Our latest Africa Cybersecurity Consciousness survey has revealed a startling surge in cybersecurity issues amongst African customers, with 58% of respondents expressing excessive ranges of fear about cybercrime – a determine that has practically doubled from 29% in 2023.
The concern shouldn’t be unfounded. As highlighted by Interpol’s African Cyberthreat Report 2024, the continent has witnessed a major uptick in cybercrime, together with its monetary and social repercussions. South Africa alone noticed over R1 billion stolen from shoppers via digital banking and cellular app crime in 2023, based on the South African Banking Threat Info Centre.
But it surely’s not simply concerning the numbers. The character of cyber threats is evolving, with criminals more and more exploiting human psychology via social engineering ways. E mail phishing and vishing (voice phishing) proceed to be the go-to strategies for cybercriminals, whereas rising applied sciences like AI-generated content material are being weaponized for impersonation, extortion, and knowledge theft.
Maybe most alarming is the blurring of strains between bodily and digital crime. Incidents of criminals utilizing kidnapping or coercion to forcibly entry victims’ banking functions underscore the rising sophistication and brazenness of those threats.
In response to those issues, we carried out a survey throughout seven African international locations to gauge consumer preparedness for cybersecurity threats. The outcomes paint a fancy image of elevated consciousness coupled with persistent vulnerabilities.
On the constructive facet, the adoption of cellular monetary providers 85% amongst survey respondents, signifies higher monetary inclusion via digital means. Nevertheless, this additionally expands the potential assault floor for cybercriminals, emphasizing the necessity for strong, mobile-centric safety schooling.
The survey additionally revealed some regarding developments. Whereas 83% of respondents expressed confidence of their capacity to acknowledge a safety incident, 53% admitted they did not know what ransomware was, and 35% had misplaced cash to scams. This disconnect highlights the hazard of overconfidence in cybersecurity issues.
Privateness issues appear to be fading, with fewer respondents expressing reluctance to share private data. The share of these “impossible” to present away private knowledge virtually halved from 29% in 2023 to 14% in 2025.
As we navigate this evolving panorama, it is clear that whereas consciousness is rising, there’s nonetheless a lot work to be finished. The survey underscores the necessity for continued schooling and vigilance in cybersecurity practices throughout the continent.
Regardless of elevated concern about cybercrime among the many survey’s respondents, there are nonetheless gaps in data and observe that must be addressed to enhance total cybersecurity posture throughout the continent.
As we transfer ahead in 2025, addressing these vulnerabilities ought to be a precedence for people, organizations, and policymakers alike. Solely via concerted efforts can we hope to construct a safer digital future for Africa.
