Vox has announced the launch of its new cybersecurity division in partnership with Sophos.
The move is a response to a growing need in the market. Cyberattacks are growing more sophisticated and frequent in South Africa with the country remaining one of Africa’s most targeted for cybercrime.
According to the BDO Global Risk Landscape Report 2025 and Allianz Risk Barometer, companies have faced an average of 2 114 cyberattacks per company per week in 2025 – a year-on-year increase of 14%.
The Sophos State of Ransomware in South Africa 2025 report put a price tag on the threat – the median ransomware demand rose from R2,8-million in 2024 to R18-million in 2025 while the median payment nearly tripled to R8,3-million.
Vox’s partnership with Sophos brings enterprise-grade cybersecurity within reach for local companies of all sizes. Small to medium enterprises (SMEs) through to corporates can benefit from a portfolio of solutions designed to combine proactive threat hunting with round-the-clock monitoring and simplified management.
“We’re connecting and protecting companies,” says Audrey Vadival, head of division: security and value-added services at Vox. “Our partnership with Sophos gives us the ability to create world-class security solutions which leverage next-generation protection capabilities like AI within a local, managed services model that makes high-end protection both accessible and affordable.”
Vox’s new cybersecurity arm forms part of the company’s broader strategy to evolve from a pure connectivity and communications provider into a holistic managed service and security partner. The focus is simple – secure the connection, secure the data, protect customers – and it builds on the foundation of trust Vox has already built with its growing customer base.
“Our customers already trust us with their communications and connectivity, and it makes sense to extend that trust into cybersecurity,” says Vadival. “Sophos has a robust and relevant solution portfolio that ensures we can deliver a synchronised security stack that protects every part of the digital journey from the connection to the user.”
Vox will be offering a suite of five Sophos products which are designed to work together to prevent, detect and respond to modern threats. The Sophos XGS Series firewall, launched earlier this year, offers AI-powered threat prevention and zero-day defence, Sophos Intercept X combines deep learning AI and anti-ransomware for rapid threat detection and defence, Sophos MDR delivers 24/7 expert-led security as a service with proactive threat hunting and rapid incident response. Sophos XDR provides visibility across all critical attack surfaces, including third party tools, while Sophos Phish Threat helps you stay ahead and prevent expensive mistakes by proactively educating your workforce.
“The threat landscape in South Africa continues to intensify, and organisations are looking for a partner that can simplify cybersecurity while still delivering enterprise-grade protection,” says Pieter Nel, sales director: SADC at Sophos South Africa.
“Our partnership with Vox brings the full strength of Sophos’ MDR, XDR and AI-driven technologies directly into a locally managed service model, making advanced cyber defence accessible to businesses of all sizes. Together, we are ensuring South African organisations can detect and stop ransomware and other cyberattacks before they cause disruption or financial damage.”