Mastercard Opens Africa Cybersecurity Center as Digital Risks Grow
The initiative begins in South Africa and Nigeria, bringing governments and businesses together to improve threat intelligence, strengthen resilience and support the continent's expanding digital economy.
Mastercard has launched the Africa Cybersecurity Center of Excellence, a continent-wide initiative aimed at strengthening cyber resilience, improving threat intelligence sharing and supporting secure digital growth as Africa’s digital economy continues to expand.
The initiative, announced during Mastercard Chief Executive Officer Michael Miebach’s visit to South Africa and Nigeria, is expected to bring together governments, financial institutions, businesses and cybersecurity experts to improve collaboration against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats. The rollout will begin in 2026, with South Africa and Nigeria serving as the first participating markets.
The announcement comes as Africa’s digital economy is projected to reach $1.5 trillion by 2030, driving greater demand for stronger cybersecurity systems to protect businesses, consumers and critical digital infrastructure.
According to Mastercard, the Center of Excellence will operate as a pan-African digital hub designed to help organizations detect emerging cyber risks earlier, strengthen preparedness and improve coordinated responses to cyber incidents. Participating organizations will have access to Africa-focused threat intelligence, cybersecurity assessments and secure information-sharing platforms to support collective defense across the continent.
The first phase of the initiative will include an ecosystem cyber risk assessment covering up to 50 organizations. Participants will also gain access to a dedicated Africa-focused threat intelligence feed developed by Recorded Future, a Mastercard company, alongside joint cybersecurity exercises and resilience-building programs.
Speaking during the launch, Mastercard CEO Michael Miebach said trust remains the foundation of digital transformation, noting that stronger collaboration between the public and private sectors is essential to securing Africa’s growing digital economy.
“Africa is dynamic, fast-growing, and ready to scale its digital future. That won’t happen without trust. People don’t use what they don’t trust. That makes cybersecurity foundational to driving economic resilience and growth across the continent. By doing more to connect public and private sector efforts and share best practices, we can strengthen collective defense and secure a more confident and inclusive digital economy.” He said.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa welcomed the initiative, describing it as an important step toward reinforcing the country’s cybersecurity capabilities through partnerships between governments and industry.
Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu also welcomed the collaboration, saying secure and trusted digital systems will be critical as Nigeria accelerates its digital transformation agenda.
The launch follows discussions between Mastercard and the governments of Nigeria and South Africa on expanding cybersecurity cooperation, including engagements held during last year’s G20 meetings in Johannesburg and subsequent talks in Abuja.
Additionally, cybersecurity has become an increasingly pressing challenge across Africa as digital adoption accelerates. Mastercard estimates that only about 35% of cyber incidents on the continent are officially reported, largely due to limited detection capabilities, varying levels of cyber maturity and concerns over reputational damage.
The company says the resulting underreporting creates gaps in understanding the region’s threat landscape and weakens coordinated responses to cybercrime.
South Africa remains Africa’s most targeted country for cyberattacks, accounting for approximately 29% of ransomware attacks and 40% of phishing incidents recorded across the continent. Nigeria also ranks among the countries most affected by ransomware attacks and dark web-related cyber threats.
The Africa Cybersecurity Center of Excellence will focus on three key areas: providing strategic threat intelligence, strengthening collaboration among cybersecurity leaders and improving organizational readiness through continuous risk monitoring, resilience assessments and simulation exercises.
Mastercard said the Center is intended to evolve over time by expanding its capabilities to meet emerging cybersecurity challenges across African markets.
The initiative also builds on the company’s broader investments in cybersecurity. Since 2018, Mastercard says it has invested more than $12.6 billion in cybersecurity innovation and supported the launch of more than 20 cybersecurity-focused startups as it continues expanding its role beyond payments into technology and cyber intelligence.
Ultimately, through the new Center of Excellence, Mastercard aims to work with governments, financial institutions, large enterprises and small businesses to strengthen the digital infrastructure needed to support secure, inclusive and sustainable economic growth across Africa.
Go to TECHTRENDSKE.co.ke for more tech and business news from the African continent and across the world.
Follow us on WhatsApp, Telegram, Twitter, and Facebook, or subscribe to our weekly newsletter to ensure you don’t miss out on any future updates. Send tips to editorial@techtrendsmedia.co.ke
