Est. 2025 · Reg. 2025/461781/07 · Johannesburg, South Africa

Africa's Economic
Intelligence and
Policy Platform

TAFMUP designs and deploys research, policy instruments, market systems, and real-time monitoring frameworks that drive measurable structural transformation across Africa. We generate intelligence, operationalise policy, build systems, and measure impact — all under one platform.

Explore Our Research View Our Projects 💬 +27 65 191 3845
53
African Economies Studied
30+
Countries Engaged
150+
Officials Trained
14
Papers in Pipeline
Intelligence
Rigorous empirical research on Africa's most pressing economic challenges
Policy
Translating evidence into executable instruments for governments and DFIs
Execution
Delivering applied projects, value chain solutions, digital trade systems, and sector interventions across Africa
Monitoring
Real-time MEL dashboards measuring impact and feeding learning back into design
The Platform

Not a Think Tank.
A Transformation Platform.

TAFMUP Research Institute is Africa's integrated research-to-execution platform. We do not just study economic problems — we structure markets, operationalise policy, build measurement systems, and deploy implementation solutions at scale. Every engagement moves through four functions: intelligence, policy translation, execution, and impact measurement.

Our Architecture

Four Arms. One Platform. Closed Loop.

TAFMUP operates across four interconnected functions — generating economic intelligence from primary data; designing policy instruments for governments and institutions; delivering applied projects and implementation solutions directly; and measuring real-world impact through a structured MEL framework. Each function reinforces the others, creating a closed feedback loop from evidence to execution to evaluation and back to research design.

🔬
Research Intelligence
Panel econometrics across 53 African economies using GMD, ARDL, GVAR, and threshold models. Open science. Replication code on GitHub.
📋
Policy Translation
Structures evidence into policy briefs, Cabinet-level strategy, government submissions, and multilateral advisory instruments.
⚙️
Applied Projects
Delivering digital trade systems, value chain structuring, sector interventions, and applied innovation solutions directly to clients.
📊
MEL Systems
Real-time monitoring, policy impact tracking, and evaluation dashboards that close the research-to-results loop.
Institutional Identity
Registered Entity
TAFMUP (PTY) LTD
Registration Number
2025/461781/07 · Republic of South Africa
Academic Home
Thabo Mbeki African School of Public and International Affairs, UNISA
ORCID
0000-0001-6119-9234
GitHub (Open Science)
github.com/Mupingatl
Contact
mupingatl@gmail.com
Endorsed By
Raymond W. Baker, Founding President
Global Financial Integrity, Washington DC

Prof. Charlotte du Toit, Postdoctoral Supervisor
UNISA
Intelligence Arm

Research Programmes

TAFMUP builds empirical knowledge systems across eight research programmes. All datasets and Stata/R replication code are published openly on GitHub. Our research covers 53 African economies over three decades, applying state-of-the-art panel econometrics to Africa's most consequential development challenges.

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Illicit Financial Flows

Measures, maps, and models illicit capital flight across 53 African economies from 1990 to 2023 using the Global Misinvoicing Detection framework. Examines customs discrepancy patterns, trade-based money laundering, and the governance determinants of IFF intensity across resource-rich and fragile states.

Proof of work: Trade misinvoicing training delivered across 30 African economies for the AfDB GONAT initiative, covering CAR, Chad, DRC, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, and Zimbabwe. 150 officials trained in IFF detection methodologies.
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Macro-Financial Fragility

The Ocean Series — 12 interconnected papers modelling fiscal thresholds and crisis risk, monetary-fiscal policy overlap risk, stock-flow inconsistency as leading indicators, exchange rate stress transmission, and banking sector fragility across African panel data. Uses Hansen threshold models, System-GMM, and logit crisis prediction frameworks.

Published working papers: P1 (Fiscal Space Turning Point), P2 (Policy Overlap Risk), P3 (Stock-Flow Inconsistency Index). Targeting Journal of African Economies, Economic Modelling, and African Finance Journal.
🛡️

Economic Resilience Indexing

Constructs composite resilience indices for African economies using normalised, pillar-based frameworks. The South Africa Economic Resilience Index (SERI) integrates 34 indicators across seven analytical pillars — macroeconomic stability, institutional quality, productive structure, investment and capital formation, social inclusion, external vulnerability, and political stability — over 1990 to 2023. Applied using ARDL bounds testing.

