Category: Africa

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Pay your SARS debt as soon as possible

Source: Government of South Africa

Monday, September 29, 2025

Taxpayers, who are due to make payments to the South African Revenue Service (SARS), are urged to do so at their earliest convenience to avoid unnecessary delays, penalties and interests for late payment.

“All taxpayers, who will be making payments to SARS through various platforms such as eFiling, EFT and payments at banks, can be confident that these payment platforms are robust, secure and safe. 

“These digital platforms conform to internationally recognised standards, and they are user friendly, enabling taxpayers to transact with SARS and comply with their legal obligations,” SARS said in a statement.

Furthermore, taxpayers are warned to remain “extremely vigilant and keep their personal details confidential” when using online platforms.

“Your credentials on all financial platforms are continuously at risk. There have been many attempts by scammers to defraud taxpayers. Taxpayers are reminded that SARS will never ask them to use any link to engage with it. All eFiling users must protect their login details and use only registered tax practitioners.

“The month of September represents the halfway mark to the financial year, and SARS wishes to thank all taxpayers who diligently contribute to the fiscus through their tax payments,” SARS said. – SAnews.gov.za

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SAPS Crime Intelligence head appears at Madlanga Commission

Source: Government of South Africa

Monday, September 29, 2025

The Madlanga Commission continues hearings this week, with South African Police Service (SAPS) Crime Intelligence head, Lieutenant General Dumisani Khumalo, expected to give testimony this morning.

Officially known as the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Criminality, Political Interference and Corruption in the Criminal Justice System, the Commission’s hearings are being held at the Brigitte Mabandla Justice College in Tshwane.

Khumalo’s testimony follows that of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, which was followed by that of SAPS National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola.

Other witnesses to have given testimony are KZN Director of Public Prosecutions at the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Elaine Harrison and SAPS Head of Governance, Legislation and Policy at the Legal Services Division, Major General Petronella van Rooyen.

The Commission’s establishment was announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa earlier this year, following serious allegations made by Mkhwanazi about an alleged criminal syndicate that has spread influence into law enforcement, the NPA and intelligence services. – SAnews.gov.za

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Forum Invest in Senegal 2025 (Fii Senegal 2025) : L’économie réelle de l’Afrique sous les projecteurs

Source: Africa Press Organisation – French

L’Afrique attire tous les regards. Le continent connaît un afflux inédit de capitaux privés, tournés vers l’emploi, l’industrie et la croissance durable. En 2024, les investissements directs étrangers en Afrique ont bondi de 75 %, atteignant 97 milliards de dollars, confirmant son rôle stratégique dans la finance mondiale.

Le Fii Sénégal 2025, qui se tiendra les 7 et 8 octobre au CICAD à Diamniadio, place l’économie réelle au cœur de ses débats. Le panel phare, « Capital privé et investissement productif : comment orienter la finance vers l’économie réelle », réunira des décideurs de premier plan : ministres, dirigeants régionaux et acteurs financiers mondiaux.

Parmi les intervenants, M. Abdourahmane Sarr, Ministre sénégalais de l’Économie, du Plan et de la Coopération, et M. Cheikh Diba, Ministre sénégalais des Finances et du Budget, présenteront l’ambition et le leadership économique du pays hôte.

De son côté, Serge Ekue, Président de la Banque Ouest Africaine de Développement (BOAD), apportera une perspective régionale sur le financement du développement. Autre intervenant non des moindres M. Ethiopis Tafara, Vice-Président pour l’Afrique à la Société Financière Internationale (IFC), qui partagera une vision globale issue du Groupe de la Banque mondiale. Autre panéliste, Son Excellence Abdoulaye Diop, Président de la Commission de l’UEMOA, portera la voix de l’intégration régionale.

