This report examines how human rights defenders (HRDs) in African contexts including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Senegal, and Zimbabwe use digital security tools to protect themselves in high-risk political and digital environments. It uses existing literature, survey responses and interviews with HRDs and developers of digital security tools to highlight key challenges such as pervasive state surveillance, limited access to digital infrastructure, low digital literacy, and the technical complexity of existing digital security tools. However, both HRDs and tools developers expressed strong interest in collaboration, co-design, and digital security training to improve usability. The report recommends a comprehensive approach to digital security which includes co-design, continuous training support, and reform to ensure HRDs are capacitated and protected in their work.