As Africa’s digital economy accelerates, mobile phones have become the continent’s primary gateway to financial services, healthcare, e-commerce, and governance. But this transformation is coming at a cost—cybersecurity is no longer a luxury, but a necessity.
From Kenya to Nigeria, Africa’s mobile-first economies are facing an unprecedented wave of cyber threats. In 2023 alone, Kenya reported over 15,000 ransomware attacks, costing an estimated KES 107.1 billion. Across the continent, cybercrime is estimated to cost African nations more than $4 billion annually, with over 90% of organizations lacking proper cybersecurity protocols.
Much of Africa’s digital innovation has been driven by mobile money platforms such as M-Pesa, MTN MoMo, and Airtel Money. These services have deepened financial inclusion, reaching populations traditionally excluded from formal banking. But their scale and centrality to daily life make them prime targets for hackers.
In response, governments are ramping up legislation. Kenya’s Data Protection Act and Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act now require digital service providers to implement risk mitigation plans and report breaches within 24 hours. Ghana’s Cyber Security Authority, established by law in 2020, has detected and blocked over 21,000 financial fraud attempts as part of its national cyber resilience agenda.
At the continental level, the African Union’s Convention on Cybersecurity and Personal Data Protection (the Malabo Convention) came into force in June 2023, aiming to align national cybersecurity efforts and strengthen data protection laws across member states.
Private sector players are also stepping up. Cybersecurity tools such as Samsung Knox and managed detection and response (MDR) solutions are helping organizations secure their mobile ecosystems. Notably, companies using MDR have seen a 97.5% drop in cybersecurity insurance claims compared to those relying solely on endpoint protection.
As Africa’s economy becomes increasingly digital, cybersecurity is no longer a backend concern—it is central to trust, innovation, and long-term growth. For mobile-first economies, securing the digital frontier is essential to sustaining progress and protecting millions who rely on their phones not just for communication, but for life itself.