Top 10 Countries with the Highest Corporate Tax Rates in Africa, 2025

In Summary

• Several African nations maintain high corporate tax rates as tools for fiscal stability, funding infrastructure and public service expansion.
• Oil, mining, and service-driven economies use these taxes to consolidate state budgets and manage post-pandemic recovery.
• New tax codes and digital administration systems are reshaping how African states enforce, harmonize, and justify high corporate levies.

Deep Dive!!

Lagos, Nigeria, Wednesday, October 22 - Across Africa, corporate taxation stands at the centre of fiscal planning and economic strategy. As nations pursue self-sustained growth and stronger public institutions, corporate income tax (CIT) continues to play a defining role in financing development. 

Recent data from the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) shows that tax revenue contributes an average of 15.6 % of GDP in sub-Saharan Africa, with several middle-income economies exceeding 20 %, reflecting steady improvements in revenue mobilisation and tax administration.

Corporate tax policies are increasingly shaped by the need for balance stimulating private investment while ensuring fair contribution from profitable enterprises. The IMF’s 2025 Fiscal Monitor notes that the continent’s average statutory corporate rate stands at 29 %, compared to 23 % in Asia and 21 % in OECD countries. 

This difference underscores Africa’s distinct fiscal outlook, one focused not merely on competitiveness, but on sustainable nation-building. Governments are strengthening compliance systems, reducing leakages, and integrating digital tools that make corporate tax filing faster and more transparent.

Several administrations have also joined international frameworks such as the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS), while domestic reforms ranging from electronic filing to real-time audit monitoring have improved collection efficiency and accountability. 

According to Trading Economics (2025), a number of African countries currently maintain statutory corporate tax rates above 30 %, reflecting deliberate policy choices aimed at strengthening fiscal independence and institutional capacity. The following ranking highlights the ten African countries with the highest corporate tax rates in 2025 each representing a unique approach to aligning taxation with development goals.

10. Ethiopia

Ethiopia’s corporate income tax rate stands at 30%, placing it among Africa’s higher-rate economies in 2025. Despite the relatively high statutory rate, total tax revenue as a share of GDP remains modest, estimated at around 7.5% in 2022/23. This reflects the country’s broader strategy of balancing revenue mobilisation with industrial development incentives. Corporate taxation is integrated into Ethiopia’s industrialisation agenda, supporting infrastructure projects, public services, and the expansion of industrial parks while maintaining an environment that encourages investment and enterprise growth.

The Ethiopian Revenues and Customs Authority has undertaken significant modernization over the past five years, implementing e-filing, real-time audit analytics, and improved reporting systems. Transfer-pricing regulations, updated in 2024, provide guidance for multinational companies, while clarified rules on deductible expenses and withholding taxes strengthen transparency and predictability. These reforms aim to streamline corporate compliance, reduce administrative delays, and ensure that tax obligations are clear across different sectors, from manufacturing and agriculture to logistics and energy.

Ethiopia’s industrial parks and export-oriented zones demonstrate how corporate taxation links directly to economic planning. Facilities such as Hawassa, Mekelle, and Bole Lemi host a variety of manufacturing and logistics firms, many benefiting from temporary tax holidays, customs relief, and accelerated depreciation allowances. These incentives are conditional, tying tax benefits to measurable outcomes like job creation, export volumes, and value addition. By combining the statutory 30% rate with these structured incentives, Ethiopia encourages investment while ensuring that corporate activity contributes to national development objectives.

Policy evolution in 2025 emphasizes clarity, performance-based incentives, and sustainable revenue collection. Minimum-tax provisions guarantee that all profitable firms contribute to the public treasury, even if eligible for special incentives. Digital platforms for filing and audit, along with strengthened capacity at the Ethiopian Revenues and Customs Authority, improve predictability for investors and reduce compliance risk. The government is also piloting reforms to link tax benefits more directly to innovation, green-energy adoption, and regional industrial development. Together, these measures show how Ethiopia is leveraging corporate taxation as a strategic tool balancing fiscal strength with industrial growth, job creation, and sustainable economic transformation.

