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Lionel Dartnall, Country Manager SADC, Check Point Software Technologies

The year 2026 marks a profound turning point for Africa’s cyber security landscape. Artificial intelligence, automation, and hyper-connectivity are redefining the continent’s growth, accelerating economic inclusion while exposing new systemic vulnerabilities.

Across finance, energy, telecoms, and government, digital transformation is expanding the attack surface. The challenge is no longer connectivity, but control: how to secure the complex, data-rich ecosystems Africa is rapidly building. These eight predictions explore how innovation, regulation, and human capital will shape a decade defined by prevention and shared resilience.

By 2026, agentic AI—autonomous systems capable of acting independently without human oversight—will be integrated into logistics, finance, and public administration. While transforming productivity, this evolution exposes a governance gap: when AI acts independently, who is accountable? Across Africa, countries such as Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa have developed national AI strategies; however, their execution remains limited. Private-sector adoption in fintech and telecoms is outpacing regulation, creating opportunities for efficiency, but also for bias. Embedding governance through transparency and explainable AI will determine whether Africa leads responsibly or reacts belatedly.

Why it matters: Governance determines whether AI accelerates inclusion or amplifies inequality.

AI-generated deception is the fastest-growing cyber threat. In Africa’s mobile-first economy, where over 650 million people use mobile devices for finance, deepfake scams can bypass traditional authentication.

SIM-swap and identity fraud already cost South Africa over R5 billion annually. The next wave of attacks will involve cloned voice approvals and synthetic customer interactions. We must build systems that verify authenticity in real-time.

Why it matters: When every image or voice can be faked, proof replaces perception as the cornerstone of security.

As African organisations modernise, cloud platforms are becoming mission-critical. Yet misconfigurations, not malware, cause most breaches. According to the World Economic Forum, 60% of global cloud incidents result from human error or permission drift.

Africa’s hybrid infrastructures are especially exposed. The problem is not adoption but oversight: unmonitored APIs, unpatched test environments, and inconsistent governance.

Why it matters: In 2026, configuration hygiene will matter more than antivirus. The unseen will cause the most damage.

Ransomware has evolved into data-pressure operations, threatening to leak sensitive information rather than just encrypting it. Africa’s critical infrastructure is increasingly targeted. As industrial digitalisation grows 30% annually, the consequences of extortion extend beyond downtime to public trust. A corrupted dataset in a power grid can trigger cascading real-world disruption.

Why it matters: Integrity, not availability, will be the new measure of resilience.

Cyber security is now a board-level discipline. By 2026, external risk ratings and exposure scores will influence investment and creditworthiness. The African Union’s Digital Security Framework is pushing for transparency in cyber reporting. As executives seek quantifiable metrics, cyber security will join financial and ESG performance as a marker of corporate maturity. Markets will reward companies that treat resilience as strategy, not just insurance.

Why it matters: What the board measures, the business secures.

The convergence of the EU’s NIS2 Directive, the AI Act, and global data laws are reshaping trade. African exporters must demonstrate compliance to maintain market access. Noncompliance could exclude firms from lucrative cross-border contracts.

In 2026, cyber resilience will be essential to trade. Exporters that can prove trust will outpace those that only promise it.

Why it matters: Regulation is evolving from paperwork to performance; resilience is the new trade currency.

The global cyber security talent shortage has surpassed five million, and Africa faces a critical share of this deficit. Despite its young population, the continent has over 200 000 unfilled roles. Without local expertise, reliance on external providers will deepen. Sustained funding is essential to boost local skills training.

Why it matters: Cyber sovereignty begins with skills; without human capacity, even the best tools fail.

Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs) are becoming Africa’s operational backbone. Talent shortages and constrained budgets are driving small and mid-sized enterprises toward managed defence. By 2026, most firms will consume cyber security “as a service”. This model enables continuous protection through AI-assisted analytics and shared threat intelligence.

Why it matters: MSSPs democratise advanced defence, bridging both talent and tooling gaps.

Africa’s digital future will be defined by tempo. AI and hybrid infrastructures are accelerating faster than governance, yet Africa’s agility provides a unique advantage. The continent can embed security into its growth story from the start. Prevention, partnership, and people will determine who leads the next decade of digital trust.

For more about trends defining Africa’s cyber security landscape, download the Check Point African Perspectives on Cyber Security Report 2025: www.checkpoint.com/resources/items/report-african-perspectives-on-cyber-security-2025