Africa’s cyber risk intensifies as boards confront systemic threats in 2026

Johannesburg, South Africa, 11 May 2026 — Cyber risk across Africa has entered a new phase of intensity and complexity, with organisations increasingly exposed to disruption, data compromise and loss of trust, according to the EY Africa Cybersecurity Threat Outlook 2026.

The report finds that cyber threats are no longer episodic IT incidents, but systemic risks that directly impact operations, financial performance and stakeholder confidence. Attack speed, scale and coordination are all increasing, while organisations struggle to keep pace with rapid digital transformation.

A shift from isolated cyber events to systemic risk

Across the continent, the nature of cyber risk is changing.

Organisations are becoming more interconnected through digital platforms, cloud environments and third-party ecosystems. As a result, a single incident can now cascade across operations, supply chains and even national infrastructure.

This shift means cyber risk is no longer contained within individual systems or organisations. It has become a broader business risk with real-world consequences, including service outages, operational disruption and regulatory exposure.

Five themes emerging from the 12 trends

While the report highlights 12 specific trends, they point collectively to a smaller number of critical shifts that boards need to understand and act on:

1. Identity, not infrastructure, is now the primary attack surface

Traditional perimeter defences are becoming less effective. Attackers are increasingly targeting identity systems, credentials and access pathways to gain entry and move undetected across environments.

2. Disruption is the new objective of cyber attacks

Ransomware and other attacks are no longer focused only on financial gain. Increasingly, the goal is to disrupt operations, halt critical services and force rapid decisions under pressure.

3. Ecosystem risk is expanding organisational exposure

Third-party providers, supply chains and digital partners are now a major source of vulnerability. Many organisations have limited visibility into these extended ecosystems, increasing the potential impact of a single breach.

4. Technology is accelerating both threat and defence

The rise of AI is transforming the threat landscape, enabling more sophisticated attacks while also compressing the time between vulnerability discovery and exploitation. At the same time, organisations are leveraging automation and AI to strengthen detection and response.

5. Governance and accountability are under pressure

Boards and executives are facing increasing expectations from regulators, stakeholders and the market. Cybersecurity is now a governance issue, requiring clearer accountability, faster decision-making and closer alignment with business strategy.

Cyber resilience is now a business imperative

The report highlights that organisations operating in critical sectors such as financial services, telecommunications, energy, transport and government are particularly exposed.

In these environments, cyber incidents are not just technical failures. They can affect service delivery, economic activity and public trust.

As a result, resilience is becoming the central measure of cybersecurity effectiveness, not simply the ability to prevent attacks, but the ability to continue operating, recover quickly and maintain trust.

Key questions executive teams should be asking

In response to these shifts, boards and leadership teams need to challenge their organisations more directly. Key questions include:

• Are we prepared to maintain critical operations during a major cyber incident?
• Do we understand our exposure across third-party and ecosystem relationships?
• Are we securing identities and access with the same focus as infrastructure?
• How quickly can we detect, respond to and recover from a breach?
• Are roles, responsibilities and decision rights clearly defined at executive level?
• Can we demonstrate resilience to regulators, customers and stakeholders?

These questions reflect a broader shift from technical control to strategic oversight.

Ritesh Guttoo, EY Africa Cybersecurity Leader, said: “Across Africa, cyber risk is no longer theoretical. It is a lived operational reality. As organisations continue to digitise at pace, many are finding that their security posture has not evolved at the same speed.

The challenge for boards is no longer just protecting systems, but ensuring the organisation can withstand disruption, recover quickly and maintain trust in an increasingly complex environment.”

From cyber defence to cyber resilience

The report concludes that organisations must move beyond reactive approaches to cybersecurity. This requires a more integrated model, combining governance, technology and operational readiness to manage risk effectively across the business.

Those that succeed will be organisations that treat cybersecurity as a strategic capability, enabling trust, supporting transformation and strengthening long-term resilience.

About the report

The EY Africa Cybersecurity Threat Outlook 2026 provides insights into the evolving cyber threat landscape across the continent, highlighting 12 emerging trends that are shaping organisational risk, resilience and governance priorities.