9. Congo

The Republic of Congo applies a 30% corporate income tax rate, placing it among the higher-taxed economies in Central Africa. Corporate taxation is a central pillar of the government’s revenue framework, contributing alongside oil royalties, customs duties, and other levies to an overall tax-to-GDP ratio of around 14–15%, according to recent World Bank and Trading Economics data. While hydrocarbons dominate government receipts, the corporate tax system ensures that non-oil sectors including construction, services, and manufacturing also contribute meaningfully to state revenue, supporting infrastructure, public services, and social programs.

Urban centers such as Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire are the primary bases of corporate activity. Brazzaville serves as the administrative and financial hub, while Pointe-Noire anchors the oil and logistics economy. Corporate tax compliance and enforcement are closely linked to these urban concentrations, with large firms subject to regular audits and electronic filing requirements. Over the past five years, the tax authority has introduced digital reporting platforms, standardized accounting practices, and strengthened transfer-pricing oversight to improve compliance, reduce evasion, and make corporate contributions more predictable.

Congo’s government also leverages the corporate tax framework to support targeted economic growth. Investment incentives in sectors like manufacturing, transport, and agribusiness provide temporary relief from the headline 30% rate, promoting diversification beyond oil dependence. Special zones, such as the Pointe-Noire free trade and industrial areas, offer customs facilitation and accelerated depreciation allowances, linking fiscal policy directly to job creation, export promotion, and industrialization. This structure allows the country to maintain a relatively high statutory rate while encouraging investments that generate measurable economic impact.

Ongoing reforms in 2025 focus on transparency, digital administration, and performance-oriented incentives. Initiatives include e-filing expansion, real-time audit monitoring, and integration of corporate tax data with customs and social security systems. Partnerships with international organizations, including UNDP and the IMF, support capacity-building for the tax authority, facilitating better planning and monitoring of corporate compliance. By combining a high statutory rate with structured incentives, Congo aims to channel corporate activity toward sustainable development, balancing revenue generation with private-sector growth and long-term economic diversification.

8. Benin

Benin maintains a 30% corporate income tax rate. Corporate tax contributes significantly to national revenue, with the overall tax-to-GDP ratio estimated at 18–19% in 2023, according to Trading Economics and World Bank data. While the economy remains largely informal, formal enterprises including banking, manufacturing, and trade sectors are key contributors to government revenue. Corporate tax receipts fund infrastructure projects, public services, and institutional strengthening, forming a cornerstone of Benin’s fiscal strategy.

The country’s urban and industrial hubs, notably Cotonou, Porto-Novo, and Parakou, host most taxable corporate activity. Cotonou, as the economic capital and home to the country’s main port, anchors trade-related business operations, while Parakou and Porto-Novo focus on administrative, commercial, and light manufacturing activities. The tax authority has invested in digital platforms, standardized accounting procedures, and e-filing systems to improve compliance and reduce administrative burdens. These upgrades have enhanced efficiency, transparency, and predictability for both domestic firms and multinational investors operating in the country.

Benin also applies targeted incentives to align corporate taxation with development priorities. Sectors such as agro-processing, energy, and export-oriented manufacturing benefit from temporary tax holidays, accelerated depreciation allowances, and customs facilitation. The government links these incentives to performance metrics, including employment creation, investment size, and export contribution. Special economic zones, particularly the Cotonou Port Free Zone and development corridors connecting northern and southern regions, integrate tax policy with infrastructure and logistics, encouraging private investment while diversifying the economy beyond trade and services.

