Africa’s digital economy is expanding faster than its ability to protect it. INTERPOL’s African Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2026, drawing on information from 36 countries, found that artificial intelligence was involved in 55 per cent of reported cybercrimes across the continent. Reported losses rose from $192 million in 2024 to $484 million, while 72 per cent…
The author, department of communications & digital technologies director-general Nonkqubela Thathakahle Jordan-Dyani What happens when the digital systems we rely on every day stop working? A hospital cannot reach patient records. A municipality cannot deliver essential services. A business cannot process payments. Citizens are locked out of services they depend on. The consequences are felt…
Shoprite Group CEO Pieter Engelbrecht Shoprite has graded the controls protecting it against cyberattacks and data breaches as only “partially effective”, the weakest rating it gives any of its six core business risks. Its own figures show data breaches rising for a second year in a row. The disclosure is in the retailer’s 2026 integrated…
In June 2024, a ransomware attack on South Africa’s National Health Laboratory Service rendered patient records inaccessible, disrupted diagnostics and forced hospitals to cancel surgeries. The incident was a stark reminder that when essential services become digital, attacks on their underlying systems can quickly become disruptions to everyday life. It was not simply a cybersecurity…
As Nigeria’s digital economy accelerates towards an estimated $18.3 billion in 2026, the country is confronting an equally urgent challenge: protecting the digital infrastructure, data and financial ecosystems powering that growth. With more than 281,500 accounts reportedly breached in the first quarter of 2026 alone, the widening gap between digital opportunity and cyber risk is…
A charging port is seen on a Mercedes Benz EQC 400 4Matic electric vehicle at the Canadian International AutoShow in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, February 13, 2019. Mark Blinch | Reuters The automotive industry’s increasing use of over-the-air technology to update vehicle systems makes it more susceptible to cyberattacks, analysts say, urging more intervention in the…
Datatec Group CEO Jens Montanana Datatec Group has delivered a sharp acceleration in earnings for the year ended 28 February 2026, with the JSE-listed international technology distribution and services group benefiting from enterprise AI infrastructure investment and continued cybersecurity expansion across its global operations. Group gross invoiced income – Datatec’s preferred measure of channel activity,…
Helmut Reisinger, CEO of Palo Alto Networks in Europe, the Middle East and Africa Palo Alto Networks, the world’s largest pureplay cybersecurity company, said it is betting big on South Africa. The US company sees growth rates “way above” what it achieves at a global level, according to Helmut Reisinger, its CEO for Europe, the…
South African organisations are investing heavily in cybersecurity. Most large enterprises run multiple platforms across endpoints, cloud, identity, vulnerability management and threat detection. Yet breaches continue to rise, ransomware remains a persistent threat and boards ask why risk still feels high despite significant spend. The reality is that most organisations do not have a technology…
A three-year programme aimed at strengthening digital defences and safeguarding essential public services across Africa has been launched by Google.org in partnership with the Cybersafe Foundation. The initiative, which targets Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa, is designed to support community organisations that provide critical services while holding sensitive data on millions of vulnerable citizens….
