‘You feel obligated’: African workers on the pain – and pride – of the ‘black tax’

Money transfers conducted over mobile phone apps to relatives in Africa are often referred to as a ‘black tax’. Photograph: Zews Grafikal Studio/Confidence - stock.adobe.com

From Senegal to Somalia and Egypt to South Africa, credit alert notifications from fintech apps such as Western Union or WorldRemit often set the mood for the rest of the day, week or even month.

Transfers from workers within the continent and the diaspora to their relatives are often referred to as the “black tax”, whereby one person’s salary and relative success can become the safety net for a whole extended family.