns for oil, gas and mining companies to disclose what they pay to governments. He has also been involved in high-profile mining disputes elsewhere in Africa, such as a legal battle over an iron-ore project in Guinea. This has made him a frequent target of conspiracy theories about natural resources.
(Disclaimer: Open Society Foundations was previously one of Africa Check’s funding partners.)
The circulating front page may lead to many people believing the Standard published an exposé on Soros and Tanzania’s minerals.
But is it authentic? We checked.
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Manipulated front page
The Standard newspaper usually posts digital versions of its front pages on its verified social media accounts, including Facebook and X, as well as on its e-paper platform. We searched these accounts and the platform and found the original 21 November issue.
The original headline was “Simply out of touch”, with a strap reading “Selective hope” and not “Scramble for Tanzania’s MINERALS!”
The Standard also posted the original front page on its verified Facebook page.
The lead story analysed president William Ruto’s state of the nation address. The cover page showed a photo of parliament. It makes no mention of Tanzania’s minerals or Soros.
The circulating version is fake and should be ignored.