Placée sous le haut patronage de Son Excellence Bassirou Diomaye Faye, Président de la République du Sénégal, et organisée par l’Agence sénégalaise de promotion des investissements et des grands travaux (APIX), cette édition du forum “Connecter les opportunités, bâtir l’avenir” rassemblera chefs d’État, investisseurs, PDG et leaders économiques pour accélérer le financement des projets à fort impact.

L’Arabie Saoudite, invitée d’honneur 2025, souligne le renforcement des relations économiques entre le Golfe et l’Afrique, ouvrant la voie à une coopération durable et stratégique.

Bakary Séga Bathily, Directeur Général de l’APIX, résume l’esprit du forum : « Ce panel envoie un message clair : l’Afrique est prête à façonner l’avenir de la finance mondiale en orientant les investissements vers l’économie réelle. »

Distribué par APO Group pour APIX Senegal S.A.

Media files

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Le Groupe de la Banque africaine de développement et Michael Bloomberg vont stimuler l’investissement privé en Afrique

Source: Africa Press Organisation – French


Le Groupe de la Banque africaine de développement (www.AfDB.org) et Michael R. Bloomberg, fondateur de Bloomberg L.P., de Bloomberg Philanthropies et président de la Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), ont noué un nouveau partenariat visant à mobiliser des investissements du secteur privé à travers le continent africain dans des domaines qui stimuleront l’emploi et le développement

Michael R. Bloomberg, fondateur de Bloomberg L.P., de Bloomberg Philanthropies et président de la GFANZ, et Sidi Ould Tah, président de la Banque africaine de développement, ont annoncé cette initiative le mercredi 24 septembre, lors du Bloomberg Philanthropies Global Forum, qui s’est tenu en marge de la 80e Assemblée générale des Nations unies à New York.

« Aujourd’hui, nous avons franchi une étape décisive en nous engageant dans une nouvelle voie de partenariats et d’action collective. À travers les quatre points cardinaux qui constituent nos priorités stratégiques, nous avons réaffirmé notre engagement à travailler en étroite collaboration avec le secteur privé et nos partenaires internationaux afin de créer un cadre financier qui serve mieux l’Afrique, selon ses propres modalités », a déclaré Sidi Ould Tah.

« Je suis heureux que nous ayons des alliés qui croient en l’importance de partenariats progressistes et qui sont prêts à travailler main dans la main avec le Groupe de la Banque africaine de développement. Ensemble, nous combinerons nos forces pour mobiliser les ressources du secteur privé et libérer des investissements à grande échelle pour le développement de l’Afrique. »

Depuis son arrivée à la tête de la Banque africaine de développement au début du mois, le président Ould Tah a identifié la transformation de la croissance démographique en moteur économique pour la création d’emplois, en particulier pour les femmes et les jeunes, l’une de ses quatre priorités cardinales.

Dans le cadre de ce nouveau partenariat, les deux dirigeants réuniront les principales institutions financières privées et la Banque africaine de développement afin de mobiliser des flux de capitaux privés beaucoup plus importants en faveur de la croissance et de la résilience de l’Afrique.

« L’Afrique dispose d’énormes opportunités en matière de croissance économique et d’innovation, et ce nouveau partenariat avec la Banque africaine de développement contribuera à en libérer davantage grâce à la réduction des obstacles à l’investissement privé », a déclaré M. Bloomberg.

Selon le rapport « Perspectives économiques en Afrique 2025 » de la Banque africaine de développement, l’Afrique a besoin de plus de 1 300 milliards de dollars pour atteindre ses objectifs de développement durable et entre 68 et 108 milliards de dollars par an pour financer ses infrastructures.

L’Africa Investment Forum (http://apo-opa.co/3KsvO0i), fondé par la Banque africaine de développement et huit autres partenaires, vise à combler le déficit d’investissement en Afrique en accélérant le développement de projets et en offrant une plateforme dédiée aux investisseurs pour se connecter, échanger et conclure des accords. Son objectif est de faire de l’Afrique une destination d’investissement de premier ordre en promouvant des projets à fort impact qui génèrent des résultats de développement mesurables pour le continent.