In 2025, reforms emphasize clarity, digital integration, and performance-linked benefits. The Ministry of Economy and Finance continues to strengthen auditing capacity, expand e-filing coverage, and integrate tax reporting with customs and social security contributions. International collaboration with organizations such as the IMF, AfDB, and UNDP supports capacity-building and policy refinement, particularly in areas of compliance monitoring, dispute resolution, and investment facilitation. By maintaining a high statutory rate while deploying structured, conditional incentives, Benin leverages corporate taxation as a strategic tool for fiscal stability, economic diversification, and sustainable private-sector growth.

7. Namibia

Namibia applies a 31% corporate income tax rate. Despite its relatively small population of about 2.7 million, corporate taxation represents a significant share of government revenue, contributing alongside mining royalties, VAT, and customs duties to a tax-to-GDP ratio of approximately 27% in 2023–24, according to Trading Economics and IMF data. The country’s fiscal strategy relies on corporate tax to support public investment in infrastructure, healthcare, education, and urban development, while maintaining a business environment that attracts both domestic and foreign investment.

Economic activity is heavily concentrated in urban centers such as Windhoek, Walvis Bay, and Swakopmund. Windhoek, as the administrative and financial hub, hosts a large proportion of the country’s formal businesses, banks, and corporate headquarters. Walvis Bay anchors port-linked commerce, logistics, and industrial operations, while Swakopmund serves as a tourism and services center. Corporate compliance is managed through the Namibia Revenue Agency (NamRA), which has implemented electronic filing systems, automated assessment tools, and enhanced audit procedures over the past five years. These upgrades have improved efficiency, transparency, and predictability for corporate taxpayers, particularly large firms in mining, manufacturing, and logistics.

Namibia’s tax policy balances the 31% statutory rate with sector-specific incentives designed to stimulate growth and diversification. Firms in export-oriented manufacturing, energy, and industrial parks benefit from time-bound tax holidays, accelerated depreciation, and customs facilitation. The government links these incentives to measurable outcomes, such as job creation, investment in local value chains, and export performance. The Walvis Bay Corridor, connecting the port to industrial clusters inland, illustrates how fiscal policy, infrastructure investment, and logistics integration work together to support economic growth. These measures allow Namibia to maintain a high statutory rate while providing structured benefits that encourage private-sector activity and regional development.

In 2025, Namibia continues to refine its corporate tax framework with a focus on transparency, digital integration, and compliance efficiency. NamRA has introduced a more robust risk-based audit system, linking corporate reporting to real-time analytics and sector-specific benchmarks. Collaboration with the IMF, African Development Bank, and World Bank supports capacity building for auditing, dispute resolution, and revenue forecasting. Additionally, policy discussions are underway to further align tax incentives with green-energy projects, innovation, and regional value-chain development, ensuring that the corporate tax system incentivizes strategic investment while safeguarding government revenue. Namibia’s approach demonstrates how a high statutory corporate rate can coexist with targeted, measurable incentives, supporting both fiscal stability and sustainable economic growth.

6. Mozambique

Mozambique’s 32% corporate income tax rate positions it among the higher-taxed nations in Southern Africa. Corporate tax contributes significantly to national revenue, alongside natural resource royalties, VAT, and customs duties, supporting an overall tax-to-GDP ratio of approximately 17% in 2023, according to Trading Economics and IMF data. The government relies on corporate contributions to finance infrastructure projects, public services, and economic diversification efforts, particularly in sectors like agriculture, mining, and energy. Despite historical fiscal volatility, corporate taxation has remained a stable instrument for revenue collection and industrial planning.

Urban and industrial hubs anchor Mozambique’s corporate activity, with Maputo, Beira, and Nampula serving as key centers. Maputo hosts most financial institutions, multinational headquarters, and major service-sector enterprises, while Beira and Nacala anchor port logistics and trade operations critical for both domestic and regional exports. The Mozambique Tax Authority (Autoridade Tributária de Moçambique, AT) has invested in digital filing systems, e-invoicing, and enhanced audit procedures over the past decade. These reforms streamline compliance, improve transparency, and provide firms with greater predictability in tax obligations, while strengthening the government’s ability to monitor corporate contributions.