Proof of work: SERI developed as a policy diagnostic and planning tool for use by development finance institutions. Submitted to Development Southern Africa.
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Trade Intelligence and AfCFTA

Structures trade misinvoicing measurement, export basket complexity analysis, and AfCFTA implementation barriers for landlocked and fragile African economies. Builds customs gap dashboards and cross-border trade intelligence systems. Analyses Zimbabwe's export basket composition and its readiness to leverage AfCFTA market access under constrained financial systems and sanctions exposure.

GitHub: zimbabwe-exports-afcfta. Co-authored with Sphephelo P. Zubane. Targeting Journal of African Trade.
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Mineral and Resource Economics

Maps beneficiation pathways, materials flow analysis, and governance of critical minerals across Southern Africa. Analyses chrome, platinum, lithium, and vanadium value chains. Applies the "Dig, Spend, Owe" framework to examine how commodity revenue windfalls translate into sovereign debt accumulation, fiscal volatility, and development deficits across resource-rich African states.

Proof of work: Led South Africa's Cabinet-approved Critical Minerals Strategy as principal expert. Targeting Resources Policy (Elsevier).
📊

Digital Economy and E-Commerce

Diagnostic assessment of South Africa's e-commerce maturity across five pillars — digital infrastructure, payment systems, market growth, trade integration, and social inclusion — using a phased maturity model with nationally representative data from 1996 to 2024. Online retail revenues grew from R18.2 billion in 2019 to R71 billion in 2023, yet structural gaps in rural access, regulatory enforcement, and SME participation constrain inclusive growth.

Data sources: StatsSA, SARB, World Bank WDI, IMF Financial Access Survey. Methodology: maturity model aligned with OECD and UNCTAD frameworks.
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Informal Economy and Zimbabwe Research

Tests the Colonial Spatial Confinement Hypothesis — that apartheid-era and colonial urban planning created persistent spatial barriers to formal retail participation for Black entrepreneurs. Applied to Zimbabwe's tuckshop sector. Parallel programme on the Economist Sentiment Index (ESI) for Zimbabwe, Social Progress Index across Sub-Saharan Africa, and monetary regime analysis of the ZiG transition and its effects on capital flight and financial stability.

GitHub: zimbabwe-tuckshop-retail. ESI Zimbabwe pilot score: 3.3/10, Q1 2026. Targeting SAJEMS and AREF.
🌱

Green Economy and Just Transition

Evaluates the readiness of African tertiary education institutions to produce graduates equipped for green economy employment. Commissioned by the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI), the study assessed curriculum responsiveness, institutional adaptation, and stakeholder alignment across universities and employers in Zimbabwe, benchmarked against the WEF Future of Jobs Report (2025) and ILO Just Transition Guidelines. Findings are integrated into TAFMUP's applied green economy project portfolio.

CZI commission, February 2025. PI: Dr. Tafadzwa Luke Mupingashato, UNISA. Mixed methods: document review, KIIs with ZIMCHE and Ministry of Higher Education, national stakeholder survey.
Applied Work

Projects and Technical Engagements

TAFMUP designs, implements, and delivers applied projects across digital trade, value chain structuring, climate resilience, and green economy systems. The following represent categories of technical work we undertake directly for clients and partners across Africa.

Digital Trade Systems

E-Commerce and Digital Trade Infrastructure

We design and implement digital trade systems for African markets — from SME intelligence platforms and trade pricing tools to cross-border e-commerce infrastructure and informal sector formalisation systems. Our diagnostic work benchmarks digital readiness across five analytical pillars: digital infrastructure, payment systems, market growth, trade integration, and social inclusion.

SME digital intelligence platforms Cross-border trade pricing and margin tools E-commerce maturity dashboards Informal-to-formal digital onboarding frameworks
Value Chain Structuring

Industrial and Market Systems

We undertake supply chain mapping, value chain diagnostics, and market entry assessments for industrial and agricultural sectors across Africa. Engagements have included pharmaceutical value chain structuring in Ethiopia, refrigeration manufacturing supply chain assessment in Nigeria, mineral beneficiation pathway design across Southern Africa, and investor-grade funding package development for African enterprises.

