Tackling South Africa’s cybercrime threats
November 2025
IT in Manufacturing
As South Africa battles some of the highest crime and cybercrime rates in the world, and the Phangela Group is redefining security by combining cutting-edge AI technology with human judgement to deliver faster, smarter and more resilient protection. “Technology gives us speed, scale and a view across many fronts, but it can’t read intent, prioritise risk in context, or understand subtleties like motive or human behaviour. That’s where people come in,” says Peter Kruger, head of business development and growth at Phangela Group.
Phangela’s integrated security model leverages automation and analytics while keeping human expertise at the centre. AI systems sift through vast amounts of CCTV and digital data, cutting through false alarms to flag genuine threats. Predictive insights enable proactive deployment of resources, with studies showing AI-driven policing can reduce urban crime by up to 40%. Onsite training ensures controllers, officers and managers are equipped to interpret AI outputs and make fast, informed decisions.
Kruger explains: “AI doesn’t respond to a threat on its own. It highlights risks. Human judgement then decides what’s really happening and how to act to protect lives, businesses and communities.”
The urgency of this approach is underscored by South Africa’s cyber landscape. The country ranks among the top 5 worldwide for crime rates and is a leading target for cyberattacks. In 2024 alone, 17 849 ransomware incidents were detected. Nearly 97% of South African businesses faced infiltration attempts, and the average data breach now costs R53 million, with severe cases exceeding R360 million.
Phangela’s cyber division recently intervened in a high-stakes phishing case where attackers issued death threats tied to SIM card fraud. By acting quickly, Phangela neutralised the extortion attempt, protecting 23 separate targets. “Too many businesses and individuals underestimate their exposure,” warns Kruger. “Cybercriminals don’t target you personally, they target broadly. The only question is whether you’re prepared.”
Phangela’s approach addresses an environment where both physical crime and cybercrime are escalating, while regulation lags behind. Businesses often don’t prioritise prevention until it’s too late. By merging AI’s speed and precision with the contextual decision making of human experts, Phangela offers an integrated security solution that combines AI-powered monitoring with trained human analysts, cybersecurity services to safeguard networks, systems and data, and awareness campaigns that encourage victims of fraud and phishing to speak up so threats can be mapped and neutralised.
“If you’ve been the victim of fraud or phishing, don’t keep quiet. These crimes affect more people than you think. By speaking up, we can connect the dots and prevent others from falling into the same trap. Security today is about collaboration between AI, people and communities,” concludes Kruger.
For more information contact Phangela, +27 21 949 9802, [email protected], www.phangelagroup.co.za
Further reading:
Overcoming the bottling industry’s fragmented visibility
Schneider Electric South Africa
IT in Manufacturing Electrical Power & Protection
Beverage bottling facilities are among manufacturing’s most energy-intensive environments, yet many still operate without granular insight into where that energy goes. Rezolia Muller-Potluri of Schneider Electric explains how tiered metering architecture and advanced
Read more...
Advancing intelligent apparel manufacturing with industrial AI and humanoid robotics
IT in Manufacturing
Jack Technology, a global maker of industrial sewing equipment, has chosen Siemens software and engineering tools to bring artificial intelligence and humanoid robots into apparel production, aiming to shorten development cycles and lift manufacturing efficiency.
Read more...
New chiller line for high-density AI data centres
Schneider Electric South Africa
IT in Manufacturing
Schneider Electric has launched the Uniflair XCA, a new series of air-cooled and free-cooling chillers designed for artificial intelligence-driven, high-density liquid-cooled data centres.
Read more...
Turning system integrators into trusted technology partners
Schneider Electric South Africa
IT in Manufacturing System Integration & Control Systems Design
Schneider Electric’s Alliance Partner Programme is repositioning system integrators from hardware suppliers into lifecycle-value partners. Oriel Soupen explains the competency framework, certification model and real-world results that are already helping African system integrators win higher-value, longer-term engagements.
Read more...
Why renewable projects need integrated protection and control
IT in Manufacturing
Fragmented secondary plant integration in renewable energy projects causes costly delays during commissioning. ACTOM Protection and Control’s Secondary Plant Integration solution consolidates all secondary systems under a single engineering framework, reducing risk and accelerating grid
Read more...
When digital twins move from concept to critical tool
IT in Manufacturing System Integration & Control Systems Design Maintenance, Test & Measurement, Calibration
Digital twins are moving out of the lab and onto the mine, the factory floor and the transport network where they predict failures before they happen. Amritesh Anand looks at where they earn their keep, the data and integration work behind them, and the security questions every organisation should ask before switching one on.
Read more...
How a digital foundation can overcome the LNG trilemma
Schneider Electric South Africa
IT in Manufacturing SCADA/HMI
The LNG sector is racing to add capacity, but without a digital backbone, growth creates complexity rather than capability. Christophe Begat of Schneider Electric explains how connecting data, systems and analytics across the LNG value chain can resolve the trilemma of secure supply, lower emissions and tighter costs.
Read more...
Decarbonisation is reshaping mining strategy in Africa
Schneider Electric South Africa
IT in Manufacturing Electrical Power & Protection
Mining companies across Africa are embedding decarbonisation into operational strategy, driven by investor, regulatory and customer pressure to reduce emissions while improving resilience.
Read more...
Siemens and HighByte partner to scale industrial AI
Siemens South Africa
IT in Manufacturing Fieldbus & Industrial Networking
Siemens is expanding its Industrial Edge ecosystem through a partnership with HighByte, enabling customers to connect, contextualise and transform data from operational technology and information technology sources to build AI models and applications at scale.
Read more...
Africa on the edge of a digital future
Schneider Electric South Africa
IT in Manufacturing
Edge computing promises lower latency, stronger reliability and real-time responsiveness across Africa, yet its rollout keeps colliding with one stubborn obstacle, power. Steven Santini explores how renewable microgrids, smart energy management and the right partnerships could turn the continent’s energy gap into its biggest edge opportunity.
Read more...
printer friendly version