Digitisation of South Africa’s green shoots requires a shift toward seeing digital security as critical national infrastructure.
This is the word from Fortinet following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s 2026 State of the Nation Address, which committed over R1-trillion to public critical infrastructure over three years.
During his address, the president highlighted significant progress in rail, ports, and energy, noting that locally made trains and improved freight logistics are driving economic recovery.
However, as these traditionally manual sectors become increasingly hyper-connected, they attract sophisticated threats that can derail national progress.
“The president rightly pointed out that critical infrastructure is an investment in productivity and growth,” says Doros Hadjizenonos, regional director: southern Africa at Fortinet.
“But in 2026, you cannot separate physical infrastructure from the digital systems that manage it. Our ports, rail networks, and the energy grid are simultaneously concrete, steel and vast digital ecosystems.
These foundational pillars need to be secured at a platform level, because the very economic recovery the president has championed requires it.”
President Ramaphosa also identified organised crime as the “most immediate threat” to South Africa’s democracy and economic development. He outlined a strategy to consolidate national intelligence and deploy multi-disciplinary intervention teams.
Hadjizenonos notes that this intelligence-led approach must extend to the digital realm.
“Criminal syndicates and state-sponsored actors view our critical infrastructure as high-value targets. To support the president’s call for a safe and secure South Africa, our national security strategy must prioritise ‘secure-by-design’.
“This means protecting our industrial control systems and utilities with the same vigour we are seeing in the deployment of increased security measures to our streets.
“It is also the perfect platform for the public and private sectors to work together towards a common goal that can unlock powerful new opportunities for sustainable public-private-partnerships.”
As the nation pivots towards a greener and more digital economy, Fortinet emphasises that the R1-trillion infrastructure drive is a unique window of opportunity to build a secure-by-default nation.
“Securing these green shoots in the cyber realm is another part of ensuring a brighter future for this beautiful country,” Hadjizenonos concludes.