Supply chain mapping and gap analysis Market entry feasibility assessments Investor-grade funding packages Beneficiation and value-addition strategy
Applied Innovation

Climate Resilience and Smart Systems

We deliver applied innovation projects at the intersection of climate adaptation, worker productivity, and industrial systems. We assessed the uptake potential of cooling vest technology across industrial sectors in Nigeria and Ghana, combining stakeholder interviews, supply chain analysis, and productivity impact modelling across both markets. We also design green jobs and green skills platforms linking employer demand to tertiary curriculum design.

Cooling vest uptake assessment: Nigeria and Ghana Heat stress and worker productivity analytics Green skills curriculum gap analysis Employer-institution linkage platform design
Track Record

Selected Project Work

The following projects represent a selection of substantive engagements where TAFMUP principals served as lead technical experts — brought in to deliver specialised economic intelligence, policy design, and implementation capacity for major institutions across Africa.

Critical Minerals Strategy

South Africa Cabinet-Approved Critical Minerals Strategy

Served as principal technical expert on South Africa's national Critical Minerals Strategy, commissioned by a leading strategic policy institute. Delivered comprehensive materials flow analysis across rare earth, chrome, platinum, and vanadium value chains, designed multi-stakeholder municipal coalition governance architecture, and built beneficiation policy pathway recommendations. The strategy was approved at Cabinet level and adopted by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition.

Materials flow analysis across five mineral categories Beneficiation pathway recommendations Municipal coalition governance design Cabinet-level strategy document
IFF Training and Customs Systems

AfDB GONAT: IFF Capacity Building Across 30 African Economies

Engaged as the lead technical specialist for trade misinvoicing analysis and IFF governance training under the African Development Bank's GONAT (Governance of Natural Resources) initiative. The project was implemented via a contracted delivery partner; TAFMUP's principal was brought in as the core content and methodology expert. Delivered training workshops and customs gap analysis dashboards across CAR, Chad, DRC, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, and Zimbabwe, training approximately 150 revenue and customs officials in Partner Country Method detection techniques, Financial Secrecy Index applications, and resource-backed loan governance frameworks.

IFF detection training: 150 officials across 6 countries Customs gap analysis dashboard systems Resource-backed loan governance frameworks Policy dialogue reports per country
Resilience Index and Policy Diagnostic

South Africa Economic Resilience Index (SERI)

Developed the South Africa Economic Resilience Index as a composite, normalised policy diagnostic and planning tool. The SERI integrates 34 indicators across seven analytical pillars — macroeconomic stability, institutional and governance quality, productive structure and structural transformation, investment and capital formation, social inclusion and human development, external vulnerability and global integration, and political stability and conflict risk — covering annual data from 1990 to 2023. Applied ARDL bounds testing methodology to model short-run and long-run determinants of economic resilience for use by development finance institutions and national policymakers.

34-indicator composite resilience index constructed ARDL econometric modelling of determinants Policy diagnostic framework for DFI use Full manuscript targeting Development Southern Africa
SADC Strategic Intelligence

SADC Chairmanship Strategic Dialogue Series

Produced classified strategic intelligence and session rapporteur documentation for South Africa's Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) and Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) under South Africa's SADC Chairmanship (2026). Session 2 of the three-part dialogue series focused on regional democracy, political cohesion, and foreign policy coherence. Identified three principal strategic findings: a widening democratic deficit driven by unemployment and governance failure; deteriorating political cohesion within SADC; and the absence of a coherent SADC foreign policy voice. Delivered five recommendation clusters for Ministerial action.

Full session report with strategic findings Executive summary for Ministerial use Five recommendation clusters for DTIC and DIRCO Recommendations Memo for DG-level action
Green Jobs Assessment

Zimbabwe Tertiary Education Green Skills Readiness Assessment

Commissioned by the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI), this 15-day consultancy assessed the readiness of Zimbabwe's tertiary education institutions to respond to the growing demand for green jobs and green skills. Using a mixed-methods approach — curriculum analysis, key informant interviews with ZIMCHE and Ministry of Higher Education officials, structured employer surveys, and institutional benchmarking — the study evaluated whether Zimbabwe's universities and technical colleges are aligning their programmes with the green economy transition requirements articulated in the WEF Future of Jobs Report (2025) and ILO Just Transition Guidelines.

