By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed Dr Johnstone Ngobani Makhubu as Commissioner of the South African Revenue Service (SARS) for a period of five years with effect from 1 May 2026.
Makhubu, who has held the position of Deputy Commissioner: Taxpayer Engagement and Operations since 2023, succeeds Commissioner Edward Kieswetter whose two-year contract ends on 30 April 2026.
Ramaphosa made the appointment in terms of section 6 of the South African Revenue Service Act of 1997, following a unanimous recommendation by a selection panel convened by the Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana.
“The incoming commissioner is a seasoned public and private sector executive with more than 17 years of senior leadership experience spanning tax administration, commercial, finance and operations management,” the president said.
He has worked in complex, regulated and large-scale organisations across multiple industries, including fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), mining, power generation and public revenue services.
Makhubu has also worked on formulating the SARS strategic direction since 2020 and has actively implemented the Vision 2024 strategy alongside outgoing 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.
Ramaphosa also expressed his appreciation and high regard for Kieswetter’s incisive and innovative leadership.
He said that Kieswetter’s tenure, which spanned 7 years, positioned SARS as a critical enabler of fiscal stability, social delivery, and trade facilitation.
Kieswetter has been widely lauded as a highly successful SARS Commissioner and credited with rebuilding the service from the ashes of the previous administration.