Cyberattacks targeting African organisations surged 421.4% between 2016 and 2025, outpacing global growth of 307.3% over the same period, according to a report commissioned by Mastercard, which identifies the rapid expansion of digital services and a shortage of skilled professionals as the continent’s foremost cybersecurity challenges.
Titled Africa’s Digital Defense Race, the report reveals that the Mastercard Cyber Insights platform recorded 69,236 cybersecurity events directed at African organisations in 2025 alone — the equivalent of one incident every eight minutes.
The surge in threats closely tracks the continent’s digital transformation. Between 2016 and 2025, the number of mobile money service users increased 5.9 times, digital banking users grew 4.7-fold, and the e-commerce market expanded 5.3 times.
According to projections cited in the report, Africa’s digital payments market could reach US$1.5 trillion by 2030, underscoring the urgency of protecting the infrastructure and services that underpin economic activity across the continent.
Nigeria, South Africa, Morocco, and Kenya together accounted for 54.7% of all cybersecurity events recorded in Africa in 2025. In Nigeria, the report highlights the exposure of one of the continent’s largest fintech ecosystems. In South Africa, the financial sector was targeted in 12.6% of all attacks observed across the region.
The report also examines the evolution of cybersecurity governance in Morocco and the challenges Kenya faces in protecting payment systems and other digital services associated with financial inclusion.
Organisations in the technology, public, and financial sectors collectively accounted for 44% of all malicious activity identified. Personal data, financial information, and customer-facing services together represented 27% of the assets targeted.
The report further reveals that more than 60% of events where attribution was established were linked to malicious hackers and organised cybercrime groups, reflecting the growing sophistication of threats facing the continent.
A shortage of qualified professionals represents another critical challenge. According to Mastercard, Africa had approximately 200,000 unfilled cybersecurity positions at the end of 2025 — a gap equivalent to 23% of the sector’s existing workforce.
To strengthen response capacity, the company highlights the Africa Cybersecurity Center of Excellence, an initiative that brings together public and private organisations to share threat intelligence, promote best practices, and prepare teams for high-risk scenarios.
The importance of international cooperation is further illustrated by Operation Serengeti 2.0, coordinated by INTERPOL between June and August 2025. The operation, which involved authorities from 18 African countries and the United Kingdom, resulted in 1,209 arrests, the recovery of US$97.4 million, and the dismantling of more than 11,000 pieces of infrastructure used in criminal activities.
In the face of a rapidly expanding digital economy, Mastercard advocates for stronger collaboration between governments, financial institutions, and businesses, as well as sustained investment in professional training and the protection of systems essential to the delivery of digital services.
Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/?p=552246
