A recent survey conducted by KnowBe4 AFRICA has revealed that 58 percent of Africans are very concerned about cybercrime, with fears of online fraud and financial losses being their top worries.
This figure has nearly doubled from 29 percent in 2023, reflecting the growing apprehension towards AI-assisted cyberthreats.
The survey noted that continent has seen a notable increase in cybercrime, particularly in ransomware, digital extortion and online scams. For instance, South Africa lost $3 billion to digital banking and mobile app crime in 2023, according to the South African Banking Risk Information Centre.
Cybercriminals are using increasingly sophisticated methods, including AI-generated content to impersonate officials and executives, while social engineering attacks are becoming more advanced.
In response to these concerns, KnowBe4 AFRICA conducted a survey to assess how prepared Africans are for cybersecurity threats.
This annual survey, which began in 2019, polled 800 adults across seven African countries: Morocco, South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Egypt, Kenya and Botswana.
“The goal of the survey was to assess respondents’ cybersecurity awareness, digital habits, and online security practices,” said Anna Collard, senior vice president responsible for content strategy at KnowBe4 AFRICA.
“Many challenges remain the same, but some are new, such as the alarming rise of deepfake technology.”
She said another key insight from the survey is the increasing use of smartphones in Africa.
Mobile data usage rose from 71 percent in 2023 to 75 percent in 2025. Additionally, the use of mobile financial services for payments and banking increased significantly from 63 percent to 85 percent.
“The rise in mobile banking and payments indicates greater financial inclusion through digital means, which is generally positive for economic development in Africa,” stated Collard.
“However, an increase in mobile banking and payments also increases the attack surface for cybercriminals, which underscores the importance of mobile-centric security education.”
The survey also highlighted a worrying trend in the ease with which African users give away their personal information.
The percentage of respondents who were “very unlikely” to give away personal information nearly halved from 29 percent in 2023 to 14 percent in 2025.
Fourteen percent of respondents are comfortable sharing personal information, with eight percent likely to do so in exchange for something in return, such as a discount, and six percent sharing personal information regularly.
“This is a concerning trend and reveals the need for more training on personal security,” said Collard.
“This is further emphasised by the lack of understanding among respondents about what constitutes a strong password and multi-factor authentication.”
Understanding of strong passwords slightly decreased from 62 percent in 2023 to 58 percent in 2025, while comprehension of multi-factor authentication remained stable at around 58 percent.
“Despite increased concern about cybercrime among the survey’s respondents, there are still gaps in knowledge and practice that need to be addressed to improve overall cybersecurity posture across the continent.”
JN/APA