Mozambique also integrates corporate taxation with economic incentives aimed at promoting growth and diversification. Investment in industrial parks, export-processing zones, and energy projects benefits from accelerated depreciation, temporary tax exemptions, and customs facilitation, often linked to measurable performance metrics such as job creation, export volumes, and capital investment. Special initiatives, including the Maputo and Nacala logistics corridors, demonstrate how tax policy, infrastructure, and regional connectivity are coordinated to maximize private-sector productivity and stimulate broader economic impact. These incentives help balance the headline 32% rate with tangible benefits for firms contributing to national development priorities.

In 2025, Mozambique continues refining its corporate tax framework to enhance efficiency, transparency, and strategic investment. Digital platforms for filing, auditing, and reporting are being expanded, while AT is deploying risk-based audit systems to align compliance efforts with sectoral benchmarks. International partnerships with the IMF, World Bank, and African Development Bank support capacity-building in tax administration, investment facilitation, and dispute resolution. Reforms also target alignment of incentives with renewable energy, industrialization, and export-driven growth. Mozambique’s corporate taxation, anchored by a high statutory rate and performance-linked incentives, demonstrates a deliberate balance between fiscal stability and the promotion of sustainable, diversified economic development.

5. Seychelles

Seychelles maintains a 33% corporate income tax rate despite a population under 100,000. Corporate taxation, together with VAT, tourism levies, and fisheries royalties, accounts for approximately 12–13% of total government revenue, according to Trading Economics. The system underpins public investment in infrastructure, education, healthcare, and climate resilience, while supporting fiscal stability in a small-island economy highly exposed to external shocks such as global tourism fluctuations and climate events.

Corporate activity is heavily concentrated in Victoria, the capital, which hosts the majority of financial institutions, multinational service providers, and fisheries-processing companies. Beyond Victoria, small island hubs like Praslin and La Digue support niche tourism, agribusiness, and artisan manufacturing sectors. The Seychelles Revenue Commission has implemented a comprehensive digital tax administration platform, including real-time e-filing, automated assessments, and risk-based audit analytics. These initiatives improve compliance, provide investors with predictability, and strengthen the government’s ability to monitor and forecast corporate revenue flows.

Seychelles pairs its high statutory rate with carefully structured incentives to stimulate investment, diversify the economy, and promote sustainable practices. Special economic and offshore financial zones offer conditional tax relief, accelerated depreciation, and customs facilitation. These measures are linked to clear performance criteria, including local employment, export generation, environmental compliance, and capital investment. In the fisheries sector, for example, processors accessing tax incentives must adhere to sustainable harvesting standards and energy-efficient practices. Tourism operators benefit similarly, with fiscal benefits tied to eco-certifications and infrastructure improvements that enhance resilience and visitor capacity.

The government continues refining its corporate tax framework to enhance efficiency, compliance, and strategic alignment with economic priorities. Expansion of digital systems now includes e-invoicing, integrated reporting with customs and social security, and predictive analytics for revenue forecasting. Collaboration with international institutions such as the IMF, African Development Bank, and World Bank supports capacity-building in audit, tax policy, and investment facilitation. By combining a 33% statutory corporate rate with conditional, outcome-linked incentives, Seychelles demonstrates how small-island economies can leverage taxation strategically to ensure fiscal sustainability, drive investment, and support resilient, diversified growth.

4. Morocco

Corporate taxation forms a central pillar of Morocco’s public finance system, with the 33% corporate income tax rate contributing significantly to revenue alongside VAT, customs duties, and energy levies. According to Trading Economics and IMF data, corporate tax helps sustain a tax-to-GDP ratio of approximately 27%, funding infrastructure development, industrial modernization, and regional growth initiatives. Revenue from corporations underpins projects in transportation networks, urban development, and industrial zones, reflecting Morocco’s strategy of structured economic diversification.