Analytical report on green skills curriculum gaps Stakeholder dissemination workshop Recommendations for Ministry of Higher Education Policy brief on green jobs and the tertiary education gap
E-Commerce Maturity

South Africa E-Commerce Maturity Diagnostic

Conducted a data-driven diagnostic assessment of South Africa's e-commerce ecosystem maturity across five pillars using nationally representative indicators from 1996 to 2024. Online retail grew from R18.2 billion in 2019 to R71 billion in 2023, yet structural gaps in rural digital infrastructure, regulatory enforcement, and SME participation constrain inclusive growth. The study applies a four-phase maturity model — germination, construction, evolution, and maturity — to benchmark South Africa's digital trade readiness and identify priority intervention areas for policy reform and infrastructure investment.

Five-pillar maturity diagnostic with scoring Data gap mapping for policymakers Policy reform recommendations by pillar Manuscript targeting African Journal of Econ. and Mgmt.
What We Offer

Advisory and Implementation Services

TAFMUP provides end-to-end advisory, research, and implementation services to governments, development finance institutions, the private sector, and academic partners across Africa. We take engagements from evidence to execution.

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Custom Research and Policy Analysis

Bespoke empirical research commissioned to your specific policy or business question. We design the methodology, collect or source the data, apply appropriate econometric models, and deliver a publication-quality output with clear policy recommendations. Topics include trade, fiscal policy, financial integrity, mineral economics, and digital economy.

COMMISSION-BASED · TIMELINE: 4 TO 12 WEEKS
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Policy Advisory and Government Consulting

We provide strategic policy advisory services to Ministries, regulatory agencies, and multilateral institutions. Services include policy diagnostic studies, strategy document development, regulatory impact assessments, Cabinet-level briefings, and parliamentary submissions. Our advisory work is grounded in evidence and structured for decision-maker use.

RETAINER OR PROJECT-BASED · CONTACT FOR RATES
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Data Analytics and Dashboard Products

We build real-time data analytics products for institutional clients — including fiscal fragility dashboards, trade misinvoicing gap trackers, resilience index monitoring systems, and e-commerce maturity scorecards. All dashboards are built in Stata or R Shiny with full documentation, enabling your team to update outputs independently as new data is released.

ANNUAL LICENCE · CUSTOM BUILDS AVAILABLE
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Training and Capacity Building

We design and deliver training programmes for revenue authorities, customs officials, finance ministry staff, and graduate students. Core modules include IFF detection methodologies, trade misinvoicing analysis, resource-backed loan governance, MEL systems design, and applied econometrics using Stata. Programmes can be delivered in-person or online across any African country.

PER PROGRAMME · TRAIN-THE-TRAINER AVAILABLE
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Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Systems

We design and implement MEL systems for development programmes, government initiatives, and research projects. Services include logframe and results chain design, baseline data collection, real-time output tracking, counterfactual evaluation design, mid-term and final evaluations, and learning report production aligned with AfDB, GIZ, and EU standards.

PROJECT-BASED · LONG-TERM PARTNERSHIPS WELCOME
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Mineral Economics and Investment Advisory

We provide specialist advisory on critical minerals strategy, beneficiation economics, and resource sector governance. Services include materials flow analysis, investment feasibility assessment, sector regulatory review, resource revenue management frameworks, and investor-grade documentation. Drawing on direct experience advising at Cabinet level on South Africa's Critical Minerals Strategy.

ENGAGEMENT-BASED · ENQUIRE FOR AVAILABILITY
Commission a Service 💬 Discuss Your Project
Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning

Impact Systems

TAFMUP builds impact measurement into the design of every research project, policy advisory mandate, and implementation programme from the outset. We do not measure impact after the fact — we engineer the feedback loop in advance, so every output generates usable learning for the next cycle.

Monitor

Real-Time Data Tracking

Continuous measurement of programme outputs against baseline indicators using live panel datasets, customs trade data, and primary survey instruments. Every TAFMUP project defines a set of measurable output and outcome indicators at inception, tracked through Stata and R-based dashboards updated throughout the programme cycle.

