Microsoft's 2025 Digital Defense Report reveals that artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly escalating cybercrime in Africa, making the continent a proving ground for new attack methods. Attackers are leveraging AI to craft sophisticated phishing messages and deploy autonomous malware, leading to a significant surge in cyber incidents and financial losses.

• 80% of cyber incidents in 2024 involved attempted data theft, with financial gain as the primary motive.
• The economic toll of cybercrime in Africa surged from $192 million to $484 million, with victims increasing from 35,000 to 87,000 across 19 African countries.
• Business Email Compromise (BEC) is the most financially damaging cyber threat in Africa, accounting for 21% of successful intrusions.
• Microsoft's Chief Security Advisor for Africa, Kerissa Varma, highlighted that South Africa is a global hotspot for BEC infrastructure and money mule recruitment.
• AI-driven phishing campaigns now boast a 54% click-through rate, which is 4.5 times higher than traditional attacks.
• Microsoft recorded a 195% increase in AI-generated IDs used to bypass identity verification.