Koaci is a pan-African online news publisher headquartered in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Founded in 2008 by journalist Laurent Despas, the outlet produces daily, French-language reporting on politics, public affairs, security, business, culture and sport. Its country editions track local developments alongside continent-wide stories, giving readers a view of West and Central Africa from reporters based on the ground. Koaci’s audience includes public officials, professionals and diaspora communities who follow fast updates during elections, policy shifts and major events.
The publisher pairs breaking coverage with thematic sections and runs a Communiqués service that carries official announcements from ministries, companies and NGOs. It also invests in mobile distribution through dedicated iOS and Android apps to reach readers in markets where phones are the primary news device. In 2019 the organization introduced a partial paywall to protect original reporting and diversify revenue beyond advertising, reinforcing its positioning as an independent, Abidjan-based newsroom.
Koaci’s work and its founder’s role in the Ivorian media landscape have been recognized publicly; in December 2019 Laurent Despas was named Chevalier of Ivory Coast’s Order of Merit for Communication and Media. Over more than a decade, Koaci has built a recognizable voice in francophone African journalism: a daily news operation that centers African perspectives, publishes across multiple countries, and offers both editorial coverage and a structured channel for institutional information.