24 Oct African Businesses face stricter EU cybersecurity Standards

The European Union’s NIS2 Directive, which came into effect this month, imposes tougher cyber security requirements on African businesses trading with the EU.

The directive expands on the original NIS1 introduced in 2016, covering sectors such as energy, banking, transport, and healthcare, and mandates enhanced management liability, risk management, reporting, and business continuity planning.

As the EU remains Africa’s largest trading partner, compliance with NIS2 is essential for African companies to maintain their positions in the global supply chain.

The directive also introduces personal liability for business leaders, with penalties of up to 7 million euros or 1.4 per cent of global turnover for breaches.