Tax Justice Network Africa (TJNA) will spotlight the transformative role of tax systems in promoting sustainable health outcomes at the 10th African Tax Research Network (ATRN) Congress in Cape Town, South Africa, from 16 to 18 September 2025.
Organised under the theme “Contemporary Taxation Issues in Africa: Shaping the Continent’s Fiscal Space - Past, Present and Future” the congress will address pressing issues related to Africa’s tax challenges, untapped revenue sources for sustainable development, and the role of technology and information exchange in advancing modern taxation systems.
Participants will also explore how taxation can serve as both a financing mechanism and a behavioural tool to improve health, strengthen equity, and drive innovation in public health systems across Africa.
TJNA will participate as follows.
Date: 17 September 2025.
Time: 09h00 – 10h30 (CAT)
Speaker: TJNA’s Executive Director- Chenai Mukumba
Plenary session 3: International Taxation in the last decade- challenges, solutions and emerging prospects
This session will tackle the evolution of international taxation over the past decade, focusing on pressing challenges such as Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS), the rise of the digital economy, and illicit financial flows (IFFs), all of which continue to erode global and national tax bases. The discussion will also reflect on progress made, examine emerging challenges such as unilateral digital services taxes, cryptocurrency taxation, and environmental taxes, and propose pathways for building capacity, enhancing transparency, and aligning tax systems.
Date: 18 September 2025.
Time: 11h00 – 13h00 (CAT)
Speaker: TJNA’s Policy Officer - John Thomi
Session: Masterclass 2- Thinking outside of the box: Leveraging leaked & simulated data for cutting-edge and policy-relevant tax research
TJNA will demonstrate the Tobacco Excise Tax Simulation Model (TETSiM) and show, through real-world examples, how policymakers can use such tools to secure significant public-health gains, boost revenue, and reduce healthcare costs. While using minimal publicly available data.
Date: 18 September 2025.
Time: 14h00 – 16h00 (CAT)
Speaker: TJNA’s Senior Policy Officer- Chileshe Mange
Plenary session 4: Tax as a catalyst for sustainable health policy- funding, innovation and equitable outcome.
This session will explore the critical role of tax systems in enabling sustainable health policies that promote universal access to healthcare. It will examine how effective tax policies and revenue mobilisation strategies can address health inequities, fund essential health services, and support long-term investments in public health systems. The session will highlight case studies of innovative tax measures, such as health-specific levies (e.g., sugar tax, tobacco tax, etc.), and discuss their impact on behavioural change, public health outcomes, and economic growth. Key discussions will include balancing fiscal pressures, health policy objectives, and social equity in health financing.
A central focus of the conversations will be how African governments can strike the right balance between fiscal pressures, health policy objectives, and social equity in health financing.
TJNA’s participation at the 10th ATRN Congress highlights its commitment to advancing progressive tax policies that protect public health, reduce inequalities, and strengthen domestic resource mobilisation across Africa.
For more information about TJNA’s participation at the 10th ATRN Congress in Cape Town, please contact John Thomi at jthomi[@]taxjusticeafrica.net.
