Recent years have seen an explosion in cybercrime globally. The number of successful cyberattacks has more than doubled in the last five years. This worrying trend is also evident in Africa.
In 2023, the continent recorded the highest number of cyberattacks per week per organization.
These cyber incidents can have disastrous consequences for businesses and governments, ranging from disruption of business operations to massive theft of funds and leakage of sensitive data.
According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, lack of preparedness for cyber threats could cost African countries an average of up to 10% of their GDP annually.
Social engineering is involved in 52% of successful attacks against organizations and 91% against individuals in Africa.
About 29% of these attacks use fake sites imitating authentication pages of companies, banks or payment systems.
One of the main challenges for the continent is the lack of IT security infrastructure.
Nearly 90% of African businesses do not have cybersecurity protocols, making them extremely vulnerable to attacks.
Faced with this critical situation, experts are calling for an overhaul of the approach to cybersecurity in Africa, as the continent embarks on a digital transformation.
Egypt’s plan to tackle electricity crisis
Hailed for its energy achievements, Egypt, after overcoming the 2015 crisis, now finds itself facing a new crisis threatening its achievements.
Last July, Egyptians welcomed with relief the announcement of an end to power cuts after more than a year of disruptions.
To understand the origins of the current crisis, it is necessary to recall that in 2013, power cuts partly led to the fall of Mohamed Morsi.
By 2015, however, Egypt had embarked on plans to make it a regional energy hub.
The establishment of the Eastern Mediterranean Gas Forum also allowed Egypt to export gas to 20 countries, but by the summer of 2023, power cuts had returned to the forefront of public concern.
In response to the crisis, the Egyptian government has temporarily imported $1.18 billion worth of gas and fuel oil, promising to end power cuts by 2025.
According to sources close to the matter, Cairo is now turning to renewable and nuclear energy while exploring new gas fields.
The private aviation market in Africa
Business aviation in Africa is experiencing impressive growth, marked by a 15% increase in private jet flights last year.
This reflects a growing demand for fast and efficient air transport, particularly in the oil, gas and tourism industries.
Africa has about 3.5 private jets per 1,000 millionaires, well above the global average of 1.5 and Europe’s 0.9.
While the European market is struggling to return to pre-Covid levels, countries on the African continent are showing significant growth rates.
The number of business jets operating in Africa is expected to increase by 8% per year over the next five years.
According to the African Business Aviation Association, there are currently 418 business jets in Africa, with South Africa having the largest fleet of business jets with 137, followed by Kenya and Nigeria.
Business jet flights are operated between West Africa and Europe, North Africa to Europe and East Africa to the Middle East. But the majority of business jet flights are intra-African.
This expansion is crucial to overcome the limitations of terrestrial infrastructure and provide essential connectivity to businesses and business travellers across the continent.
