Cybercrime has become the single biggest threat to businesses worldwide.
According to the Allianz Risk Barometer 2025, cyber incidents — including ransomware attacks, data breaches and IT outages — are now the top global business risk, marking their fourth year at the top.
A decade ago, only 12% of global respondents cited cyber as a major concern. In 2025, that number surged to 38%.
Allianz noted, “Cyber is the top risk across North and South America, Europe, and Africa,” dominating industry concerns from aviation to legal services. More importantly, it now ranks as the number one risk in South Africa, overtaking long-standing issues like load shedding and political instability.
This concern is not just theoretical
Two recent, high-profile cyberattacks—one on mobile telecommunications provider Cell C and another on the South…