Centurion: AfricUpdate – News Desk
South Africa’s acting minister of police, Firoz Cachalia, says the South African Police Service (SAPS) is leveraging existing technology infrastructure and software investments to enhance operational visibility. However, in response to parliamentary questions from IFP MP Inkosi Russel Nsikayezwe Cebekhulu, the acting minister revealed that little progress has been made in procuring officer bodycams. He also revealed that the SAPS plans to train 100 officials to become drone operators in the 2025/26 financial year. “The SAPS is actively enhancing policing efforts by leveraging existing technology infrastructure and software investments of government and private entities,” said Cachalia.
“The procurement of body-worn cameras has not yet been finalised as the process remains in the contracting phase. The bid for these devices is still to be advertised.” He added that, once a service provider is appointed, the government will develop a comprehensive rollout plan for all provinces. Cachalia also said timelines for fully implementing digital evidence management technology across all provinces are undetermined. Cebekhulu’s questions also asked the police minister to address the issues of organised crime and cybercrime in South Africa. According to the acting minister, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), also known as the Hawks, uses tools, training, and partnerships to improve its capabilities in combating these threats.
“The DCPI has deployed forensic platforms to extract and analyse data from digital devices. These tools are essential in uncovering digital evidence during cybercrime and corruption investigations,” he said. Cachalia said the SAPS also collaborates with AFRIPOL’s Cybercrime Desk to strengthen the coordination of the Africa Joint Operation Framework in improving the coordinated fight against crime in Africa. The acting minister also listed several training initiatives and partnerships focusing on addressing the threat of cybercrime. “The cybercrime investigation support members participate in symposiums and conferences focusing on cybercrime,” he said.
“These initiatives provide a platform to exchange ideas, develop, and enhance working relationships to address and counter all forms of emerging cybercrime threats locally and globally.” Other training initiatives include courses on cryptocurrency investigation, cybersecurity and digital forensics, virtual assets fundamentals, and cybercrime investigations. Cachalia said the SAPS had provisioned to train 100 operational members to be drone operators in the current financial year. “The project will be running for a period of three financial years with a new allocation through the Discretionary Grant being allocated every year,” he said.
He added that the SAPS has partnered with countries in Africa, Europe, the US, and Asia, to enhance skills and knowledge regarding technology and cybercrime. The emphasis on improving authorities’ ability to fight cybercrime is crucial, considering malicious actors have increasingly attacked South African organisations and government infrastructure. According to the Communication Risk Centre’s (Comric’s) Telecommunications Sector Report for 2025, government infrastructure faces about 3,312 cyberattacks every week. Comric estimates that cybercrime costs South Africa approximately R2.2 billion a year, adding that the average cost of a private-sector data breach reached nearly R50 million in 2023.
Comric says ransomware attacks, which involve attackers encrypting victims’ data and extorting them for decryption keys, are the most common. Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, recently called attention to the increase in cybercrime incidents, particularly ransomware attacks. Comric’s report showed that roughly 78% of South African businesses experienced at least one incident in 2023. Phishing scams are another common form of attack, where criminals use social engineering techniques to manipulate targets into revealing sensitive information.
According to Comric’s report, people falling victim to phishing scams cost South Africa approximately R200 million in 2023. Other common attacks include business email compromise, malware and exploits, and synthetic identity fraud. Comric noted that synthetic identity fraud has seen a 153% increase in attacks. South African companies have been forced to prioritise mitigating these threats above other risks, such as environmental risks, macroeconomic volatility, and societal risks. Of the survey respondents, 66% prioritised mitigating cyber risks, while half as many prioritised environmental risks, and 18% emphasised dealing with macroeconomic risks. As a result of the increased demand, Comric expected the domestic cybersecurity market to reach a projected revenue of R73 billion by 2030.
