Exploring Cybercrime: An Emerging Phenomenon and Associated Challenges in Africa

Abstract

This study traces the emergence, highlights the trends, strategies and associated challenges of policing cybercrime in Africa. The researcher also displayed the evolving complexities and escalations of related criminal activities. This qualitative study employed a non-empirical research design: Systematic review methodology to analyse grey literature and primary research studies peer-reviewed and published, restricted from 2002-2021, with non-sequential preference adoption considered. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and Critical Appraisal Skill Programme (CASP) were employed to ensure the trustworthiness of the findings of this study based on reviewed conventional and seminal literature studies on this subject. This study revealed that for a long time in Africa, this crime existed and remains uncoded; however, relevant stakeholders paid limited attention in terms of offering strategies to effectively prevent, combat and investigate this crime, while the documented nature, effects and effects were at maximum scale. Moreover, the associated challenges for policing cybercrime in Africa are currently uncontrollable, as this crime is presently rising beyond unacceptable levels in the cited African countries. The opportunistic organised criminal networks are taking advantage of these existing loopholes. This study concludes and recommends that African countries should realise the importance of efficiently responding to this scourge in the affected countries, the envisaged strategies should be geared towards the African landscape, within a larger global context, while strongly introducing the use of technological advances and improvements, among others. This can aid in the correct usage of computers; staging of the database system; proper facilitation of cybercrime trends; and, surveillance, to eradicate increasing incidences of this crime in African countries. The relevant stakeholders should have access to, and share, information, irrespective of African geographical locations.