PRETORIA — Africa stands at a defining moment. As governments across the continent seek sustainable pathways to finance their development ambitions, domestic resource mobilisation (DRM) has become the fulcrum of Africa’s economic resilience, a principle reaffirmed in the Compromiso de Sevilla and deeply rooted in the African Union’s Agenda 2063 vision of “The Africa We Want.”
It is against this backdrop that the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) convenes the 2025 ATAF Annual Meetings, hosted by Algeria’s Direction Générale des Impôts (DGI) from 3–7 November 2025 in Algiers under the theme: “Embracing Efficient and Targeted Approaches to Equitable Tax Systems.” This year’s edition is more than a convening, it marks the start of a new chapter for ATAF and its members following the organisation’s 15th anniversary in 2024. It comes at a time when tax systems must be not only efficient, but fair, inclusive, and deeply connected to the lived realities of African economies.
Here are five things you need to know about this landmark event.
1. Africa’s premier tax conference comes to North Africa
For the first time since ATAF’s founding, the Annual Meetings will be held in North Africa, hosted by Algeria’s Direction Générale des Impôts (DGI) at the Centre International de Conférences (CIC) in Algiers.
This milestone underscores ATAF’s truly pan-African identity and the growing engagement of North African administrations in shaping the continental tax agenda. It follows the highly successful Heads of Tax Administration Masterclass hosted by Morocco earlier this year, reaffirming North Africa’s rising leadership in advancing tax reforms across the continent.
2. The theme: fairness, inclusion, and smarter compliance
This year’s theme speaks directly to the moment we are in. African tax administrations are being called upon to deliver more with fewer resources while ensuring fairness, integrity, and public trust. The focus will be on deepening compliance in an inclusive and equitable manner through better use of data, segmentation, and technology. From AI-assisted risk detection to enhanced taxpayer service design, the conversations will explore how innovation can help administrations meet their revenue targets without overburdening those who already comply.
3. A rich agenda for a complex era
The Meetings will feature 70 speakers across 11 sessions and three days, bringing together perspectives that span policy, practice, and partnership.
Core topics include:
• Domestic Resource Mobilisation and Development Financing — from global commitments to national strategies.
• Global Tax Governance — strengthening Africa’s voice in multilateral reforms.
• Gender and Equity in Tax Policy — designing fair systems through data and empathy.
• Climate and Energy Taxation — building fiscal tools for a green transition.
• Illicit Financial Flows and Tax Transparency — scaling up African cooperation to combat revenue losses.
Every session is designed not just to debate, but to generate actionable insights for administrations on the frontlines of revenue reform.
4. A community of leaders, innovators, and partners
ATAF’s Annual Meetings are known for convening Africa’s most influential fiscal minds, from Ministers of Finance and Commissioners-General to leading academics, practitioners, and development partners. In Algiers, over 350 participants are expected, representing ATAF’s 44 member countries, the African Union, World Bank, OECD, UNDP, WATAF, and other development and regional partners. This unique community brings together policy ambition, administrative experience, and technical innovation, all united by one mission: to strengthen Africa’s tax systems as engines of inclusive growth.
5. Charting the next decade of ATAF’s impact
The 2025 Meetings are not just a reflection on progress, they are a launchpad for the periods ahead. As ATAF transitions into its next strategic cycle, the Annual Meetings will shape new priorities for member support, peer learning, and global engagement. The event will conclude with a formal Outcome Statement, capturing commitments to deepen cooperation, enhance data-driven reform, and strengthen the link between taxation and development outcomes. In essence, the Algiers meetings will reaffirm what ATAF stands for: an Africa that mobilises its own resources, shapes its own policies, and finances its own future.
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