Heirs Technologies: AI Now Features in Over 55% of Cybercrime Cases Across Africa
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
Heirs Technologies has reported that over 55 percent of cybercrime incidents in Africa now involve the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), highlighting the escalating complexity of cyber threats facing businesses and individuals across the continent. The findings, from the organization's second edition of the Africa's Cybersecurity Landscape 2026 report, reveal that 82 percent of respondents in sub-Saharan Africa experienced cyber-enabled fraud from friends or colleagues within the last year.
The report, which focuses on Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa, highlights ransomware, financial fraud, credential theft, and AI-driven attacks as significant cybersecurity risks due to Africa's rapid digital transformation. It predicts that cloud-based cybersecurity spending in sub-Saharan Africa will increase at a compound annual growth rate of 14.63 percent through 2031, indicating a growing need for digital protection solutions.
However, the high cost of security tools and foreign-currency pricing pose challenges, making cybersecurity unaffordable for many African businesses. The report views this as an opportunity for locally delivered, cost-effective managed security services to strengthen the continent's cybersecurity infrastructure. It also explores how emerging regulations and data localisation requirements are altering enterprise security priorities, identifying potential in AI-powered threat monitoring, managed security services, and Security Operations Centre-as-a-Service (SOC-as-a-Service).
Heirs Technologies' CEO, Obong Idiong, emphasized the importance of a robust trust and resilience foundation for Africa's digital growth, stressing that as cyber threats evolve, safeguarding this progress is crucial for sustaining the continent's digital transformation. The report recommends enhanced cybersecurity capabilities, investment in cybersecurity talent, regulatory alignment, and collaboration among enterprises, policymakers, and technology providers.
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