Dr. A.S. Johnstone Makhubu – The Best Of Johnstone Makhubu. (Photo by Dr. Johnstone Makhubu/ LinkedIn)
Pres. Cyril Ramaphosa called Dr. Ngobani Johnstone Makhubu appointed with effect from 1 May as commissioner of the South African Revenue Service (SARS) for a term of five years.
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 Enoch Godongwana, the finance minister.
Makhubu, who has served as deputy commissioner for taxpayer engagement and operations since 2023, succeeds Edward Kieswetter whose term expires on April 30.
According to the presidency, the commissioner-designate is an experienced public and private sector executive with over 17 years of senior leadership experience in tax administration, trade, finance and operations management. He has worked in complex, regulated and extensive organizations in various industries, including fast-moving consumer goods, mining, power generation and public revenue services.
PRESIDENT RAMAPHOSA APPOINTS NEW SARS COMMISSIONER
President @CyrilRamaphosa has appointed Dr Ngobani Johnstone Makhubu as Commissioner of the South African Revenue Service (SARS) for a period of five years with effect from 1 May 2026. https://t.co/PtbkOjY6EK
— The Presidency ???????? (@PresidencyZA) April 2, 2026
Makhubu has been involved in the formulation of the SARS strategy since 2020 and worked with the current commissioner on the implementation of the Vision 2024 strategy. The implementation of this strategy resulted in revenue collection with a compound annual growth rate of 7.6%, while voluntary compliance increased by 3.4 percentage points.
Ramaphosa congratulated Makhubu on his appointment to an institution that provides the financial resources necessary for the government to function, finance infrastructure and pay for social services.
dr. Johnstone Makhubu – The Best Of Johnstone Makhubu. (Photo: Dr. Johnstone Makhubu/LinkedIn)
Ramaphosa also had great appreciation for Kieswetter’s leadership which positioned SARS as an important player in fiscal stability, social service delivery, trade facilitation and the promotion of local and foreign investments.
Ramaphosa says the change in the revenue service’s leadership shows how good succession planning contributes to the capacity of the state.