Sumarie Swanepoel, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Taxation at the University of Pretoria, served as a panellist at the Gender-Inclusive Tax Roundtable, an event hosted by the Catalytic Strategy. The roundtable took place on 25 October 2024 at WDB House in Dunkeld, Sandton, bringing together thought leaders and experts to discuss the urgent need for gender-inclusive tax reform in South Africa. The roundtable was organised in collaboration with the International Women’s Forum South Africa (IWFSA) and WDB Investment Holdings (WDBIH), and reflected a commitment to leveraging research and expert perspectives to advance gender equity in South Africa's tax policies.

 

The event aimed to address gender biases in taxation and explore innovative approaches to create a more equitable tax framework. Swanepoel is currently enrolled for her PhD, entitled “Engendering change: Assessing and mitigating gender bias in direct income tax legislation in South Africa”. Swanepoel contributed to discussions on understanding and mitigating gender disparities within the tax system. Her insights helped drive the dialogue on identifying systemic biases and developing actionable policy recommendations to foster economic empowerment and equity.

 

In support of the goals of the roundtable, Swanepoel appeared in several media engagements to share insights from the event and to promote awareness on gender-based disparities in taxation. She appeared on Rise and Shine, a programme on Channel Africa, on 31October 2024, where she and host Peter Ndoro discussed the socio-economic effects of gender biases in the tax system. She also featured on Today with Barron Hufkie on eNCA on 1 November 2024, where she elaborated on the recommendations presented during the roundtable and the importance of a gender-sensitive tax system. Further expanding the discussion, Swanepoel featured on The Honest Truth with Benito Vergotine on Smile 90.4FM in Cape Town on 6 November 2024.

 

In these interviews, Swanepoel emphasised the need for inclusive tax policies that address disparities, such as the gender pay gap and the unpaid care economy, to foster a more equitable economic landscape. Through her expertise, Swanepoel helped to highlight actionable solutions and policy recommendations aimed at achieving a gender-inclusive tax system in South Africa and underscored the importance of evidence-based tax reform to support a more equitable economic future for South Africa.