Evaluate

Policy Impact Measurement

Counterfactual evaluation designs testing whether TAFMUP advisory inputs produced measurable changes in policy instruments, regulatory frameworks, or institutional behaviour. We apply difference-in-differences, synthetic control, and regression discontinuity designs where data permits, and structured qualitative assessment where quantitative methods are limited.

Learn

Adaptive Research Design

MEL findings are systematically fed back into research hypotheses and implementation design. Each programme cycle generates a learning note that informs the next research question, adjusts analytical assumptions, and updates deployment parameters across active project engagements. Learning is never locked in a report — it lives in the next design cycle.

Dashboard Systems

Real-Time Intelligence Dashboards

Interactive dashboards built for institutional clients and research partners, tracking fiscal fragility scores, trade misinvoicing gaps, resilience index values, and informal sector compliance metrics. Systems are built in R Shiny and Stata Do-files with documented replication code, enabling client teams to update outputs independently as new data becomes available.

MEL Toolbox

Stata and R Real-Time Panel Dashboards
Logframe and Results Chain Design
Policy Uptake Tracking Systems
Pre and Post Implementation Surveys
Customs and Trade Data Dashboards
Stakeholder Feedback Loop Instruments
Quarterly Programme Progress Reviews
AfDB-Standard Results Reporting
Research Pipeline

Live Publication Tracker

Every TAFMUP research output moves through a structured publication pipeline. This tracker reflects the current status of all active research outputs across our eight programmes.

Draft
4
Working Paper
5
Submitted
3
Under Review
2
Revise and Resubmit
1
Accepted
0
Published
3
Paper Programme Co-Authors Target Journal Status
When Fiscal Space Turns Fragile: Threshold Effects and Crisis Risk in Africa (Ocean P1)Macro-FinancialMupingashatoJournal of African EconomiesWorking Paper
Policy Overlap Risk: Monetary Tightening and Fiscal Stress in Africa (Ocean P2)Macro-FinancialMupingashatoAfrican Finance JournalWorking Paper
Stock-Flow Inconsistencies as Leading Crisis Indicators in Africa (Ocean P3)Macro-FinancialMupingashatoEconomic ModellingWorking Paper
South Africa Economic Resilience Index: ARDL Analysis 1990 to 2023ResilienceMupingashatoDevelopment Southern AfricaSubmitted
Tracing South Africa's E-Commerce Maturity: A Data-Driven DiagnosticDigital EconomyMupingashatoAfrican Journal of Econ. and Mgmt.Draft
Dig, Spend, Owe: Resource Revenue and Sovereign Debt in Sub-Saharan AfricaMineral EconomicsMupingashatoResources Policy (Elsevier)Submitted
Zimbabwe Dual-War Shock Trilogy: Russia-Ukraine and US-Israel-Iran TransmissionZimbabwe ResearchMupingashatoSAJEMS / Cogent EconomicsWorking Paper
Ghana Petroleum Sector IFF: Capital Flight in Extractive FinanceIFFAhene-Codjoe, Alu, MupingashatoAfrican Finance JournalUnder Review
Zimbabwe Export Basket Complexity and AfCFTA IntegrationTrade IntelligenceZubane, MupingashatoJournal of African TradeSubmitted
Colonial Spatial Confinement and Informal Retail in ZimbabweInformal EconomyMupingashatoUrban StudiesUnder Review
Immigration Enforcement and Agricultural Price Dynamics in South Africa (12-paper series)Migration EconomicsMupingashatoSAJEMS / Food PolicyDraft
Green Jobs and Green Skills: Zimbabwe Tertiary Education ReadinessGreen EconomyMupingashato, MufandaedzaPolicy Report / Consultancy OutputRevise and Resubmit
Economist Sentiment Index Zimbabwe: Q1 2026 PilotZimbabwe ResearchMupingashatoAREF / SAJEMSDraft
Social Progress Index Series: Six papers across Sub-Saharan AfricaDevelopment EconomicsDieudonne, MupingashatoWorld Development / EJDRDraft
Policy Translation

Policy Briefs

Short-form policy outputs translating TAFMUP research into evidence-based recommendations for governments, development finance institutions, and civil society organisations across Africa.

Publish Policy Brief

The Team

Core Research and Implementation Team

A multidisciplinary team spanning economics, gender studies, public policy, monitoring and evaluation, and development finance — operating across South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Belgium.

