Mastercard whitepaper calls for coordinated action to secure Africa’s digital future
The whitepaper notes that cybersecurity risks vary across African economies according to their digital infrastructure, financial systems and governance frameworks.
Africa’s expanding digital economy is creating new opportunities for consumers, businesses and governments, but rising cyber threats could undermine the continent’s progress without stronger security measures, a new Mastercard-commissioned report warns.
The whitepaper, *Africa’s Digital Defense Race*, reveals that cyberattacks across Africa increased by more than 421% between 2016 and 2025, compared with a 307% global increase over the same period.
Mastercard Cyber Insights recorded 69,236 observed cyber events targeting African organisations in 2025, representing roughly one event every eight minutes.
The report comes as digital financial services continue to grow rapidly. Mobile money users increased 5.9-fold between 2016 and 2025, while digital banking users grew 4.7-fold and the e-commerce market expanded 5.3-fold.
Africa’s digital payments economy is expected to reach USD 1.5 trillion by 2030, creating an increasingly valuable ecosystem that requires stronger protection.
Read the forecast: [Africa’s digital payments economy expected to reach USD 1.5 trillion by 2030](https://www.mastercard.com/news/eemea/en/newsroom/press-releases/en/2025-1/march/digital-payments-economy-in-africa-expected-to-reach-1-5-trillion-by-2030-according-to-new-report/).
Shabir Ahmed, Mastercard’s Senior Vice President and Customer Solutions Center Lead for Africa, said cybersecurity must become a leadership priority as threats grow more sophisticated and coordinated.
“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 pointed to the Africa Cybersecurity Center of Excellence as a platform for cooperation between public and private sector organisations, enabling them to share threat intelligence, knowledge and best practices.
Different markets, shared challenges
The whitepaper notes that cybersecurity risks vary across African economies according to their digital infrastructure, financial systems and governance frameworks.
Nigeria, with its extensive fintech ecosystem, accounted for a significant share of observed cyberattacks in 2025. South Africa’s financial sector attracted 12.6% of the continent’s observed attacks, while Morocco has developed a more institutionalised cybersecurity governance framework.
In Kenya, the report emphasises the importance of protecting the digital systems underpinning financial inclusion and economic expansion.
Technology companies, public institutions and financial services providers collectively accounted for 44% of observed cyber activity. Personal information, financial information and customer-facing services made up 27% of targeted assets.
These figures demonstrate how cyber risks can affect not only institutions but also the people who depend on digital services for payments, banking and other transactions.
Skills shortage creates investment opportunity
The report identifies the cybersecurity workforce gap as a critical area for investment. Africa has an estimated 200,000 cybersecurity positions awaiting qualified professionals, representing a shortage equivalent to 23% of its current workforce.
The Africa Cybersecurity Center of Excellence seeks to help close this gap by facilitating knowledge sharing among security professionals and supporting organisational readiness through scenario-based exercises.
Read more: [Mastercard establishes Africa Cybersecurity Center of Excellence](https://www.mastercard.com/news/eemea/en/newsroom/press-releases/en/mastercard-launches-africa-cybersecurity-center-of-excellence-to-help-secure-the-continent-s-digital-future/).
Cross-border collaboration has also produced tangible enforcement results. Interpol’s Operation Serengeti 2.0, conducted between June and August 2025, led to 1,209 arrests in 18 African countries and the recovery of USD 97.4 million.
Read the operation's results: [Interpol reports major cybercrime enforcement action in Africa](https://www.interpol.int/en/News-and-Events/News/2025/African-authorities-dismantle-massive-cybercrime-and-fraud-networks-recover-millions).
Mastercard says sustained cooperation among governments, financial institutions and businesses will be essential to strengthening Africa’s collective cyber defences as digital adoption accelerates.
The full report, *Africa’s Digital Defense Race*, is available online.
Download the whitepaper: [Africa Cybersecurity Whitepaper](https://www.mastercard.com/mea/en/business/cybersecurity-fraud-prevention/africa-cybersecurity-whitepaper.html).
