A staggering 89% of South Africans use WhatsApp for work communications. Those using email for work sit at a slightly lower 88%, while enterprise platforms like Microsoft Teams are used by only 45%.
The one percentage point difference separating WhatsApp use for work compared to email may not seem like much, but it represents a worrying trend where South Africans would rather use personal communication tools (with no enterprise security) than even the traditional staple that is email.
"For many organisations, platforms like WhatsApp have inadvertently become integral to workplace communication. Ease of use is what makes them so popular," explains Anna Collard, SVP content strategy and CISO advisor at KnowBe4 Africa. “Particularly on the African continent, many people prefer WhatsApp because it’s fast, familiar and frictionless,” she explains. “These apps are already on our phones and embedded in our daily routines.”
In terms of collaboration, these platforms also help employees to work together, especially in remote or hybrid work environments. “It feels natural to ping a colleague on WhatsApp, especially if you’re trying to get a quick answer,” she says. “But convenience often comes at the cost of control and compliance.”
The average usage statistics across Africa differ slightly from the South African results. The 2025 KnowBe4 Africa Annual Cybersecurity report, which surveyed 800 respondents across 8 African countries, found that 93% of African respondents use WhatsApp for work communications. Respondents from across the continent in general use email for work only in 78% of cases. Enterprise platforms are only used by 27%.
“There are multiple layers of risk,” states Collard. “It’s important to remember that WhatsApp wasn’t built for internal corporate use, but as a consumer tool. Because of that, it doesn’t have the same business-level and privacy controls embedded in it that an enterprise communication tool would have.”
The biggest risk for organisations is data leakage. “Accidental or intentional sharing of confidential information, such as client details, financial figures, internal strategies or login credentials, on informal groups can have disastrous consequences,” she says. “It’s also completely beyond the organisation’s control, creating a shadow IT problem.”
Another major risk is the lack of auditability. “Informal platforms lack the audit trails necessary for compliance with regulations, particularly in industries like finance with strict data-handling requirements,” explains Collard. A total of 14% of South African respondents to the survey were in the financial services sector.
Phishing and identity theft are also threats. “Attackers love platforms where identity verification is weak,” she says, adding that at least 10 people in her personal network have reported being victims of WhatsApp impersonation and take-over scams. “Once the scammer gains access to the account, in many cases via SIM swaps, the real user is locked out and they have access to all their previous communications, contacts and files,” she comments.
In conclusion, Collard maintains that while informal messaging offers convenience, its unchecked use introduces significant cyber risks. “Organisations must move beyond simply acknowledging the problem and proactively implement clear policies, and provide secure alternatives.”