Dr. Tafadzwa Luke Mupingashato
Dr. Tafadzwa Luke Mupingashato
Founding Director and CEO
Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Thabo Mbeki African School of Public and International Affairs, UNISA. PhD in Economics, University of the Witwatersrand (2024). Specialises in illicit financial flows, macro-financial fragility, trade intelligence, mineral economics, and economic resilience indexing across 53 African economies. Led South Africa's Cabinet-approved Critical Minerals Strategy, delivered AfDB/GONAT capacity building across 30 African countries, and produced the SERI economic resilience index. Endorsed by Raymond W. Baker, Founding President of Global Financial Integrity, Washington DC. ORCID: 0000-0001-6119-9234.
GitHub LinkedIn ORCID WhatsApp
Dr. Dhibhora Mufandaedza
Dr. Dhibhora Mufandaedza
Senior Research Fellow
Gender economist with affiliations at the University of the Witwatersrand and Milpark Education. Core expertise in feminist political economy, gender-disaggregated development finance analysis, and inclusive economic policy design. Co-investigator on Zimbabwe green economy research and gender-inclusive trade capacity assessments. Leads TAFMUP's gender mainstreaming across all research and implementation programmes, ensuring that economic analysis captures disaggregated impacts on women, youth, and marginalised communities across Southern Africa.
LinkedIn Contact
Aaron Nzou
Aaron Nzou
Research Associate and MEL Lead
PhD candidate at the University of Zululand. Zimbabwe-based co-investigator on the FWO-NRF Joint Call 2027 to 2029 with KU Leuven and TAFMUP. Leads monitoring, evaluation, and learning analytics across Zimbabwe-based research and implementation programmes. Expertise in trade facilitation, AfCFTA implementation, EABC cross-border trade platforms across Eastern and Southern Africa, and data analytics for policy measurement. Co-author on the "Locked Out or Opting Out" informal fiscal compliance research programme.
LinkedIn Contact
ACADEMIC AFFILIATIONS AND RESEARCH COLLABORATORS
UNISA Thabo Mbeki African School of Public and International Affairs · University of the Witwatersrand · University of Zululand · KU Leuven (Prof. Stef Adriaenssens, FWO-NRF) · IIE Management College of Southern Africa · University of Zimbabwe and COMESA (Prof. Albert Makochekanwa) · Global Financial Integrity, Washington DC · Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries
Institutional Strategy

Vision, Mission and Strategic Plan 2025 to 2030

Vision

Africa's foremost integrated research, policy, and execution platform

By 2030, TAFMUP will be recognised across Africa and internationally as the defining intellectual and implementation home for rigorous, action-oriented work on economic governance, financial integrity, and structural transformation — shaping policy from Harare to Brussels to Addis Ababa.

Mission

Generate intelligence. Design policy. Deploy systems. Measure impact.

We produce empirically grounded research, translate it into executable policy instruments, deliver implementation solutions end-to-end, and measure real-world impact through a rigorous MEL architecture — at every level of Africa's economic system, from the informal sector to the sovereign balance sheet.

Strategic Mandate

Transitioning from consultancy to knowledge institution

TAFMUP is executing a deliberate transformation — from a registered South African research and trade consultancy into a fully institutionalised, grant-funded, publication-producing, implementation-capable research platform. The FWO-NRF 2027 to 2029 bilateral programme with KU Leuven and The African Illicit Finance Codex (two volumes, Palgrave and Routledge) anchor this transition.

Strategic Objectives

Six Core Objectives 2025 to 2030

01

Research Excellence

Publish 24 or more peer-reviewed papers by 2030, anchored in the Ocean Series, GMD empirical series, and Zimbabwe research programme.

02

Grant Activation

Secure FWO-NRF 2027 to 2029 and two additional competitive grants from AfDB, NRF, or EU Horizon Africa by 2028 to fund full operations.

03

Policy Influence

Deliver policy instruments and advisory inputs to five African governments and three multilaterals — AU, SADC, AfDB — by 2027.

04

Systems Deployment

Deploy three operational digital platforms — digital trade intelligence, MEL dashboards, and sector analytics — by 2027 with measurable client uptake.

