Revision to FATF Recommendation 8: Impacts on Sub-Saharan Africa

Yona Wanjala and Arzu Abbasova

2 September 2026Long Read

FATF Recommendation 8 was intended to protect legitimate charities, but in practice many sub-Saharan African governments have used it to justify blanket, costly regulation of non-profit organisations. This Research Article examines how over implementation harms civic space and financial access.

The 2016 revision of Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Recommendation 8 led to widespread over-implementation. Evidence shows significant impacts on non-profit organisations in sub-Saharan Africa, including restricted banking access, high compliance costs and reduced civic space. Current evaluation methods prioritise formal compliance over governance outcomes, risking security ‘blowback’. Yona Wanjala proposes reforms to discourage excessive regulation and promote proportionate, locally adapted approaches.

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