SARS steps up effort to disrupt illicit economy, draws red line against corruption and non-compliance with Tax and Customs law
The South African Revenue Service (SARS) is fully behind the National Illicit Economy Disruption Programme announced by President Ramaphosa in his SONA address. SARS is committed to eradicating all forms of corruption, collusion, and criminal subversion of customs and tax processes, internally and externally. SARS’s Illicit Economy Strategy prioritises corruption and fraud in government departments.
Trade Statistics for January 2026
South Africa recorded a preliminary trade balance surplus of R9.3 billion in January 2026. This surplus was attributable to exports of R155.8 billion and imports of R146.5 billion, inclusive of trade with Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho and Namibia (BELN).
SARS welcomes the revised revenue estimate for the 2025/26 fiscal year
The Commissioner for the South African Revenue Service (SARS), Edward Kieswetter, welcomes the revised revenue estimate presented by the Honourable Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana. SARS will spare no effort to achieve the revised revenue estimate as it monitors South Africa’s fiscal environment and key macroeconomic indicators. SARS will align its strategy and operations to sustain its revenue performance and protect the fiscus.
President Ramaphosa undertakes a visit to the SARS National Command Centre
President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Thursday, 05 February 2026, undertake an oversight visit to the South African Revenue Service (SARS) National Command Centre in Brooklyn, Pretoria.
Trade Statistics for December 2025
30 January 2026 – South Africa recorded a preliminary trade balance surplus of R23.2 billion in December 2025. This surplus was attributable to exports of R164.3 billion and imports of R141.1 billion, inclusive of trade with Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho and Namibia (BELN).
Trade Statistics for November 2025
South Africa recorded a preliminary trade balance surplus of R37.7 billion in November 2025. This surplus was attributable to exports of R188.0 billion and imports of R150.3 billion, inclusive of trade with Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho and Namibia (BELN).
File Trust and Provisional Tax Returns by 19 January 2026
The South African Revenue Service (SARS) reminds all trustees and provisional taxpayers that the deadline for submitting both ITR12T trust and provisional tax returns is 19 January 2026.
Joint media statement: The Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) and the South African Revenue Service (SARS)
The Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) in collaboration with the South African Revenue Service (SARS), and other law enforcement agencies have secured six years direct prison sentence with two years suspended for Tshepo Khoza in a tax fraud matter involving approximately R3.6 million, linked to systemic corruption within state procurement processes.
Joint media statement National Treasury and the South African Revenue Service on the release of the 18th annual edition of Tax Statistics
National Treasury and the South African Revenue Service (SARS) have jointly published the 18th annual edition of the Tax Statistics bulletin. The 2025 edition reviews tax-revenue collection and tax-return information for the 2021 to 2024 tax years, as well as for the 2020/21 to 2024/25 fiscal years.
Collective engagement to exchange readily available information on immovable property
In recent years, tax policy developments have greatly enhanced cross-border exchanges of tax information and international cooperation between tax administrations, combating offshore tax non-compliance and tax secrecy on financial accounts. This includes delivering transparency through automatic exchange of financial assets (through the Common Reporting Standard) and crypto-assets (through the Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework).
