Funmi Ogundare
Heirs Technologies has revealed that more than 55 per cent of cybercrime cases across Africa now incorporate Artificial Intelligence (AI), underscoring the growing sophistication of cyber threats confronting businesses and individuals across the continent.
The organisation also disclosed that 82 per cent of respondents in sub-Saharan Africa said people within their professional or personal networks had been affected by cyber-enabled fraud in the preceding 12 months.
The findings are contained in the second edition of its industry report, Africa’s Cybersecurity Landscape 2026, which examines emerging cyber threats, regulatory challenges and opportunities shaping Africa’s digital ecosystem, with particular focus on Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa.
The report identified ransomware, financial fraud, credential theft and AI-enabled attacks as some of the major cybersecurity risks accompanying the continent’s rapid digital transformation.
It further projected that cloud-based cybersecurity spending in sub-Saharan Africa would grow at a compound annual growth rate of 14.63 per cent through 2031, reflecting increasing demand for digital protection solutions.
However, it noted that foreign-currency pricing and the high cost of security tools were making cybersecurity increasingly difficult for many African businesses to afford.
The report identified this challenge as an opportunity for locally delivered, cost-effective managed security services to strengthen the continent’s cybersecurity infrastructure.
It also examined how evolving regulations and data localisation requirements were reshaping enterprise security priorities, highlighting opportunities in AI-powered threat monitoring, managed security services and Security Operations Centre-as-a-Service (SOC-as-a-Service).
Expatiating on the findings, Chief Executive Officer of Heirs Technologies, Obong Idiong, said Africa’s digital expansion must be supported by a strong foundation of trust and resilience.
“At Heirs Technologies, we believe Africa’s digital expansion must be built on an unshakeable foundation of trust and resilience. As cyberthreats become increasingly sophisticated, protecting this growth is essential to sustaining the continent’s digital transformation,” he said.
The report, he noted, recommended stronger cybersecurity capabilities, increased investment in cybersecurity talent, improved regulatory alignment and closer collaboration among enterprises, policymakers and technology providers.