Africa’s rapid digital transformation is creating new economic opportunities but also exposing businesses, governments and consumers to growing cyber threats, according to a new Mastercard-commissioned whitepaper.
The report, Africa’s Digital Defense Race, found that cyberattacks across the continent increased by more than 421% between 2016 and 2025, significantly exceeding the global growth rate of 307% over the same period.
Mastercard Cyber Insights recorded 69,236 observed cyber events targeting African organisations in 2025, equivalent to approximately one event every eight minutes.
The findings come as digital services become increasingly central to economic activity across the continent. Between 2016 and 2025, mobile money users grew 5.9-fold, digital banking users increased 4.7-fold, and the e-commerce market expanded 5.3-fold.
Africa’s digital payments economy is projected to reach USD 1.5 trillion by 2030, according to a previous report, underlining the importance of protecting the infrastructure supporting this expansion.
Read the forecast: Africa’s digital payments economy expected to reach USD 1.5 trillion by 2030.
Shabir Ahmed, Mastercard’s Senior Vice President and Customer Solutions Center Lead for Africa, said cybersecurity must be treated as a leadership priority as digital adoption accelerates and threats become more sophisticated.
“Africa’s digital growth is creating real opportunity for people and businesses across the continent, and protecting it has become a leadership priority,” Ahmed said.
He said the response required closer coordination among stakeholders, pointing to the Africa Cybersecurity Center of Excellence as a platform for public and private sector organisations to exchange threat intelligence, knowledge and best practices.
Financial services and public institutions face risks
The whitepaper identifies technology, the public sector and financial services as major areas of exposure, accounting for 44% of observed cyber activity.
Personal information, financial information and customer-facing services collectively represented 27% of targeted assets, reflecting the importance of protecting sensitive data and the systems used by millions of people to access digital services.
Cybersecurity challenges differ across African markets, depending on their financial systems, technology ecosystems and institutional arrangements.
Nigeria, which has one of Africa’s largest fintech ecosystems, accounted for a significant share of observed cyberattacks in 2025. South Africa’s concentrated financial sector was the target of 12.6% of the continent’s observed attacks.
Morocco has developed one of the continent’s more institutionalised cybersecurity governance structures, while Kenya faces the task of strengthening protection for the systems that support financial inclusion and digital growth.
Shortage of cybersecurity professionals
Beyond infrastructure and governance, the report identifies a shortage of skilled cybersecurity professionals as a significant challenge.
Africa has approximately 200,000 cybersecurity positions waiting to be filled, equivalent to a gap of 23% of its current cybersecurity workforce.
The Africa Cybersecurity Center of Excellence is intended to help address these needs by bringing security leaders and teams together to exchange expertise and strengthen organisational preparedness through scenario-based exercises.
Further information: Mastercard launches Africa Cybersecurity Center of Excellence.
The report points to the need for sustained investment in cybersecurity talent, alongside stronger digital infrastructure, improved governance and collaboration between organisations operating across national borders.
Joint action against cybercrime
Regional cooperation is already producing measurable results in the fight against cybercrime.
Between June and August 2025, Interpol’s Operation Serengeti 2.0 led to 1,209 arrests across 18 African countries and the recovery of USD 97.4 million.
The operation demonstrates the importance of coordinated enforcement as cybercriminal networks increasingly operate across jurisdictions.
Read more: Interpol reports arrests and financial recoveries in Africa-wide cybercrime operation.
Mastercard says it works with governments, financial institutions and businesses of different sizes to strengthen cyber resilience through intelligence sharing, risk monitoring and collective defence.
The company’s Africa Cybersecurity Center of Excellence provides a platform for these partnerships, with the aim of helping organisations anticipate emerging threats and improve their response capabilities.
As digital payments, online commerce and financial technology continue to expand, the report argues that cybersecurity will remain essential to maintaining confidence in Africa’s digital economy.
The full whitepaper, Africa’s Digital Defense Race, is available online.
Download the report: Mastercard Africa Cybersecurity Whitepaper.
