Mastercard report reveals surge in African cyberattacks

A Mastercard whitepaper, ‘Africa’s Digital Defense Race’, reports a 421% increase in cyberattacks across Africa between 2016 and 2025, a rate that significantly exceeds the global increase of 307% during the same period.

In 2025, the study recorded 69,236 cyber events targeting African organizations, averaging approximately one incident every eight minutes. The technology, government, and financial services sectors accounted for 44% of this activity, with personal and financial data being the primary targets.

By the end of 2025, Africa faced a cybersecurity talent shortage of approximately 200,000 roles, representing 23% of the continent’s existing cyber workforce. To combat these challenges, Mastercard is establishing an Africa Cybersecurity Center of Excellence to facilitate knowledge sharing and threat intelligence exchange.

Regional exposure varies by country. Nigeria recorded the highest percentage of observed events at 24.4%, followed by South Africa at 12.6% and Morocco at 10.6%. Morocco is noted as a regional technological hub with organized cybersecurity frameworks, though its high ranking reflects its significant digital and economic ties to Europe.