An African cybersecurity study has revealed that despite growing concerns about safety of information across the continent, users are increasingly likely to share personal information if there's something in it for them.
Professional WhatsApp use is on the rise, and African internet users are willing to give away personal information despite being more concerned about cybercrime than two years ago. These were some of the key findings of the KnowB4 African Cybersecurity and Awareness Report, released in February, and should guide IT professionals and policymakers in establishing protocols for internet use.
The survey was conducted to determine how prepared Africans are for cybersecurity threats. The survey has been carried out annually since 2019, polling 800 adults across seven African countries, including: Morocco, South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Egypt, Kenya and Botswana.
“The goal of the survey was to assess respondents’ cybersecurity awareness, digital habits and online security practices,” says Anna Collard, SVP content strategy at KnowBe4 Africa. “Many challenges remain the same, but some are new, such as the alarming rise of deepfake technology.”
The survey found that Africans are more concerned about cybercrime than they were two years ago with the percentage of respondents who said they were “very concerned” about cybercrime having almost doubled since 2023 (58 percent compared to 29 percent). The respondents listed fear of online fraud and losing money as their top concerns.
Rising smart phone usage
The survey also revealed that the use of smart phones in Africa is on the rise. Mobile data usage increased from 71 percent in 2023 to 75 percent in 2025. The use of mobile financial services, both for payments and banking, increased from 63 percent to 85 percent.
Kenya leads in mobile payment adoption, with 28 percent of respondents using mobile payment apps, significantly above the continental average of 10 percent. The high use of mobile financial transactions coupled with an increase in mobile threats, underscores the importance of mobile-centric security education.
For instance, according to the Communications Authority of Kenya, mobile application threats detected in the three months leading up to September 2024 surged by 333 percent compared to the same period the previous year in that country, with perpetrators primarily aiming to steal sensitive user data such as login credentials, and financial details.
“The rise in mobile banking and payments indicates greater financial inclusion through digital means, which is generally positive for economic development in Africa,” says Collard. “However, an increase in mobile banking and payments also increases the attack surface for cybercriminals, which underscores the importance of mobile-centric security education.”
Concerns around personal data
Another aspect of technology that’s on the rise is the use of WhatsApp for work. Professional WhatApp usage increased from 89 percent to 93 percent in this year’s survey. Other popular apps for business included email, Facebook, LinkedIn and Zoom.
“The increase in WhatsApp usage for work shows a further blurring of lines between users’ personal and professional lives,” comments Collard. “This can lead to increased risks, as personal devices may not have the same level of security as corporate-managed devices.”
Despite concerns about cybercrime, the survey revealed that African users are increasingly willing to give away personal information. The percentage of respondents “very unlikely” to give away personal information almost halved from 29 percent in 2023 to 14 percent in 2025.
The survey found that 14 percent of respondents are comfortable sharing personal information, with eight percent saying they are likely to do so if they can get something in return, such as a discount, and six percent saying they share personal information all the time.
Among respondents very likely to give away their personal information are those living in Egypt (11 percent), Nigeria (10 percent) and Kenya (seven percent). South African respondents were more cautious, with only four percent very willing to give away their personal data, compared to the average of 5.5 percent.
“This is a concerning trend and reveals the need for more training on personal security,” asserts Collard. “This is further emphasised by the lack of understanding among respondents about what constitutes a strong password and multi-factor authentication.” Understanding of strong passwords slightly decreased from 62 percent in 2023 to 58 percent in 2025, while comprehension of multi-factor authentication remained stable at around 58 percent.