Dans les mois à venir, les deux institutions travailleront de concert pour :

  • faire mieux connaître aux investisseurs la boîte à outils de mobilisation de la Banque et les opportunités d’investissement.
  • Recueillir et intégrer les retours d’information des partenaires du secteur privé.
  • Explorer de nouvelles possibilités pour le Groupe de la Banque africaine de développement de catalyser un flux plus important de capitaux privés vers les opportunités d’investissement croissantes de l’Afrique, afin de favoriser le développement économique, l’emploi et l’innovation.
  • Identifier et soutenir la mise en œuvre d’innovations financières et politiques susceptibles d’accroître la participation des investisseurs.

« La mobilisation de capitaux privés à grande échelle est essentielle pour libérer le plein potentiel de l’Afrique en matière de croissance durable et de résilience », a déclaré Mary Schapiro, vice-présidente du GFANZ et responsable du secrétariat du GFANZ. « Ce partenariat permettra de connecter les opportunités d’investissement africaines avec les capitaux, les outils et l’innovation nécessaires pour les concrétiser. »

Dans un autre secteur vital, le partenariat entre la Banque et le GFANZ a commencé en septembre 2023, avec la signature d’une lettre d’intention entre la Banque africaine de développement et le GFANZ pour soutenir l’action climatique des institutions financières à travers le continent (http://apo-opa.co/3In3KLo) lors du Sommet africain sur climat à Nairobi.

Distribué par APO Group pour African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

Contact médias :
Amba Mpoke-Bigg 
Département de la communication et des relations extérieures  
courriel : media@afdb.org

À propos du Groupe de la Banque africaine de développement :
Groupe de la Banque africaine de développement est la principale institution du financement du développement en Afrique. Il comprend trois entités distinctes : la Banque africaine de développement (BAD), le Fonds africain de développement (FAD) et le Fonds spécial du Nigeria (FSN). Représentée dans 41 pays africains, avec un bureau extérieur au Japon, la Banque contribue au développement économique et au progrès social de ses 54 Etats membres régionaux. Pour plus d’informations: www.AfDB.org

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Addressing disparities critical to bridging the digital divide and achieving financial inclusion, experts highlight

Source: APO


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Digital technologies have transformed the global economy, with India, China and the African continent emerging as frontrunners in innovation in the digital payments space. Much of this success is attributed to their cash-heavy economies that have limited banking penetration and rapid digital adoption — a unique blend that has created an environment for such fintech innovations to succeed. 

During an official side event of South Africa’s Think 20 (https://apo-opa.co/42RMmFi) hosted by the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), experts highlighted that there are 2.1 billion registered mobile money accounts worldwide (https://apo-opa.co/42h0pnJ) – over half are held by people in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, despite rapid adoption, disparities exist. Affordability, financial literacy, access to digital tools, gender gaps, transparency, and trust and security issues create a digital divide and inhibit true financial inclusion in these regions. 

“The geopolitics of digital payments is no longer a niche or technical issue; it now sits clearly at the heart of debates around sovereignty, power, and inclusion,” said Yash Kalash, senior fellow at CIGI. “It is crucial to promote cooperation at a time of growing geopolitical rivalry and expand financial access to include those who have been historically underbanked and underserved.” 

Recommendations from panelists, including diplomats, industry leaders, academics and civil society stakeholders from around the world, to strengthen the digital payments ecosystem include mandatory coupling of innovation and stability to ensure responsible testing, cooperative regulation to improve cross-border payments, and increased alignment with G20 goals and UN Sustainable Development Goals to ensure inclusion is built into the design of any digital finance system.  

“We need to support the underserved populations in using mobile money services in many ways, including offering relevant financial literacy education,” remarked Nancy Kiarie, senior consultant of Inclusive Finance, Livelihoods and Agriculture at BFA Global. “Enhanced literacy will help to protect digital payment users from fraud and build trust in platforms that help to better manage finances.”  

