The extent of the Cybercrimes Act 19 of 2020 in addressing and combatting cybercrime

Abstract

Considering the immense impact and effect of the 4th Industrial Revolution on modern technology, is it no surprise to remark that new and advanced challenges are faced daily by various countries, information and communication technologies, and internet service providers. These challenges have established an international movement between various countries and their governments regarding cybercrime and cyber-attacks. Although cybercrime is still considered a new crime, the crime appears to be evolving at a rapid pace and countries seem to neglect the procedure of adopting or developing cybercrime frameworks to appropriately address and combat the crime. South Africa is the first African country to develop and implement the Cybercrimes Act 19 of 2020. The development and implementation procedures of the Cybercrimes Act was considered quite complex and extensive especially regarding the impact and effect of the previous pieces of cybercrime legislation in South Africa. A comprehensive overview of the position of cybercrime in South Africa will be discussed.