South Africa Welcomes New Tax Commissioner

From May 2026, South African Revenue Service (SARS) will be led by a new Commissioner, Dr Ngobani Johnstone Makhubu, who is currently Deputy Commissioner for Taxpayer Engagement and Operations. Dr Makhubu succeeds Edward Kieswetter, who has held the role since May 2019.

The transition comes at a pivotal moment: SARS has just surpassed ZAR 2 trillion ($105 billion) in annual revenue collections, yet the country continues to grapple with a rapidly expanding illicit economy that is eroding the tax base and distorting legitimate markets.

Against this backdrop, the incoming leadership has signalled a clear priority: the fight against illicit trade will not only continue, but intensify. South Africa’s shadow economy – estimated to be costing the fiscus more than ZAR 100 billion ($5.3 billion) annually – has become increasingly entrenched across key sectors, notably cigarettes, alcohol and gold. These markets combine high tax burdens with complex supply chains, creating fertile ground for smuggling, counterfeiting and under-declaration.