Octopus Project Activities

Back Octopus Project: Benchmarking the implementation of the South African Cybercrimes Act in line with the international best practice under the Budapest Convention

Octopus Project: Benchmarking the implementation of the South African Cybercrimes Act in line with the international best practice under the Budapest Convention

Due to the borderless nature of cybercrime, international cooperation on cyber-related cases is imperative. Through the South Africa-EU Dialogue Facility (funded by the European Union), the South African Police Service (SAPS), in partnership with the Council of Europe therefore held a virtual workshop aimed at sharing international best practice relating to law enforcement actions in detecting, investigating and managing cybercrime.

Given the impact of cybercrime on various domains in the South African context, the need for the new South African Cybercrimes Act of 2020 to be enforced was mentioned as key. The meeting was therefore a step forward towards the SAPS protecting the South African society against cybercrime, especially by appropriately implementing legislation, developing policies and capacities and fostering international cooperation.

The discussions were focused on the creation and development of the designated Point of Contact within existing structures of the South African Police Service. Special attention was given to the structure, role and responsibilities of cybercrime specialised units, typical training needs, as well as to reporting mechanisms, cybercrime statistics and international cooperation. Best practices and available resources were also shared, with a view to enable domestic reflection and implementation of the measures required under the new Cybercrimes Act.

South Africa was the only country on the African continent that participated in the negotiation of the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime twenty years ago and was the first signatory thereof. In 2008, South Africa then also signed the additional Protocol on Xenophobia and Racism via computer systems. Building on the previous good cooperation with South Africa for capacity building over several years, the virtual workshop paved the way for future support activities to be offered by the Council of Europe, including through the Octopus Project.

The Council of Europe gratefully acknowledges voluntary contributions of the donors to this project.

South African Police Service website