Africa recorded a 421% increase in cyberattacks between 2016 and 2025, raising concerns about the security of the continent’s rapidly expanding digital economy. A new report by Mastercard has also revealed that about 200,000 cybersecurity positions remained unfilled across Africa at the end of 2025.
The report, titled Africa’s Digital Defense Race, was released on October 12, 2026. It highlights the growing pressure on businesses, financial institutions and government agencies to strengthen their digital defences as more people embrace online services.
According to the report, Africa’s increase in cyberattacks during the period was significantly higher than the global rise of 307%, reflecting the security challenges accompanying the continent’s growing reliance on digital technology.
Mastercard Cyber Insights recorded 69,236 cyber events targeting African organisations in 2025, equivalent to approximately one incident every eight minutes.
Shabir Ahmed, Mastercard’s Senior Vice President and Customer Solutions Center Lead for Africa, said protecting the continent’s expanding digital economy had become a priority for business and government leaders.
He stressed the need for coordinated action as cybercriminals adopt increasingly sophisticated methods, noting that partnerships between public and private organisations would be important for sharing intelligence, expertise and effective security practices.
The report warns that cybersecurity must keep pace with the rapid adoption of digital financial services, e commerce and other technology driven activities across Africa.
Africa’s digital payments economy is projected to reach $1.5 trillion by 2030, according to the whitepaper. Between 2016 and 2025, the number of mobile money users increased 5.9 times, while digital banking users grew 4.7 times. The continent’s e commerce market also expanded 5.3 times over the same period.
Although these developments have improved access to financial services and created new business opportunities, they have also increased the importance of protecting personal information, financial records and the digital infrastructure that supports everyday transactions.
Cybersecurity workforce faces 200,000 job shortage
Beyond the rise in attacks, the shortage of skilled cybersecurity professionals presents another major challenge for Africa.
The Mastercard report estimates that approximately 200,000 cybersecurity positions remained vacant across the continent at the end of 2025. The figure represents about 23% of Africa’s existing cybersecurity workforce.
The shortage could limit the ability of organizations to identify threats early, respond to security breaches and protect critical digital infrastructure as cyber risks continue to grow.
However, the gap also presents an opportunity to expand professional training, develop practical technical skills and prepare more people for careers in cybersecurity.
Mastercard is seeking to support these efforts through its Africa Cybersecurity Center of Excellence, an initiative designed to bring security professionals and organizational teams together to exchange knowledge, share best practices and improve preparedness through practical, scenario based exercises.
The initiative reflects the growing recognition that cybersecurity cannot be handled by individual organisations alone. Governments, financial institutions, technology companies and businesses must work together to strengthen their ability to prevent and respond to attacks.
Financial institutions and government agencies among major targets
Technology companies, public institutions and financial services organizations accounted for 44% of the cyber activity observed in the report, highlighting the exposure of sectors that manage valuable data and provide essential services.
Personal information, financial data and customer facing services collectively accounted for 27% of the assets targeted by cybercriminals. Attacks on these assets can expose sensitive records, disrupt business operations and undermine public confidence in digital platforms.
The report also identifies differences in cybersecurity challenges across major African markets.
Nigeria’s large fintech ecosystem accounted for a significant share of observed cyberattacks on the continent, reflecting the importance of protecting the digital platforms supporting its expanding financial technology sector.
In South Africa, the concentration of financial institutions made the sector a major target, accounting for 12.6% of observed attacks.
Morocco has developed a more established cybersecurity governance structure, while Kenya continues to face the need to strengthen the security of systems supporting financial inclusion and digital economic growth.
These differences underline the importance of developing cybersecurity strategies that respond to the specific needs of individual countries while encouraging cooperation across national borders.
As cybercriminals increasingly target interconnected systems, weaknesses in one market can create risks for businesses and institutions operating elsewhere.
Regional cooperation helps combat cybercrime
The Mastercard whitepaper points to international cooperation as an important part of the response to cybercrime, highlighting Interpol’s Operation Serengeti 2.0 as an example of what coordinated enforcement can achieve.
Between June and August 2025, the operation resulted in 1,209 arrests across 18 African countries and the recovery of $97.4 million, according to the report.
The results demonstrate the potential of joint investigations and information sharing among law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders in tackling criminal networks that operate across national boundaries.
Mastercard says its Africa Cybersecurity Center of Excellence is intended to encourage similar cooperation by helping public and private organizations share threat intelligence, monitor emerging risks and improve their collective response to cyber incidents.
With digital payments, online banking and e commerce continuing to expand, Africa faces the challenge of ensuring that investment in cybersecurity grows alongside its digital economy.
The report identifies stronger cyber resilience, workforce development and cross sector collaboration as important priorities for protecting businesses, consumers and public institutions while sustaining the continent’s digital progress.
