Mastercard has launched an Africa Cyber Security Centre of Excellence, positioning the initiative as a key step towards strengthening cyber resilience across the continent.
This, as cyber threats continue to escalate alongside rapid digital transformation.
The Pan-African initiative was unveiled during Mastercard CEO Michael Miebach's visit to SA and Nigeria last week, where he met the presidents of both countries. The centres will initially roll out in the two countries this year, before expanding across the continent as part of a multi-year programme.
According to Mastercard, the centre will bring together governments, financial institutions, businesses and cyber security professionals to improve intelligence sharing, strengthen preparedness and coordinate responses to emerging cyber threats.
It also seeks to strengthen cyber resilience across Africa by helping businesses better anticipate, detect, respond to and recover from cyber threats.
The launch follows discussions with the Nigerian government in Abuja and the South African government during last year's G20 meetings in Johannesburg, where cyber security cooperation was part of broader digital economy discussions.
Growing impact
The announcement comes as cyber crime continues to pose a significant challenge across Africa, particularly in SA.
“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,” said Miebach.
“That makes cyber security 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 defence and secure a more confident and inclusive digital economy."
Welcoming Mastercard’s investment, president Cyril Ramaphosa said: “We recognise that for digitisation to be inclusive, it must be trusted and secure. Mastercard has long been a trusted partner to SA, and its Cyber Security Centre of Excellence is a welcome step to build on that foundation, drawing on the country’s best and brightest to meet a challenge no government or company can solve alone.”
Intelligence sharing
Mastercard noted the new centre is designed to improve collective defence across Africa. Operating as a Pan-African hub through connected digital platforms, the centre will provide participating organisations with greater visibility into emerging cyber threats.
During the first year, Mastercard says it plans to conduct ecosystem cyber risk analyses covering up to 50 organisations, while participants will gain access to an Africa-focused threat intelligence feed developed by Recorded Future, a Mastercard company.
The initiative will also facilitate collaboration among chief information security officers, business leaders and cyber security practitioners through secure information-sharing, joint exercises and coordinated response activities.
According to the 2025 Interpol Africa Cyber Threat Assessment, SA recorded the highest number of ransomware detections on the continent, accounting for nearly 30% of ransomware incidents in Africa, while phishing remains one of the most prevalent forms of cyber crime.
The assessment also found that many cyber incidents remain unreported, limiting organisations' ability to coordinate responses and build a comprehensive picture of the threat landscape.
Mastercard notes that Africa's digital economy is expected to reach $1.5 trillion by 2030, making stronger cyber security capabilities increasingly important for maintaining trust in digital services.
Bola Ahmed Tinubu, president of Nigeria, commented: “As Nigeria deepens its digital transformation, secure and trusted systems will be critical to inclusion and growth. We welcome collaborations that strengthen our digital economy and build resilience for the future.”
The Africa Cyber Security Centre of Excellence will focus on three core areas: threat intelligence and strategic insights, collaboration and knowledge sharing, and improving organisational readiness and resilience, says Mastercard.
“These capabilities are intended to help organisations better anticipate cyber threats through ongoing risk monitoring, resilience assessments and scenario-based exercises designed to strengthen incident response and recovery,” says the company.
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