Logan Wort on how the African Tax Administration Forum ( ATAF) evolved from crisis response to strategic institution—and why Africa’s tax future depends on scale, speed, and unity
When we first imagined ATAF, there was no guarantee it would survive, let alone thrive. There had been other attempts to coordinate tax cooperation in Africa, but they lacked political buy-in and long-term vision. We emerged during a global financial crisis, when African states faced rising development needs and declining aid. When Heads of African Tax Administration met in Pretoria in 2008, South Africa’s then Finance Minister, Trevor Manuel, told us plainly: Don’t waste the crisis.
We didn’t.
The African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) was born from urgency, but it was built for longevity. Instead of mimicking international models, we designed an African institution from the ground up, technically credible, politically grounded, and continentally owned. Eleven technical workshops took place before we even launched. And when we did, in Kampala in 2009, 25 countries had already signed up.
From the start, we knew that member states wouldn’t tolerate empty rhetoric. So we went straight to work. Our Country Assistance Programme helped Uganda uncover US$79 million in tax leakages in the coffee sector. Rwanda’s collaboration with SARS on revenue forecasting became a template for sustainable planning. These weren’t theoretical wins; they translated into clinics, classrooms, and community services.
We built ATAF on a peer-to-peer model. That was the difference. Our Executive Council was not made up of proxies; it was made up of sitting Commissioners-General, people who knew exactly what pressures and possibilities their administrations faced. That meant our advice was credible. Our decisions, grounded.
Over the years, ATAF’s credibility deepened through results. In Côte d’Ivoire, ATAF’s collaboration helped design a more responsive digital services tax framework that aligned with the realities of a growing e-commerce sector. In Namibia, support for tax audits and legal reform helped double collections between 2021 and 2023. These are not one-off cases; they are signs of a larger pattern: where Africa leads, results follow.
But institutional resilience is not only about delivery. It’s also about voice. ATAF was instrumental in shifting the conversation at the OECD and UN. We moved from being seen as beneficiaries to being equal participants. Today, African experts like Matthew Gbonjubola are co-chairing global tax committees. Our influence is no longer aspirational; it is active, strategic, and visible.
This matters. Because the future of tax is being written now in digital services, in climate finance, in AI-driven economies. These issues are not abstract. They shape how revenue is raised and who controls the frameworks behind it. ATAF is responding by working toward a continent-wide tax technology innovation hub. This hub will help African countries develop modern systems, share digital tools, and build the kind of agility needed to govern in real time.
We are also preparing to scale. Our partnerships with the African Union, the African Development Bank, and sub-regional bodies are more important than ever. As the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) begins to reshape intra-African trade, tax systems must adapt and coordinate. ATAF’s role here is essential.
The G20’s arrival in Africa presents a rare opportunity. But it’s also a test. Will we shape the agenda or respond to it? ATAF is ready, but we need full support from our governments and a clear commitment to scale what works. We need investment not just in tools, but in people, including tax officials, analysts, policymakers, and researchers who understand that tax is not a back-office function, but a lever of sovereignty.
Yes, headwinds are growing. Protectionist trade policies and tariff nationalism are re-emerging globally, especially in powerful economies. Multilateralism is under strain. But we’ve already proven that African collaboration can work and that homegrown institutions can lead.
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For 15 years, ATAF has delivered. Now is the time to consolidate, scale, and step forward. Because the future of tax will not wait for us.
This month, as I end my tenure as the Executive Secretary for ATAF for over 15 years, I welcome Mary Baine as the new Executive Secretary. I know Mary will succeed and lead with passion.
We are ready.
Logan Wort is the outgoing Executive Secretary of the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF), a body he helped found in 2009 to strengthen tax systems across the continent. Over 15 years, he has led ATAF to become a respected voice in global tax reform, helping African countries recover billions in revenue and build world-class tax capacity. Recognised globally for his leadership, he was named one of the 10 most influential people in tax in 2022 by International Tax Review. A South African by origin, Logan brings unique insight into African fiscal sovereignty, multilateral diplomacy, and the importance of building institutions that last.
