South Africa emerges as Africa's prime cybercrime target as AI fuels attacks: Interpol
Cape Town, Aug 5
South Africa has emerged as one of the main targets of cybercriminals in Africa, accounting for a dominant share of ransomware, phishing and business email compromise detections across the continent, local media reported on Wednesday, citing the latest Interpol report on cybercrime in Africa.
Interpol's 40-page African Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2026, released on Monday and based on information collected from 36 African countries, described Southern Africa as "the continent's most digitally advanced and most heavily targeted region," with South Africa accounting for the majority of several major cyberattack categories.
According to the report, South Africa accounted for 92 per cent of all ransomware detections in Africa recorded by TrendAI, while the country also registered 213,523 distributed denial-of-service attacks, including a single incident reaching 312 gigabits per second.
South Africa also accounted for almost 40 per cent of all African phishing detections tracked by cybersecurity company SOCRadar and 70 per cent of business email compromise detections in 2025 based on TrendAI data, the report said, Xinhua news agency reported. The report also warned that cybercrime across the continent had evolved from isolated criminal activity into "an industrialized, borderless ecosystem," driven increasingly by artificial intelligence and automated tools.
Financial losses linked to cybercrime in Africa have more than doubled since 2024, rising from 192 million U.S. dollars to 484 million U.S. dollars, according to the report.
Online scams remained the most frequently reported cybercrime in Africa in 2025, with criminals increasingly using mobile money platforms, social media and artificial intelligence to target victims.
The report said 72 per cent of surveyed African countries had reported the presence of scam centers, with the highest concentration found in Southern and West Africa.
"Cybercrime has emerged as one of the most significant criminal threats to the region," said Neal Jetton, director of Interpol's cybercrime unit, in a statement.
"AI is automating every stage of a cyberattack, from reconnaissance and phishing to extortion and evasion," Jetton said.
"However, we see that when countries work together, cybercriminal infrastructure can be identified, disrupted and dismantled," he added.
Despite having some of the continent's most developed cybersecurity frameworks, Southern African countries remained vulnerable to the speed and scale of AI-enabled attacks, the report said.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Interesting that AI is making cyberattacks more industrial. The report mentioning 312 Gbps DDoS attack is mind-boggling. I hope global cooperation like Interpol's initiative works, because these criminals don't respect borders.
The jump in financial losses from $192M to $484M in just a year is terrifying. 😨 And here we are in India doing UPI transactions without a second thought. Cyber hygiene is not optional anymore, it's essential. We need better digital literacy across the board.
The point about scam centers concentrated in Southern and West Africa is concerning. This is a global syndicate now. I hope Indian agencies are watching these trends, because our digital payments ecosystem could be a big target. Prevention is better than cure.
70% of business email compromise in Africa targeting South Africa? That shows even corporates with resources are vulnerable. As someone working in finance, I can't stress enough how important it is to verify everything online. AI is making scams way too convincing now.
South Africa is like India of Africa in terms of digital economy, so it makes sense why they're targeted. The real issue here is that AI is a double-edged sword. While we use it for growth, criminals are using it for ransom. We need AI-based defense mechanisms too.
N We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.