05

Capacity Building

Train 500 or more officials, graduate students, and policymakers in IFF measurement, trade analytics, and MEL systems by 2028.

06

Financial Sustainability

Achieve institutional sustainability through diversified income — grants, advisory retainers, publication royalties, and applied project revenue by 2029.

Strategic Roadmap
Phase I · 2025 to 2026 · Foundation

Establish and Launch

  • Register TAFMUP PTY LTD and open FNB Gold Business Account
  • Submit FWO-NRF Joint Call 2027 to 2029 by May 2026 deadline
  • Launch TAFMUP website, GitHub repositories, and open science framework
  • Complete four papers from Ocean Series macro-financial programme
  • Submit SERI and Dig-Spend-Owe manuscripts to target journals
  • Deliver Zimbabwe Green Jobs consultancy for CZI
  • Complete SADC Strategic Dialogue Series for DTIC and DIRCO
  • Launch TAFMUP digital trade systems and e-commerce advisory pilot
Phase II · 2027 to 2028 · Growth

Scale and Activate

  • Activate FWO-NRF project with KU Leuven and UniZulu
  • Publish Volume I of The African Illicit Finance Codex (Palgrave)
  • Complete full 12-paper Ocean Series
  • Recruit first full-time Research Fellow at TAFMUP
  • Launch TAFMUP Policy Fellows programme with three emerging scholars
  • Deploy MEL dashboards for institutional clients
  • Deliver IFF measurement training to 200 or more African officials
  • Launch quarterly TAFMUP Policy Brief Series
Phase III · 2029 to 2030 · Recognition

Consolidate and Lead

  • Achieve full research institute status with five or more research staff
  • Host inaugural TAFMUP African Economic Governance Symposium
  • Publish Volume II of The African Illicit Finance Codex
  • Secure AU and SADC standing advisory panel membership
  • Launch TAFMUP Working Paper Series with ISSN registration
  • Establish TAFMUP Zimbabwe Field Office in Harare
  • Achieve financial sustainability through diversified income streams
  • Rank among top 10 African economic policy research institutions
Why TAFMUP

Africa Needs a Platform
That Closes the Loop

TAFMUP RESEARCH INSTITUTE RESEARCH INTELLIGENCE 53 ECONOMIES · PANEL DATA · OPEN CODE Ocean Series · GMD · SERI · Zimbabwe APPLIED PROJECTS EXECUTION AND DEPLOYMENT Digital Trade · Value Chains · Applied Innovation POLICY TRANSLATION GOVERNMENTS · DFIs · SOCIETY Briefs · Advisory · Cabinet Strategy MISTRA · DTIC · AfDB · SADC MEL AND IMPACT SYSTEMS MONITOR · EVALUATE · LEARN Real-Time Dashboards Policy Impact Tracking RESEARCH · POLICY · EXECUTION · IMPACT · TAFMUP RESEARCH INSTITUTE · JOHANNESBURG

The Problem We Solve

Africa's development challenge is not a shortage of research. It is a structural disconnect between knowledge production, policy design, and real-world implementation. Governments commission studies; studies gather dust. Policies are designed without evidence; evidence is produced without uptake. Implementation happens without measurement; measurement happens too late to inform the next cycle. TAFMUP was built to close this loop — permanently.

The TAFMUP Difference

We are the only African platform that integrates all four functions — economic intelligence, policy translation, systems execution, and real-time impact evaluation — under one roof. Our research generates findings. Our policy arm structures them into actionable instruments. TAFMUP delivers and implements the solutions directly. Our MEL system measures what worked, and feeds the learning back into the next research cycle. This is not theory. It is how we operate, on every project, in every engagement.

For Governments and Multilaterals

We build the evidence, write the policy, support the implementation, and measure the outcomes. From Cabinet-level critical minerals strategy to continental IFF training programmes across 30 African economies to real-time fiscal risk dashboards — TAFMUP delivers end-to-end, with the rigour of academic research and the accountability of an implementation partner.

For Development Finance Institutions

We produce rigorous, replicable empirical work that meets international academic and institutional standards, and package it into dashboards, training programmes, and diagnostic tools that your operations teams can deploy directly. Our SERI resilience index, trade misinvoicing dashboards, and MEL frameworks are designed for direct institutional application — not academic archiving.

