How 'black tax' helps and hinders

When Nokubonga Mkhize started an internship at a community radio station in South Africa a few year ago, she was paid a small transport stipend of around $60 (£40).

She immediately used all of the money to buy groceries for her mother.

"I said to myself, 'I don't care how I get to work, but I'm buying food.'

"I just wanted to rock up at home with a plastic bag full of food. Just to see my mum's face. It is essentially what we all aim to do."

And over the years, as Ms Mkhize’s career flourished, the demands on her income grew. She became the main breadwinner at the home she shares with her mother and brother.

"I think the turning point was when I needed to start my own life and then I realised, I don't have the funds to start my own life. 

"For example, I was thinking of starting a business and you calculate and say, 'Oh goodness I can’t start a business because my funds are allocated at home.'"

Ms Mkhize has found herself in a position many young professionals can relate to - trying to find the balance between supporting your immediate and extended family and carving out your career.

Her experience speaks to a term that is gaining in popularity in describing the financial expectations placed on young professionals to support their immediate and extended families: "black tax".

The term is controversial. Some object to the notion that this is something only black people face and others disagree with the use of the word tax.

However, it has sparked animated conversations about navigating personal goals and familial responsibilities as well as the economic conditions that have made passing on generational wealth difficult.

Ms Mkhize readily admits that she herself has benefited from the so-called black tax: "I am a product of black tax - my brother helped me through school."

But she says people should not ignore the pressure that comes with it.

This article originally appeared on BBC News

Photo: Nokubonga Mkhize