What Is Black Tax? Solidarity, Survival, and the Cost of Success in Africa

Black tax is one of the most debated — and misunderstood — realities of African economic life. Popularly described as the expectation that financially successful Black individuals support extended family members, black tax sits at the intersection of history, inequality, culture, and survival.

Recent comments by UFC fighter Themba Gorimbo, who says black tax pressures led him to cut family ties, have reignited the debate. But to understand black tax fully, we must look beyond individual choices and ask deeper questions about systems, not just sentiments.

Where Did Black Tax Come From?

Sociologists argue that black tax did not emerge from culture alone — it was forged by colonial dispossession and apartheid-era exclusion.

For generations, African families were denied access to land ownership, formal employment, quality education, and wealth accumulation. As a result, upward mobility became concentrated in single individuals, rather than entire households.

Dr Thandi Mkhize, a South African sociologist, explains:

“Black tax is essentially an informal social security system. Where the state failed, families created their own redistribution mechanisms.”

In societies with weak welfare systems, black tax became a way of ensuring children went to school, medical bills were paid, and households survived economic shocks.

The Case for Black Tax: Solidarity, Not Exploitation

Defenders of black tax argue that it should not be dismissed as a burden, but recognised as a form of collective resilience.

Community organiser and development practitioner Sipho Dlamini frames it this way:

“Without black tax, many families simply would not survive. It is easy to reject it once you’ve escaped poverty, but someone paid black tax to get you there.”

For many first-generation professionals, black tax funded:

• School fees
• University registration
• Transport to cities
• Medical care for elders

From this perspective, black tax is reciprocity, not punishment — a return on communal investment.

When Solidarity Turns Into Strain

Critics, however, argue that the absence of boundaries is where black tax becomes harmful.

Economist Dr Tinashe Chigumira, who studies household dependency in Southern Africa, notes:

“The issue is not support itself, but the assumption that income is permanent, unlimited, and collectively owned.”

In volatile careers — such as sports, entrepreneurship, or creative industries — income can be irregular and short-lived. When families treat success as stable wealth, the pressure can push earners into debt, burnout, or financial collapse.

This tension is often intensified by:

• Unemployment rates exceeding 30% in parts of Southern Africa
• Rising costs of living
• Limited access to credit for poorer households

The Psychological Weight of Being ‘The One’

Beyond economics, black tax carries an emotional toll.

Dr Nokuthula Sibanda, a Zimbabwean social psychologist, describes what she calls “the burden of representational success.”

“You are not just succeeding for yourself. You are succeeding on behalf of an entire family lineage. Failure becomes a moral crime.”

This framing makes it difficult to set boundaries without being labelled selfish, arrogant, or un-African.

Is There a Healthier Way to Practise Black Tax?

Increasingly, scholars and development practitioners argue that the question is not whether black tax should exist — but how it should be practised.

Some emerging alternatives include:

• Impact-based giving (funding education, infrastructure, or income-generating projects)
• Time-bound support rather than indefinite obligations
• Shared planning, where families understand income volatility
• Collective contribution, reducing pressure on one individual

These approaches shift black tax from emotional obligation to strategic solidarity.

So, Is Black Tax Good or Bad?

The answer is uncomfortable but honest: it is both.

Black tax has sustained millions of African households in the absence of functioning states and equitable economies. At the same time, it has drained first-generation earners and turned success into a site of anxiety rather than freedom.

As Dr Mkhize puts it:

“Black tax is not a moral failure. It is a policy failure — one families have been forced to solve privately.”

Why the Conversation Matters Now

Stories like Themba Gorimbo’s are not rejections of community — they are signals of strain.

Until African societies build systems that distribute opportunity more evenly, black tax will remain necessary. But unless it evolves, it risks turning Africa’s success stories into cautionary tales.

The real challenge is not choosing between solidarity and self-preservation — but designing a future where success does not require self-erasure.