8 hours ago
African tax awakening: Reclaiming our revenue, reclaiming our voice
The African Tax Administration Forum was created to stop Africa from bleeding money through illicit financial flows, loopholes and skewed tax treaties. Graphic: John McCann/M&G
Fifteen years ago, as African governments struggled with rising development needs and shrinking fiscal space, we acknowledged an uncomfortable truth: Africa was bleeding revenue. Illicit financial flows, legal loopholes and tax treaties skewed against our interests were draining the continent. What we needed was a bold, continental response, technically capable, politically grounded and unapologetically African.
That's why we created the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF).
What began in 2009 as a conversation in Pretoria about taxation, sovereignty and state-building soon evolved into a movement. I was then a group executive at the South African Revenue Service (Sars), part of a small team determined to build something that would outlast us. By the time the ATAF was formally launched in Uganda's capital Kampala, 25 countries had already signed up. Today, we are 44 strong.
Our early structure mattered. The Executive Council brought together seasoned leaders like Mary Baine of Rwanda and Daniel Ablorh-Quarcoo of Ghana, professionals who had long understood the political economy of taxation in Africa. We weren't there to imitate international models. We were there to build something from within.
Since our formation, we've helped member countries reform laws, build audit capacity and navigate international tax policy. ATAF-supported work with the Zambia Revenue Authority, for example, helped recover more than $64 million in tax from the mining sector between 2020 and 2022, money that funds schools, hospitals and infrastructure. In Uganda, we supported the audit of its vital coffee sector, recovering $79 million in reassessed taxes.
Importantly, we have always taken an African-to-African approach. When Rwanda needed support on revenue forecasting, it was Sars that provided it. When Mauritius began implementing digital taxation, lessons were shared from across the continent. These peer-based interventions were not just about capacity, they were about building trust, building relationships and building a new tradition of collaboration.
The ATAF was never just about numbers. It was about power. For decades, Africa was expected to receive decisions, not shape them. I've sat in too many rooms where our voices were noted but not counted. The ATAF changed that. We made our presence felt in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Inclusive Framework on Base Erosion and Profit Sharing, or Beps. We stood behind the call for a UN tax convention. And while we didn't always get the deal we deserved, we were no longer on the margins. We were in the room and we stayed there.
Along the way, we built infrastructure: the ATAF Tax Academy, a research network focused on African data, and the Women in Tax Network that centres equity in policy conversations. These weren't symbolic add-ons, they were designed to shift power from outside actors to African experts.
Today, the challenges have evolved. Digitalisation, climate finance, AI and regional integration bring new tax implications. The ATAF is responding by developing a tax technology innovation hub — our way of future-proofing the fiscal sovereignty of our member states. Our work with the AU and the African Development Bank is expanding and we are gearing up to offer a new generation of tools and strategies that meet the moment.
We also understand the geopolitical context. The return of trade tariffs, the rise of economic nationalism and shifts in multilateralism all affect Africa's fiscal future. These trends might not speak the language of tax, but they are tax, hidden in pricing structures, supply chains and new power blocs. That's why the ATAF's role is more relevant than ever.
As South Africa prepares to host the G20, the world's attention will briefly turn to Africa. This is our chance not just to be visible but to be consequential. The ATAF stands ready to provide technical depth, policy direction and a platform for a united African voice.
For me, this journey has been about African success, African belief and building a good African institution. I've seen what's possible when African countries work together with courage, competence and clarity.
To the next generation of African tax leaders I want to say this: 'You belong in the room. Be bold. Be prepared. Build coalitions. Ask hard questions. And, above all, keep our agenda centred on justice, dignity and sovereignty and work hard to obtain results.'
The ATAF proves that African collaboration isn't just possible, it's powerful. We will tax, we will govern and we will build on our own terms. This is the African tax awakening. And it has only just begun.
Logan Wort is the executive secretary of the African Tax Administration Forum.