Urban centers such as Casablanca, Rabat, and Tangier are the main hubs of corporate activity. Casablanca hosts multinational headquarters, financial institutions, and export-oriented industries; Rabat functions as the administrative and policy center; and Tangier has developed into a logistics and industrial hub, anchored by the Tangier-Med port and Free Zone. The Direction Générale des Impôts (DGI) has strengthened digital filing, risk-based audits, and sector-specific compliance frameworks, ensuring predictability and transparency for both domestic and international companies operating at the 33% statutory rate.

Morocco combines its high corporate tax rate with targeted incentives designed to stimulate investment, key-sector growth, and employment. Manufacturing, renewable energy, and export-oriented service sectors benefit from accelerated depreciation, tariff exemptions, and temporary tax relief in designated industrial zones. Tangier’s automotive and aeronautical clusters, for instance, access fiscal incentives conditional on technology transfer, workforce training, and export targets, showing how policy aligns taxation with strategic industrial priorities.

Ongoing reforms in 2025 aim to enhance efficiency, digital administration, and alignment with broader economic goals. E-filing, real-time audit tracking, and integration with customs and social security systems are expanding, while partnerships with the IMF, African Development Bank, and World Bank support capacity-building, compliance, and investment facilitation. Morocco’s approach demonstrates how a high statutory rate of 33% can be effectively paired with structured, outcome-based incentives to promote fiscal stability, industrial competitiveness, and sustainable economic growth.

3. Cameroon

Cameroon applies a 33% corporate income tax rate, forming a core part of national revenue alongside VAT, customs duties, and sector-specific levies. According to Trading Economics, corporate tax contributes significantly to the government’s budget, supporting infrastructure, public services, and industrial development initiatives. The tax-to-GDP ratio for Cameroon hovers around 17–18%, reflecting a balanced approach between revenue mobilization and maintaining a competitive environment for businesses, particularly in agriculture, manufacturing, and energy sectors.

Corporate activity is concentrated in key urban centers, including Douala, Yaoundé, and Kribi. Douala serves as the commercial and industrial hub, hosting the majority of manufacturing firms, ports, and logistics companies, while Yaoundé operates as the political and administrative center. Kribi, with its deep-water port and industrial free zones, has become a focal point for investment in mining, shipping, and energy. The Cameroon Revenue Authority (CRA) has invested in digital tax administration, including e-filing, risk-based audits, and automated compliance monitoring, increasing transparency and easing corporate obligations under the 33% statutory rate.

Cameroon’s tax system integrates corporate incentives to promote investment, diversification, and job creation. Special economic zones, export-processing areas, and priority-sector programs offer temporary tax exemptions, accelerated depreciation, and reduced tariffs for qualifying companies. For instance, firms in the Kribi Industrial Zone are eligible for fiscal benefits contingent on local employment, export performance, and adherence to environmental standards. This alignment of taxation and economic policy ensures that the 33% corporate rate supports long-term growth while stimulating private-sector investment across strategic sectors.

Reforms continue to strengthen digital administration, compliance efficiency, and investment facilitation. The CRA is expanding integrated reporting systems, linking corporate tax, customs, and social security data to streamline processes and reduce administrative burden. International partnerships with the IMF, World Bank, and African Development Bank provide technical assistance, capacity-building, and advisory support for policy design. Cameroon demonstrates how a high statutory corporate rate, paired with structured, performance-linked incentives and modernized administration, can drive both fiscal stability and sustainable industrial growth.

2. Sudan

Corporate taxation in Sudan is a major fiscal pillar, with the 35% corporate income tax rate supporting roughly 15–17% of government revenue alongside VAT, customs duties, and sector-specific levies, according to Trading Economics. The collected revenue funds critical sectors, including transport infrastructure, energy expansion, healthcare, and education, while enabling targeted investment in emerging industries such as mining, manufacturing, and services. In 2024, corporate tax receipts grew by approximately 8% year-on-year, reflecting expanding formal business registration and improved compliance mechanisms.

