Only a small fraction of African business leaders express concern about the risk that quantum computing poses to encryption. /AIAfrican chief executives are embracing digital transformation with remarkable confidence even as a new KPMG report warns that their optimism may be blinding them to one of the most formidable dangers of the modern age: the quantum computing threat.
Quantum computing promises amazing breakthroughs, but it could also make today’s digital locks useless unless new, stronger “quantum-proof” security systems are developed in time.
Most online security — from banking apps to government databases — relies on encryption.
Encryption scrambles information so that only someone with the right digital “key” can read it.
Right now, ordinary computers would take thousands of years to break these codes. But quantum computers work in a completely different way.
Instead of processing data one step at a time like normal computers, they can perform millions of calculations simultaneously.
This makes them incredibly powerful — so powerful that, once perfected, they could crack encryption in minutes that current machines could never solve.
So, when experts talk about the quantum threat, they mean the risk that future quantum computers could unlock private information — such as bank accounts, personal data, trade secrets, and state records — that is currently considered secure.
Quantum optimism meets a hidden danger
According to the KPMG 2025 Africa CEO Outlook, only a small fraction of African business leaders express concern about the risk that quantum computing poses to encryption.
In East Africa, just 14 per cent of CEOs see this as a potential danger. The figure rises modestly to 22 per cent in Southern Africa and 35 per cent in West Africa.
These are strikingly low levels of awareness, given how fast quantum technology is advancing and how deeply dependent companies have become on digital systems.
KPMG says these “low numbers signal a critical vulnerability at a time when African economies are deepening their reliance on digital systems and cross-border data exchange.”
However, the report situates this complacency within a broader story of progress and ambition.
It says across Africa, chief executives are pouring resources into artificial intelligence (AI), automation and digital expansion.
For many, AI has become a symbol of resilience and innovation. It is being woven into business operations, used to improve efficiency and streamline decision-making.
Nearly every CEO surveyed expects to expand their workforce in the coming year, an indication that they see technology as complementing human capability rather than replacing it.
“Eighty-eight per cent [of Africa CEOs] expect to increase headcount over the next year. This reinforces that the value of AI lies in complementing human capability, not replacing it," KPMG notes.
Yet this same enthusiasm for innovation is exposing a blind spot. As companies race to digitise, few are paying adequate attention to the security of the systems they are building.
A security blind spot emerges
KPMG cautions that “as organisations accelerate digital transformation by adopting AI and other advanced technologies, a critical cybersecurity risk is emerging from the threat posed by quantum computing to traditional encryption and data protection frameworks.”
In simple terms, data that is now considered secure could, in the near future, be easily unlocked. That risk is magnified by Africa’s growing reliance on cloud services, cross-border data exchange and AI-driven analytics.
Businesses are storing unprecedented volumes of customer and financial information online, often without the layers of protection needed to withstand emerging threats.
The report notes that “the boundaries between data privacy, model integrity, and cybersecurity are increasingly blurred.”
In other words, when a company’s AI system processes large volumes of personal or financial data, a weakness in one area can compromise the entire operation.
Building “trusted AI” for the future
To address this, KPMG is promoting what it calls the Trusted AI framework — a model that treats security not as an afterthought but as a built-in foundation for every stage of AI deployment.
The framework, it says, “positions security as a foundation, not an afterthought.”
It “integrates strong cybersecurity controls, encryption standards, and continuous risk monitoring into every stage of AI deployment, from data sourcing and model training to system maintenance.”
In layman’s language, this means designing technology with safety features built in rather than trying to fix vulnerabilities after a breach occurs.
By doing so, companies can prevent data leaks, maintain customer trust and stay compliant with emerging regulations.
The report suggests that the firms best positioned for the future will be those that fuse innovation with caution.
“Trust cannot rely solely on performance or innovation,” it says. “It must be built through AI systems that are secure, transparent, and aligned with strong governance principles.”
For African companies, that means acknowledging that rapid digital growth carries hidden costs — and that security must evolve alongside technological ambition.
The price of complacency
At a time when Africa’s economies are becoming more interconnected, the stakes are especially high.
A single security lapse in one jurisdiction can ripple across borders, disrupting supply chains, financial systems and consumer confidence.
The continent’s expanding fintech sector, which depends heavily on encrypted transactions, could be among the most exposed.
The report further warns that “for African firms accelerating digital transformation, embedding trusted AI principles into cybersecurity strategy is the key to sustaining innovation without compromising integrity.”
It concludes that “as threats and technologies evolve, only organisations that treat trust, security and ethics as a single strategic pillar will be positioned to lead confidently in the AI era.”
The KPMG 2025 Africa CEO Outlook stops short of predicting imminent disaster.
Rather, it issues a gentle but urgent reminder that leadership in the AI era demands vigilance as much as vision.
CEOs who understand both the promise and the peril of digital transformation — and who invest in trusted, resilient systems — will define the continent’s next chapter of growth.
Africa’s business leaders are right to be optimistic about the power of technology to unlock new opportunities.
But as quantum computing edges closer to reality, they can no longer afford to treat cybersecurity as a secondary concern.
In an age where data is the new currency, the cost of complacency could be far greater than the price of prevention.
