In this episode of the Giving Black Podcast, we focus on one of the most contentious aspects of African Philanthropy; the concept of Black Tax - an emerging practice affecting Africa's rising middle-class. Black tax is the term given to the act of supporting one's friends and family through obligation and/or entitlement. It is an extension of traditional forms of philanthropy where Family Begins at Home. At Once Black Tax is a historic reminder of one's tradition of giving, and simultaneously it is an onerous burden threatening to hold back economic progress and wealth creation. Many Africans are in a love-hate relationship with the concept of Black Tax and its pejorative connotations.
In this Christmas special, the Giving Black Podcast hosts three of South Africa's leading lights who discuss their relationship to philanthropy. Is Black Tax an act of generosity or a burden unduly placed on Africa's upwardly mobile young middle-class? What do young African philanthropists do when their immediate and extended families are financially insecure? We explore the contentious nature of Black Tax and how it shapes the lives of three women pioneering new ways of giving on the African continent: Nyasha Njela, Head of Fundraising at Feenix, Balungile Mabele, Specialist Socio-Economic Development, and Sinenhlanhla Nene, Financial Sector Code & Trusts Project Co-ordinator: Community & Development. They help us better understand the complex nature of giving as well as the benefits and barriers to generosity in a modern African context.