New INTERPOL report warns of sharp rise in cybercrime in Africa

A recently published INTERPOL report, the 2025 Africa Cyberthreat Assessment, paints a stark picture of a continent grappling with a sharp rise in cybercrime. The assessment reveals that cyber-related offenses now account for a “medium-to-high” share of all crimes in two-thirds of African member countries, soaring to over 30% in Western and Eastern Africa. This surge poses a significant threat to the region’s economic and social development.

The report identifies online scams, particularly phishing, as the most frequently reported cybercrimes. Ransomware, business email compromise (BEC), and digital sextortion are also rampant, with some countries witnessing a staggering 3,000% increase in suspected scam notifications over the past year. Ransomware detections have surged, with South Africa and Egypt recording the highest numbers, while BEC fraud has fueled sophisticated, multi-million-dollar criminal enterprises, such as the notorious Black Axe syndicate in West Africa. Worryingly, 60% of African countries reported an increase in digital sextortion cases, often involving AI-generated explicit images.

A major concern highlighted in the report is the widening gap between the escalating cybercrime threat and the capacity of African law enforcement to combat it. A staggering 90% of African countries admit needing “significant improvement” in their law enforcement and prosecution capabilities. Seventy-five percent of surveyed nations reported that their legal frameworks and prosecution capacities require enhancement, and 95% cited insufficient training, resource constraints, and a lack of specialized tools. Furthermore, essential IT infrastructure for incident reporting, digital evidence repositories, and cyberthreat intelligence databases remains largely underdeveloped.

The transnational nature of cybercrime necessitates robust international cooperation, yet 86% of African member countries reported deficiencies in this area due to slow processes and limited access to foreign-hosted data. Similarly, collaboration with the private sector, crucial for intelligence sharing and response, needs “significant” or “some” improvement in 89% of countries.

Despite the daunting challenges, the INTERPOL report acknowledges positive strides made by some African nations in strengthening cyber resilience. These include advancements in legal frameworks, harmonization of cybersecurity laws with international standards, and investments in specialized cybercrime response units and digital forensics. Operations like “Serengeti” and “Red Card,” coordinated by INTERPOL, have led to over 1,000 arrests and the dismantling of countless malicious networks, demonstrating the potential of collaborative efforts.

To counter the growing threat, INTERPOL’s report proposes six strategic recommendations: strengthening national capabilities, enhancing legal and policy frameworks, improving regional and international cooperation, expanding prevention and public awareness, deepening public-private partnerships, and leveraging emerging technologies for cybercrime prevention. The message is clear: sustained, coordinated action is vital to safeguard Africa’s digital future.