Digital infrastructure has become the new foundation of sustainable growth. Yet, in a world increasingly dependent on data, the true measure of resilience is trust. Without it, economies stall, innovation slows and citizens lose faith in the systems that serve them.
According to the World Economic Forum Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2025, the cyber environment is defined by inequality and complexity. It is unpredictable, uncertain and vulnerable while skills and compliance remain difficult to manage. In Africa, 36% of respondents felt their company lacked the tools needed to respond to major cyber security incidents. INTERPOL adds that cyber security is increasingly becoming a measure of peace and sustainable development in Africa. A concern when cyber crimes are increasingly dominating crime reporting on the continent and South Africa is one of the most deeply affected, with ransomware one of the highest reported at 17 849.
This imbalance is widening the trust gap. As Nithen Naidoo, CEO and founder of Snode Technologies, says: “Sustainable systems are built on integrity, transparency and accountability, and the future of cyber security depends on whether people can trust in the digital foundations they use every day.”
Naidoo believes that trust has become the most undervalued currency in the digital economy. Building this trust means embracing the value created by cyber security – it’s not just a protection mechanism; it’s a tool to enable participation. “When citizens, companies and governments trust their systems, they invest more freely and innovate more confidently,” he says. “Trust creates momentum.”
Local solutions are central to changing the trust narrative. Imported platforms rarely align with regional realities like bandwidth limitations, fragmented governance or complex data sovereignty laws. Africa’s challenges are unique, which means solutions must be built on local expertise and understanding.
“You can’t retrofit security designed for another continent with entirely different infrastructural and cultural norms and expect it to build integrity here,” explains Naidoo. “Local companies understand context and this is what drives sustainable protection.”
This is the philosophy that saw Snode earn one of six national titles in the SA Tech Challenge 2025 in the Secured Digital Infrastructure category. The company also represented South Africa at the G20-DIA Summit, in Cape Town, winning Silver behind Germany in the same category. Snode was one of three South African companies finishing in the top three at the event which, for Naidoo, is a recognition that validates local-on-local innovation.
“It shows that a team in Pretoria or Bloemfontein can build something that competes globally while serving companies and people locally,” he says.
Built locally for local complexity, Snode’s philosophy is cyber security as an enabler for progress rather than an inhibitor of innovation. The company’s use of digital twin technology lets it simulate attacks in real-time and move beyond reactive defence, and it has the ability to leverage AI and digital twin technology to process dynamic data, use behavioural analytics, pattern recognition and predictive analytics. Snode's AI innovation exceeds the bounds of traditional cyber security, with use cases in predictive maintenance for mining, pre-emptive policing for law enforcement and fraud analytics.
“Trust and integrity are sustainability principles,” says Naidoo. “If you can’t trust your data, your platforms or your partners, you can’t build anything lasting. That’s why our mission is to secure systems and defend the future.”
As the region accelerates towards AI-driven economies, South Africa’s next competitive advantage may be credibility, building trust from within through transparent, ethical and locally engineered cyber security.
About Snode Technologies
Founded in 2016, Snode Technologies is a cyber security company specialising in AI- and machine learning-powered technology, combined with specialist-led managed services. The company helps organisations detect, prioritise and respond to cyber threats in real-time. Snode partners closely with clients across sectors to elevate their cyber maturity, reduce operational risk and strengthen decision-making through actionable intelligence. Headquartered in South Africa, Snode continues to expand its global presence while staying true to its core mission: enabling collective, proactive defence through technology and trust.
Contact details:
Name: Kira Hartig
Title: Client Success
E-mail: Kira.Hartig@snode.com
Number: 012 880 0989
Website: www.snode.com
Share