President Ramaphosa appoints Dr Makhubu as new Sars commissioner

After much anticipation and doubt that a new commissioner for the South African Revenue Services (Sars) would be appointed in time, President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced Dr Ngobani Johnstone Makhubu as the man to lead the tax agency.

Makhubu is a deputy commissioner for Taxpayer Engagement and Operations, and he will succeed the outgoing commissioner, Edward Kieswetter.

The presidency announced the news on Thursday. “President Ramaphosa has made this 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 minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana,” said Ramaphosa’s office.

Chosen from within

Makhubu has been appointed for a period of five years, starting on 1 May 2026. According to his LinkedIn profile, he has been with the tax agency for nine years and 11 months, and his first position was ‘group executive for procurement’.  

“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,” said the Presidency.

Makhubu, who received a salary package of R6.3 million in 2025, has held the position of deputy commissioner since 2023. He is also a member of the board of advisors to the department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC).

Makhubu’s resume

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 held high positions in his career, including group purchasing manager at Tiger Brands, category manager at Anglo American, and senior manager at Eskom, before starting his nine-year journey at Sars.

The presidency said he has worked on the formulation of the Sars strategic direction since 2020 and has actively worked to implement the Vision 2024 strategy together with 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.”

Sound Succession planning

President Ramaphosa said the change in Sars leadership shows how sound succession planning contributes to the state’s capability.

The president also congratulated Makhubu on his promotion and expressed gratitude to Kieswetter.

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

“President Ramaphosa has also expressed his appreciation and high regard for Commissioner Kieswetter’s incisive and innovative leadership that has positioned Sars as a critical enabler of fiscal stability, social delivery, trade facilitation, and the enablement of domestic and foreign investment.”

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