Across Africa, digitalisation is reshaping how governments deliver services and engage with citizens. Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), including digital IDs, payment systems, and data exchange platforms, offers transformative opportunities for more equitable and efficient tax systems. At the same time, it raises critical questions about inclusivity, governance, and long-term sustainability.

In this 2-hour masterclass, ICTD researchers Fabrizio Santoro and Daisy Ogembo will draw on recent findings to explore how DPI can unlock the future of tax administration in Africa. The session blends expert insights with interactive activities, including a live mapping of African DPI ecosystems and a policy simulation lab, to foster collaborative learning and forward-looking dialogue.

The masterclass will be delivered as part of the ATRN Congress, and will provide participants with practical tools, evidence-based perspectives, and opportunities to debate the challenges and possibilities of building strong digital rails for taxation.

Event Details
Past Event
Date
18 September 2025
Time
-
Location
Century City Conference Centre
Century City, Cape Town, South Africa

Fabrizio Santoro

Fabrizio Santoro is a Research Fellow at the Institute of Development Studies, and is the co-lead for our programme of work on Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI). Previously, he was Research Lead for the second component of the ICTD's DIGITAX Research Programme. His main research interests relate to governance, public finance, and taxation, with a strong focus on impact evaluation methodologies and statistical analysis. He holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Sussex.

Daisy Ogembo

Daisy Ogembo is a Research Fellow at ICTD. Often using an interdisciplinary approach, her work focuses on the taxation of hard-to-tax groups, constitutional issues in taxation, and digital aspects of taxation. She earned her DPhil from the University of Oxford and was the recipient of numerous prestigious awards including the British Academy Postdoctoral Research Fellowship and the Harvey Fellowship. Prior to joining ICTD, Daisy was an Assistant Professor of law at the University of Birmingham. Her current research includes completing a monograph on taxation and transformative constitutionalism, investigating legal and governance issues in the use of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) in tax administration, and expanding her research on higher income earners in the informal sector.

Lucia Rossel

Lucia Rossel is a consultant at ICTD and a lecturer at Universidad del Desarrollo in Chile. She hold a PhD in Economics from Utrecht University, the Netherlands.

Bushra Saleem

Bushra is a Communications and Impact Officer at the Institute of Development Studies, working with ICTD on Digital Public Infrastructures. With a background in architecture and design from Goldsmiths, she has experience in urban research, feminist perspectives, and creative communications with organisations such as HRCP, Amnesty International, and Digital Rights Foundation.
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.