Исследование: «Черная налоговая» в Южной Африке — это не только финансовое бремя, но и социальная защита

Malilimalo Phaswana’s research into familial financial support among Xhosa families suggests we need a more nuanced conversation about black tax. The financial costs are real, but so is the cultural meaning, social protection and opportunities that form part of it, he writes. - For more financial news, visit News24 Business. Few phrases in South African personal finance evoke as much emotion as “black tax”. For many young black professionals, the term describes a familiar reality: you get your first meaningful salary, but before you can start building savings, investing or buying property, part of that income is already spoken for. There may be a parent who needs groceries, a younger sibling whose fees need to be paid, a relative looking for work, a family home that needs repairs, or an unexpected funeral expense. READ | Ubuntu or liability? The true cost of family support It is therefore understandable that black tax is frequently described as a burden, particularly on the emerging middle class. But what if that description tells only half the story? Research I conducted into familial financial support among Xhosa families in Cape Town suggests that we need a more nuanced conversation about black tax. The financial costs are real, but so is the cultural meaning, social protection and opportunities that form part of it. READ | The five hidden struggles of black tax – and how to take your power back Perhaps our reflection should begin with the word “tax” itself. A tax is something imposed on us. It suggests obligation, loss and a reduction in what we get to keep for ourselves. At the same time, a tax is a beneficial welfare system that redistributes income within society for the betterment of all who are part of it. When an aunt is also a mother One of the clearest things that emerged from the families I interviewed was that the boundaries of “immediate family” often differed markedly from those assumed in conventional personal finance thinking. One participant had spent much of her childhood living with her aunt because her parents could not adequately support all their children. Another was taken in by an uncle following the death of her father. One participant recalls: “I did not even realise until I was older that the children I regarded as siblings were technically my cousins because we were so close.” These arrangements were not simply financial transactions; they created family. READ | Don’t touch my hair: The cost of beauty and identity An aunt who feeds you, houses you and raises you can become another mother. Cousins raised together can become brothers and sisters. An older sister who repeatedly steps in to care for younger siblings can eventually occupy a parental role. This is important because discussions about black tax can sometimes apply a very individualistic understanding of money to African family structures that are fundamentally more collective. Ubuntu as economic expression The philosophy of Ubuntu emphasises interconnectedness, solidarity and concern for the wellbeing of others. We tend to speak about Ubuntu as a social value. But it also has financial consequences. If I understand my wellbeing as inseparable from the wellbeing of my family, what I do with my salary may look very different from the choices of somebody who sees financial success primarily at an individual or nuclear family level. “When I pour into my family’s pot, mine fills up too”, described one participant. But we should not romanticise it. None of this means that black tax is harmless. There is a genuine tension at its heart. Money used to support relatives cannot simultaneously be saved for a house deposit, invested for retirement, or used to build a business. Previous South African research found precisely this conflict: People can value supporting their families while simultaneously being disappointed with the effect that doing so has on their own savings. Our participants experienced this tension too, with one well-earning couple expressing: “We have resigned ourselves to the idea that we will not accumulate any significant wealth until our siblings leave school and find work.” READ | The price of goodbye: Culture, mourning, and the cost of funerals Some struggled to meet both their own financial needs and those of their families. Importantly, many did not want relatives to remain dependent on them indefinitely. They wanted the people they supported to eventually achieve financial independence themselves. That distinction matters. There is a considerable difference between helping a sibling obtain an education that eventually enables them to support themselves and sustaining an open-ended dependency that prevents the provider from ever establishing financial security. The challenge, therefore, should not be reduced to telling people to simply stop paying “black tax”. Women carry greater load One of the more striking findings from our study concerned gender. Both men and women provided financial support, but women frequently appeared to experience a particularly strong expectation to care for their families. “Even though my brother and I have the same familial obligations, my burden has been much heavier”, describes one female participant. They did not necessarily describe this only as financial responsibility. It was intertwined with maternal and caregiving roles. Even in households where men were considered the head, women often facilitated the financial support across the extended family network. This deserves considerably more attention in conversations about black tax. The burden of family support may not be distributed equally, even within households earning similar amounts. LISTEN | MONEY: It’s not Black or White The question should therefore not be whether black tax is “good” or “bad”. It can be both. Familial financial support can reduce someone’s ability to accumulate personal wealth while simultaneously paying for a sibling’s education. It can delay one person’s financial independence while helping another escape poverty. It can feel like an obligation in one month and an enormous source of fulfilment in another. That complexity is precisely why the language we use matters. Perhaps the most useful personal finance conversation is not: How do we eliminate black tax? It is: How do families support one another without sacrificing the long-term financial wellbeing of the very people who are helping them move forward? That is a much harder question. But it is also a much more South African one. Malilimalo Phaswana is a senior lecturer at the University of Cape Town College of Accounting. News24 encourages freedom of speech and the expression of diverse views. The views of columnists published on News24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of News24.