Mastercard has launched the Africa Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence, a new initiative designed to strengthen cyber resilience across the continent as Africa's digital economy continues its rapid expansion. The centre, launched with the backing of President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Nigeria, will use artificial intelligence, threat intelligence, and collaborative security programmes to help organisations detect, prevent, and respond to increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.

The initiative will begin operations in South Africa and Nigeria before expanding across the continent, reflecting Mastercard's growing investment in digital infrastructure beyond payments.

A Continental Response to a Growing Cyber Threat

Africa's digital economy is projected to reach $1.5 trillion by 2030, but that growth is being matched by a sharp rise in cybercrime. South Africa remains the continent's most targeted country for ransomware attacks, while Nigeria continues to experience increasing phishing campaigns, ransomware incidents, and dark web threats targeting financial institutions and businesses.

Despite the scale of the problem, cybersecurity incidents remain significantly underreported across Africa due to skills shortages, limited detection capabilities, and reputational concerns. Mastercard believes addressing these challenges requires stronger collaboration rather than isolated security efforts.

The new centre will provide participating organisations with AI-powered threat intelligence, cybersecurity risk assessments, and tools to improve incident detection before attacks escalate.

AI and Threat Intelligence at the Centre

Rather than functioning as a traditional security operations centre, Mastercard's facility is designed as a collaborative hub connecting governments, banks, fintech companies, and cybersecurity professionals.

During its first year, the centre plans to deliver cybersecurity risk assessments for up to 50 organisations while providing Africa-specific threat intelligence through Recorded Future, Mastercard's cybersecurity business.

The initiative will also bring together chief information security officers, business leaders, and public sector agencies to share intelligence, conduct joint cyber exercises, and coordinate responses to emerging threats.

As cyber attacks become increasingly automated and AI-assisted, Mastercard argues that cybersecurity must become part of Africa's digital infrastructure rather than simply another compliance requirement.



Why It Matters

The launch reflects Mastercard's broader strategy of investing in trust alongside digital payments. The company has already established Cyber Resilience Centres in Europe and Saudi Arabia, with Africa becoming the latest region to receive dedicated cybersecurity infrastructure.

Support from President Cyril Ramaphosa and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu also highlights the growing recognition that digital transformation cannot succeed without secure digital systems underpinning financial services, government platforms, and online commerce.

For Africa's banks, fintech companies, and digital businesses, the long-term success of the centre will ultimately depend on whether it can help organisations prevent the cyber attacks that continue to grow in frequency and sophistication across the continent.