President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed Dr Ngobani Johnstone Makhubu as commissioner of the South African Revenue Service for a five-year term starting on 1 May.

The appointment was made in terms of section six of the South African Revenue Service Act of 1997, following a unanimous recommendation by a selection panel convened by Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana.

Dr Makhubu, who has served as deputy commissioner for taxpayer engagement and operations since 2023, will succeed Edward Kieswetter, whose contract ends on 30 April.

The incoming commissioner has more than 17 years of senior leadership experience spanning tax administration, commercial, finance and operations management. He has worked in complex, regulated and large-scale organisations across multiple industries including fast-moving consumer goods, mining, power generation and public revenue services.

Dr Makhubu has contributed to the formulation of the SARS strategic direction since 2020 and actively worked to implement the Vision 2024 strategy alongside Kieswetter.

The implementation of Vision 2024 achieved revenue collections with a compounded annual growth rate of 7.6%, while voluntary compliance increased by 3.4 percentage points. Under Kieswetter’s tenure, SARS collected R2.010 trillion in net revenue for the 2025/26 financial year, breaking the R2 trillion threshold for the first time in the organisation’s history.

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Collections at SARS grew at a compound annual growth rate of 5.8% during Kieswetter’s seven-year tenure. The revenue collector took 22 years to reach the R1 trillion threshold and 10 years to double the collection to R2 trillion.

Ramaphosa congratulated Dr Makhubu on his appointment to lead the revenue service as the institution that provides the financial resources necessary for government to function, fund infrastructure and pay for social services.

The president expressed his appreciation for Kieswetter’s leadership, which positioned SARS as a critical enabler of fiscal stability, social delivery, trade facilitation and the enablement of domestic and foreign investment.

Ramaphosa said the change in leadership of SARS demonstrates how sound succession planning contributes to the capability of the state.

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