State-owned carrier Air Botswana has activated its emergency incident response procedures following a suspected ransomware attack on Tuesday, 3 November, which resulted in unauthorised access to its internal systems.
Preliminary assessments indicate that the affected systems contain employee and internal information.
The Gaborone-based airline immediately engaged the relevant authorities and initiated measures to meet its obligations under the country's Data Protection Act 2024.
The incident highlights the growing threat of digital extortion across Africa, where international law enforcement agencies warn that cybercrime has evolved into an increasingly industrialised and borderless ecosystem.
According to recent INTERPOL data, reported cybercrime losses across the continent rose from $192 million in 2024 to $484 million in 2025, with Southern Africa among the primary targets for global threat actors.
South Africa accounts for 92% of ransomware detections on the continent, while Botswana is listed by INTERPOL among Africa's 10 countries most targeted by botnets that deploy malicious payloads. Local police have also reported a 25% annual increase in domestic cybercrime, highlighting the persistent threat to critical commercial and state infrastructure across the region.
“Air Botswana’s passenger booking systems remain unaffected. The incident has not affected the airline’s aircraft systems, flight operations or aviation safety systems. The airline continues to operate its services in accordance with established aviation safety and security requirements, while working closely with its technology partners to safeguard the security and integrity of its systems,” the airline said in a statement.
“Air Botswana remains focused on ensuring the security of its information systems while continuing to deliver safe and reliable air travel to its customers,” the statement concluded.
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