Khartoum, Omdurman, and Khartoum North host the bulk of corporate activity. Khartoum serves as the political and financial hub, with headquarters of commercial banks, agribusiness conglomerates, manufacturing firms, and service providers. Omdurman houses major industrial clusters and transport logistics operators, while Khartoum North focuses on medium-sized enterprises and trade facilitation. The Taxation Chamber has invested heavily in digital tax administration, introducing e-filing platforms, automated audit targeting, and sector-specific reporting frameworks, which have significantly reduced processing times and enhanced transparency for both domestic and foreign corporations.

Sudan complements its corporate tax system with a range of sectoral incentives and economic zones. Special economic zones, export-processing regions, and priority-sector programs provide temporary tax relief, accelerated depreciation, and tariff exemptions for qualifying companies. Mining operations in Darfur and mineral-rich regions gain benefits linked to employment of local labor, environmental compliance, and technology transfer. Agro-processing and manufacturing firms, particularly in Khartoum and Port Sudan, are incentivized to increase export volume and upgrade production standards. This structured approach ensures the tax system supports sustainable growth while encouraging formalization and industrialization.

Reforms in 2025 are focused on strengthening digital administration, compliance efficiency, and investment facilitation. Integration of corporate tax, customs, and social security systems allows real-time tracking of business activity, while predictive analytics improves revenue forecasting. Collaboration with international institutions including the IMF, African Development Bank, and World Bank has facilitated capacity-building, policy design, and implementation of digital governance initiatives. Sudan’s model demonstrates that a high statutory corporate rate, when paired with targeted incentives, modern administration, and urban-centered economic planning, can sustain fiscal stability while promoting long-term industrial growth.

1. Chad

Chad applies a 35% corporate income tax rate, one of the highest in Africa, and it represents a crucial source of revenue for the government, accounting for roughly 16–18% of total fiscal receipts, according to Trading Economics. Corporate taxation underpins national priorities including infrastructure expansion, energy development, public services, and administrative modernization. Over the past five years, tax revenue from corporations has grown steadily, reflecting both an increase in formal business registration and improvements in collection mechanisms, while complementing customs duties, VAT, and sector-specific levies.

Corporate activity in Chad is concentrated in the capital N’Djamena, the economic hub Moundou, and the oil-rich region of Doba. N’Djamena hosts most financial institutions, service-sector companies, and administrative headquarters. Moundou functions as a commercial and industrial center, supporting agro-processing, textiles, and local manufacturing. Meanwhile, the Doba oil fields attract multinational energy firms whose operations, logistics, and support services contribute heavily to the corporate tax base. Chad’s tax administration has strengthened auditing systems, digital filing platforms, and sector-specific compliance checks to ensure transparency and improve predictability for investors operating under the 35% rate.

Chad combines its high corporate tax framework with targeted incentives aimed at industrial growth, investment promotion, and employment creation. Special economic zones and export-processing regions offer temporary tax relief, accelerated depreciation, and tariff exemptions for qualifying companies. Companies operating in oil, mining, and agro-processing sectors gain additional benefits tied to employment of local workers, technology transfer, and export performance. This combination of statutory taxation and performance-linked incentives allows Chad to mobilize revenue efficiently while encouraging formalization and sustainable industrial activity.

In 2025, reforms emphasize modernization, digital governance, and investment facilitation. The Direction Générale des Impôts is expanding e-filing, integrating tax, customs, and social security reporting, and introducing analytics-driven audit targeting. Partnerships with the IMF, World Bank, and African Development Bank are supporting capacity-building, policy optimization, and infrastructure financing, particularly in urban hubs. Chad’s corporate tax model demonstrates how a high statutory rate, paired with targeted incentives and strengthened administration, can underpin fiscal stability while promoting formal, diversified, and strategically concentrated economic growth.

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