• Kaspersky, Smart Africa, and Africaines in Tech have partnered to help more African women pursue careers in cybersecurity.
• The initiative offers mentorship and a career test to close the 23–30% gender gap in Africa’s tech sector.
• It aims to build a safer, more inclusive digital Africa amid a global shortage of cybersecurity talent.

A new partnership between Kaspersky, Smart Africa—an alliance of African countries, international organizations, and private sector players advancing the continent’s digital transformation—and Africaines in Tech, a pan-African network of women driving digital innovation, is helping to accelerate gender inclusion and cybersecurity capacity across Africa as the region strengthens its digital economy and works to close the technology gender gap.

The collaboration, announced October 2, builds on Kaspersky’s newly launched cybersecurity career orientation test — an interactive tool designed to help young women identify roles that best fit their skills, interests, and aspirations within the cybersecurity ecosystem. The initiative aims to lower the barriers that often discourage women from joining the field by connecting them to mentorship, guidance, and training opportunities.

Participants are guided through six cybersecurity career paths — Threat Intelligence, Security Operations, Malware Analysis, Network Security, Information Security Research, and Security Assessment — and receive tailored feedback with advice from Kaspersky’s female experts. The tool, developed jointly with Smart Africa and Africaines in Tech, encourages African women to discover their potential and take their first steps toward a cybersecurity career.

The partnership underscores a shared vision among the three organizations: to build a trusted and inclusive digital ecosystem for Africa. With women making up only 23–30% of Africa’s technology workforce, according to McKinsey, initiatives like this are critical to ensuring that women are not left behind as Africa’s digital transformation accelerates.

By encouraging women to join and lead in cybersecurity, this partnership addresses a critical capacity gap. Globally, the industry faces a shortage of over 4 million cybersecurity professionals, and Africa’s demand for local talent continues to rise as more countries digitize financial systems, education, and healthcare.

“Cybersecurity is not just about coding; it requires curiosity, creativity, and resilience — qualities many young women already possess,” said Evgeniya Russkikh, Head of Academic Affairs at Kaspersky. “Through this collaboration, we hope to help young women in Africa connect their strengths to meaningful cybersecurity careers.”

Beyond capacity building, the initiative promotes a more inclusive approach to cybersecurity — one that reflects the diversity of Africa’s growing digital population. As more young Africans come online, fostering female participation ensures that digital safety, innovation, and economic growth are built on shared opportunity.

By combining Kaspersky’s global expertise, Smart Africa’s continental reach, and Africaines in Tech’s grassroots network, the initiative marks a meaningful step toward a safer, more inclusive, and digitally empowered Africa.

Hikmatu Bilali