An Afrobarometer telephone survey reveals that most adults across seven African countries frequently use the Internet, but many are unaware of digital security measures and apply them inconsistently, or not at all.
On average across Angola, Benin, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, and Tanzania, the majority of respondents expressed concern about the security of their personal data online and considered their mobile phone to be the most vulnerable device to digital threats.
Many were unaware of the existence of online protection tools, and few implemented security measures, particularly those offering enhanced protection such as two-factor authentication, VPNs, and antivirus software.
Respondents tend to rely heavily on informal sources, such as social media and their friends or family, for advice on digital security, while more structured resources – such as the work environment or online tutorials – are used less frequently.
Although limited to seven countries and respondents aged over 17, these results highlight significant gaps in digital literacy and suggest the need for targeted education and accessible resources to ensure that Africa’s growing digital footprint is both empowering and secure.
Key results
- On average across the seven countries surveyed, among adults who access Internet content, a large majority (84%) report doing so “every day” or “a few times a week” (Figure 1).
- Mobile phones are the main means of accessing the Internet (85%).
- Young adults (18-35 years old) are more likely to be regular Internet users (87%) than older cohorts (74%-83%).
- More than eight out of ten respondents (82%) report getting their news “a few times a week” or “every day” via social media (Figure 2). Furthermore, half (51%) say they regularly consult other websites.
- More than half (52%) say they are concerned about the security of their personal information online, and 81% believe that mobile phones are more vulnerable to harmful online activity than computers and other devices (Figure 3).
- Only about a third (32%) of respondents say they know “somewhat” (22%) or “a lot” (10%) about the tools and skills to protect their privacy and digital information (Figure 4).
- Internet users’ use of protection tools and practices varies greatly (Figure 5):
- More than seven out of 10 people (72%) say they use strong passwords to protect their online information, although only about half (52%) of Beninese make this claim.
- Other security measures are used much less frequently, including two-factor authentication (33%), antivirus software (30%) and virtual private networks (VPNs) (21%).
- Most respondents rely on social media (60%) and their friends and family (62%) to learn about online security tools (Figure 6).
- Less than half turn to online videos/tutorials (48%), news articles/websites (32%) and workplace resources (29%) as sources of information on online safety.
Afrobarometer is a pan-African, non-partisan survey research network that produces reliable data on Africans’ experiences and perceptions of democracy, governance, and quality of life. Independent of any political affiliation,
Afrobarometer provides reliable data on experiences and assessments of democracy, governance, and quality of life in Africa. For its standard surveys, national partners in approximately 40 African countries conduct face-to-face interviews, in the respondent’s language, with representative samples of 1,200 to 2,400 respondents.
GIK/APA