Other key themes of the two-day conference included geopolitics of alternative payment systems, tokenization and cross-border payments, and digital governance and global cooperation. 

For more information and to access the selected policy briefs that informed and influenced the conference discussions, please visit: https://apo-opa.co/42RMmFi

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI).

Media contact: 
Communications Team 
Centre for International Governance Innovation 
519-885-2444 
communications@cigionline.org 

About CIGI:
The Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) is an independent, non-partisan think tank whose peer-reviewed research, foresight and trusted analysis influence policy makers to innovate. With the engagement of a global network of experts and contributors, CIGI tackles the governance challenges and opportunities of data and transformative technologies, including AI, and their impact on the economy, security, democracy and, ultimately, societies. For more information, please visit www.CIGIOnline.org. 

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President El-Sisi Meets the Prime Minister and the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities

Source: APO – Report:

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Today, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met with Prime Minister, Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, and Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Mr. Sherif Fathy.

Spokesman for the Presidency, Ambassador Mohamed El-Shennawy, said the President was briefed on the comprehensive executive and logistical details, as well as the arrangements for various events related to the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum, scheduled for November 1st. This included updates on the progress of work and the ongoing development of the area surrounding the museum. In this context, the President stressed the need to closely monitor all the details on the ground to ensure that the museum’s opening reflects its stature as a global cultural and archaeological landmark, while continuing efforts to enhance the visual appearance of the surrounding area.

During the meeting, the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities also reviewed the latest developments in the tourism investment dossier, highlighting the government’s commitment to attracting more investments to this vital sector. The Minister noted that preliminary indicators show steady growth in demand for Egypt as a tourist destination from various global markets, thanks to continued efforts to develop the tourism product, expand new tourism styles, intensify promotional campaigns, and improve the quality of services. In this regard, the President emphasized the need for the private sector to play a central role in tourism investment, contributing to an increase in tourist arrivals, the development of tourism infrastructure, and the diversification of destinations. The President also stressed the importance of developing a marketing plan targeting new markets, maximizing foreign currency revenues from tourism, and ensuring the system’s sustainability through effective governance.

The meeting also focused on ways to enhance the tourism sector and develop hotel facilities to accommodate a larger number of tourists. The Minister pointed out that the sector is currently experiencing the highest growth rates and is one of the most lucrative sectors for foreign currency. He also outlined a number of recent measures taken to stimulate the sector, particularly those related to facilitating the conversion of land and buildings for hotel activities, as well as increasing the number of vacation apartments, which will contribute to increasing the capacity of hotel rooms.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the President followed up on ways to strengthen cooperation with UNESCO in the field of protecting and preserving cultural heritage and archaeological sites. The President was briefed on ongoing efforts to restore, develop, and improve the services offered to visitors at museums and archaeological sites, with the aim of enhancing the tourist experience while preserving the cultural heritage. President El-Sisi stressed the importance of applying sustainable development principles in the management of UNESCO World Heritage-listed sites, and discussed mechanisms for cooperation with UNESCO to develop a comprehensive future vision for the preservation of these sites.

– on behalf of Presidency of the Arab Republic of Egypt.

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Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation meets with World Bank Group Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to discuss strengthening cooperation and development partnership

Source: APO


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H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation, received Ms. Anshula Kant, Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer of the World Bank Group, at the Ministry’s headquarters in the New Administrative Capital. The meeting was attended by Mr. Stephane Guimbert, World Bank Country Director for Egypt, Yemen, and Djibouti; Mr. Cheick-Oumar Sylla, IFC Regional Director for North Africa and the Horn of Africa; and members of the World Bank Group team.

During the meeting, Dr. Al-Mashat reaffirmed the Egyptian government’s commitment to strengthening its strategic partnership with the World Bank Group to support Egypt’s economic and social development priorities. This includes advancing fiscal and structural reforms, boosting private sector participation, and expanding green investments, in line with the country’s national vision and priorities.

