South Africa, Rwanda to Study Gambia’s Digital Tax Stamp System

Written by: Dawda Baldeh

The Gambia’s digital tax stamp system continues to draw attention from across Africa, with customs authorities from South Africa and Rwanda set to visit Banjul to study the country’s technology-driven approach to tax administration and revenue collection.

Commissioner General of the Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA), Yankuba Darboe, confirmed the planned visit, describing it as another endorsement of the country’s digital reforms in customs and domestic tax administration.

Implemented by SICPA Gambia, a subsidiary of Swiss-based SICPA SA, the digital tax stamp system is designed to strengthen revenue collection, combat smuggling and improve tax compliance through the real-time monitoring of excisable goods.

“The planned visit by South African and Rwandan customs officials underscores the growing regional interest in The Gambia’s digital reforms,” Darboe said. “I am particularly pleased that Rwanda’s customs will be coming because Rwanda is widely regarded as a leading reference point for public sector reforms in Africa.”

Darboe said the digital tax stamp initiative has reduced the smuggling of excisable goods by 95 percent, significantly improving transparency and accountability in tax collection.

“The system supports local industries, protects government revenue and broadens the tax base without increasing tax rates,” he added.

The Gambia has increasingly become a destination for tax administrators seeking to study digital revenue reforms. Since the introduction of the programme, customs and revenue officials from Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and several other African countries have visited to assess its impact on tax administration, market transparency and enforcement.

The digital tax stamp was introduced to track excisable products in real time, enabling the GRA to combat smuggling, counterfeiting, under-declaration and other forms of illicit trade while providing reliable data for audits and compliance monitoring.

According to GRA figures, excise revenue reached D48.47 million between January and August 2024, compared with D6.31 million during the same period in 2023. The GRA attributes the increase to stronger compliance and tighter enforcement following the introduction of the digital tax stamp system.

Business leaders have also welcomed the initiative, saying it has helped create a fairer marketplace by ensuring that excisable goods sold in the country have paid the required taxes while reducing the circulation of illicit products.

The Commissioner of the South African Revenue Service (SARS), Dr Johnstone Makhubu, confirmed that his delegation will visit The Gambia to study the system firsthand.

“The GRA’s experience demonstrates how technology can strengthen tax systems while supporting honest businesses and protecting consumers,” Dr Makhubu said.

Developed by SICPA SA, a company specialising in secure identification and traceability solutions since 1927, the digital tax stamp programme has positioned The Gambia as an emerging reference point for technology-driven revenue administration.

With South Africa and Rwanda preparing to join a growing list of countries studying the initiative, The Gambia’s digital tax stamp system is attracting increasing interest as governments across Africa explore digital tools to strengthen tax administration and combat smuggling.