AFPEarlier this month, Kenyan influencer Elsa Majimbo sparked a heated debate on social media with a now-deleted comment on TikTok.
The 23-year-old, who rose to fame with comedy videos during the coronavirus pandemic, struck a nerve when she discussed the so-called “black tax” with her 1.8 million followers.
At this time, black Africans who had achieved a modicum of success, both at home and abroad, found themselves having to support less affluent family members.
Giving back is seen as an intrinsic part of the African philosophy of ubuntu, which emphasizes the importance of family and community rather than the individual.
The question for many is whether this is an unnecessary and unwelcome burden or whether it is part of a community obligation to help cheer others up.
But Ms. Makinbo, who now lives in the United States, is pushing back against this approach.
In the film, she says her father has supported members of the extended family for years and now they turn to her for help. She took her anger out on an unnamed relative.
“You’ve been asking my dad for money since before I was born. I was born, I grew up, I grew up, and now you’re asking me for money – you lazy man [expletive]. I won’t feed your habits.
While some agreed, others questioned her stance. It is unclear why the video was removed from TikTok, and Majimbo’s management team declined the BBC’s request for comment.
But for many, no matter what they personally think, it is impossible to refuse to help a relative because of the sense of community in which they grew up.
Helping to care for a family may create a sense of pride, although this may become too much.
A former Zimbabwean teacher in her 50s, who requested anonymity, told the BBC that almost all of her first paycheck of 380 Zimbabwean dollars 30 years ago went directly to her nine siblings.
“After I bought it [school] Uniforms, clothes and groceries, I had $20 left.
Although it meant she had to buy food on credit, she said as the oldest child she was expected to hand over cash as soon as she started earning money.
Her salary doesn’t belong to her alone, it belongs to her family as well.
When she got married, her responsibilities expanded further. Once, she was pickpocketed on her way to the bank to deposit a check, so she had to take out a loan to pay for her brother-in-law’s tuition. It took her two years to pay it off.
Sandra Ajalo, a 28-year-old Ugandan hairstylist, is grateful to her family for helping her grow up.
Ms. Ajalo and her three siblings were raised by a single mother, with relatives helping her with everything from paying school fees to groceries and even medical expenses.
“It’s not a burden, it’s a public help,” she told the BBC.
But when she saw Ms. Makimbo’s videos, she understood where the social media star was coming from, especially as the Ugandan is now able to help other family members.
“It can be stressful, it can be frustrating, but we need it. No one is an island. We have to do what we can to help each other.”
Dr. Chipo Dendel, assistant professor of African studies at Wellesley College in the United States, believes that the necessity of the “black tax” is rooted in colonialism.
Oppressive systems that concentrated resources in the hands of colonial powers or a tiny minority of settlers prevented the majority from accumulating assets.
Professor Dendell said this “has left many black families without generational wealth”.
In many cases, inequalities were not overturned but replicated after independence.
Paying the “black tax” often becomes a “never-ending cycle,” Dr. Dendel added, because money sent to family members often only temporarily plugs a hole that later reopens.
Another factor is that, unlike rich countries, many African countries cannot afford basic expenses, decent pensions or medical expenses beyond school fees. As a result, the responsibility for paying these fees falls on the wealthiest members of the family, Dr. Dendel said.
“The state has no pension fund – we are the pension. Families are stepping in to do the government’s job.
“We pay because of Ubuntu. We are forced to take care of each other.”
According to the International Fund for Agricultural Development, African migrants sent home approximately $95bn (£72bn) in 2023, almost the size of Kenya’s economy.
For Africans abroad, the pressure can be greater because people believe people abroad can make a lot of money, so expectations are higher.
Gabe Mutseyekwa, 35, is a Zimbabwean man who has lived in Germany for more than five years. He firmly told his family that he would stop making monthly payments because it would prevent him from saving money for his future.
His family reacted poorly, but eventually they came around.
“They realized I was lonely and I needed to do something for myself,” he said.
When he was a part-time student, he once sent home around €2,000 ($2,200; £1,700) to deal with a family emergency.
“There needs to be a balance between taking on this financial responsibility and your personal financial health,” he told the BBC.
Many people notice that family members will have a sense of entitlement to your money, especially if the person is wealthy.
This particularly angered former Nigerian footballer Mikel John Obi. Last year, he talked about “black tax” when he was a guest on “Black Tax”. Rio Ferdinand hosts the podcast.
“When you come from Africa, when you make money, that money is not yours. It’s not just your money. You have all these relatives, cousins, whatever you want to call it,” he said.
He added that relatives had always had many children and wanted him to take care of them.
While not everyone agrees with Elsa Makimbo’s rant, it seems to have struck a nerve, especially among the younger generation.
But Dr. Dendel believes that unless Africa can truly develop, “the black tax will always exist.”
Additional reporting by Tony Vinyoh
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