A landmark cybersecurity report has revealed that South Africa is the most targeted country in Africa for cybercrime, experiencing a staggering 110 major incidents over the past five years—more than double that of second-place Egypt.
The inaugural Security Navigator Africa report by Orange Cyberdefense, which analyzed 340 incidents across the continent, attributes South Africa’s high number to its relatively mature and large economy, which presents a more attractive target for cybercriminals. The primary threats identified are ransomware, cyber extortion, and state-sponsored hacking.
However, the report challenges the long-held assumption that lower cyber maturity automatically leads to higher crime rates across Africa. Instead, it suggests that larger, more connected economies like South Africa’s naturally bear the brunt of attacks by volume.
“The data shows no simple correlation between maturity and incident volume,” said Dominic White of Orange Cyberdefense. He highlighted the “ingenuity, collaboration, and resilience” of African nations, which often compensate for limited resources.
A critical finding of the report is the significant under-reporting of cybercrime across the continent. Many of the incidents were only discovered through monitoring criminal “leak sites” on the dark web, rather than through public disclosures by the victims.
The report serves as a stark warning for South African organizations and a call to action, emphasizing that with rapid digital growth comes a growing responsibility to build robust cyber defenses.
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