For Research Partners and Funders

We bring African-led, Africa-centred empirical scholarship grounded in cutting-edge econometrics, open science, and a decade of continental field engagement. Our FWO-NRF 2027 to 2029 collaboration with KU Leuven demonstrates our capacity for high-quality bilateral research at the international frontier. We are the partner who can both generate knowledge and ensure it lands.

Ready to design, deploy, and measure transformation?

💬 WhatsApp Us Now Commission a Project View Research Pipeline
Research Store

Reports, Briefs and Data Products

Download TAFMUP research outputs, policy briefs, and analytical tools. Selected reports are available free of charge. Premium data products and full research reports are available for purchase. All proceeds support TAFMUP's open science mission.

IFF and Capital Flight

Illicit Financial Flows Across Africa: Detection, Measurement and Policy

Comprehensive primer on IFF measurement methodology, covering the Partner Country Method, trade misinvoicing detection, and the Financial Secrecy Index. With applied African case studies.

FREE DOWNLOAD
Download
Economic Resilience

South Africa Economic Resilience Index (SERI): Technical Report 2025

Full technical documentation of the SERI — 34 indicators, 7 pillars, ARDL methodology, and policy implications for South Africa's macroeconomic governance (1990 to 2023).

R 450
Buy Report
Digital Economy

South Africa E-Commerce Maturity Diagnostic: Full Data Report

Five-pillar maturity assessment with raw indicator data, maturity scores, policy gap analysis, and investment priority recommendations across the digital trade ecosystem (1996 to 2024).

R 380
Buy Report
Trade and AfCFTA

Zimbabwe Export Basket Complexity and AfCFTA Integration: Working Paper

Analysis of Zimbabwe's export composition, trade misinvoicing patterns, and strategic options for leveraging AfCFTA market access under constrained financial systems and sanctions exposure.

FREE DOWNLOAD
Download
Green Economy

Green Jobs and the Tertiary Education Gap in Zimbabwe: Policy Brief

Summary findings from the CZI-commissioned study on Zimbabwe's tertiary education readiness for the green economy transition, with curriculum gap analysis and policy recommendations.

FREE DOWNLOAD
Download
Sovereign Debt and Minerals

Dig, Spend, Owe: Resource Revenue and Sovereign Debt in Sub-Saharan Africa

The full working paper modelling the commodity windfall to debt accumulation nexus across resource-rich African states, with fiscal rule design recommendations to break the cycle.

R 320
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Macro-Financial

Fiscal Space and Crisis Risk: Ocean Series Working Papers P1 to P3

Combined working paper bundle covering fiscal fragility thresholds, monetary-fiscal policy overlap risk, and stock-flow inconsistencies as leading indicators of African macro crises.

R 550
Buy Bundle
Training

IFF Measurement Masterclass: Course Materials and Stata Do-Files

Complete training package used in TAFMUP's IFF capacity building programmes — includes slide decks, exercise datasets, Stata do-files, and a facilitator guide for in-house delivery.

R 1,200
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All purchases processed via invoice. Contact mupingatl@gmail.com or WhatsApp +27 65 191 3845 to order.
Connect

Research. Collaborate. Commission. Follow.

💬
WhatsApp
Message us directly for project enquiries, commissioning, and collaboration
+27 65 191 3845
⟨/⟩
GitHub
Open-access datasets, Stata and R replication code for all empirical work
github.com/Mupingatl
🔗
LinkedIn
Professional profile, publications announcements, and institutional updates
Dr. Tafadzwa Luke Mupingashato
✉️
Email
Research mandates, advisory commissions, speaking engagements, media
mupingatl@gmail.com
Academic and Institutional Contact

UNISA Thabo Mbeki African School

Postdoctoral Research Fellow
mupintl@unisa.ac.za
WhatsApp: +27 65 191 3845
Call: +27 65 191 3845
Johannesburg, South Africa
Supervisor: Prof. Charlotte du Toit

TAFMUP (PTY) LTD Banking Details

FNB Gold Business Account

Account Name: TAFMUP (PTY) LTD
Account Number: 63162180384
Branch Code: 251905 (Braamfontein 054)
SWIFT: FIRNZAJJ
Reg. No: 2025/461781/07
Established: 24 June 2025