She highlighted the launch of Egypt’s Narrative for Economic Development: Reforms for Growth, Jobs & Resilience, a comprehensive framework that integrates Egypt Vision 2030 with the Government’s Action Program, while accounting for global and regional developments. The narrative adopts an economic model focused on high-productivity sectors and the real economy, aimed at increasing Egypt’s domestic resources and building sustainable, resilient growth.

Dr. Al-Mashat explained that the narrative marks an advanced stage of a development path that began over a decade ago, with Egypt investing heavily in infrastructure, including roads, energy, ports, and smart transport systems, to create a more enabling environment for economic activity, enhance productivity, and attract investment. These investments laid the groundwork for a dynamic economy capable of withstanding external shocks and generating real added value.

She further noted that the government’s objectives under the Narrative include diversifying the production base, boosting exports, rationalizing imports, enhancing private sector participation in line with the State Ownership Policy Document, strengthening competition policy, and protecting low-income groups.

The Minister also discussed the targets of the current fiscal year’s economic and social development plan, underlining efforts to improve fiscal discipline and reduce the budget deficit. She confirmed that public investments have been capped at EGP 1.16 trillion for FY 2025/2026 to ensure spending discipline, maintain the downward trajectory of public debt, and safeguard macroeconomic stability. At the same time, the government is working to expand private sector engagement and benefit from proceeds of the state-owned assets sale program.

Al-Mashat pointed out that Egypt has one of the World Bank’s largest portfolios in the Middle East and North Africa. This includes commitments of over $6 billion from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) across 13 projects; an IFC portfolio exceeding $2 billion; and guarantees of nearly $700 million from the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) to support vital investments in energy and logistics.

For her part, Ms. Anshula Kant reaffirmed the World Bank Group’s support for Egypt’s efforts through the Framework for Financial Incentives (FFI) launched in 2025, as well as debt-for-development swap initiatives, which channel additional resources into education, health, and environmental protection.

The discussions also covered the outcomes of recent meetings with the Ministry of Finance, highlighting continued fiscal and structural reforms to ensure sustainable growth and debt reduction. Particular emphasis was placed on launching Egypt’s Green Tax Strategy by December 2025 and expanding public-private partnerships.

Concluding the meeting, Dr. Al-Mashat emphasized that cooperation with the World Bank Group is a cornerstone of Egypt’s development agenda. She stressed the importance of strengthening international partnerships to increase investments in productive sectors and green transformation, supporting inclusive and sustainable growth in line with Egypt Vision 2030 and Africa’s Agenda 2063.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation – Egypt.

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BRICS calls for inclusive global AI governance

Source: Government of South Africa

BRICS Foreign Ministers have called for inclusive, globally representative governance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) under the United Nations, with meaningful participation from developing countries. 

The Foreign Affairs/International Relations Ministers held their annual meeting on the margins of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday. The meeting was chaired by India in its capacity as the incoming BRICS Chair for 2026. 

In a joint statement, the Ministers emphasised that AI should serve “for good and for all,” taking into account national policies, sovereignty, data protection, equitable access to resources, and innovation. 

They encouraged leveraging AI to address social, economic, linguistic, and cultural challenges, while supporting capacity building in developing countries.

“The Ministers looked forward to BRICS cooperation to help developing countries strengthen AI capacity building,” the statement read. 

The Ministers also underscored the transformative impact of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) on socioeconomic growth and digital transformation in BRICS nations. They reiterated support for a safe, open, secure, and interoperable ICT environment, while advocating for global norms and legal frameworks to prevent cybercrime, malicious software, disinformation, and misuse of digital technologies.

Highlighting the peaceful application of science and technology, the Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to international cooperation in areas such as health, vaccine development, tuberculosis, antimicrobial resistance, nuclear medicine, and traditional medicine systems.

They welcomed intra-BRICS initiatives, including digital health cooperation, vaccine manufacturing, and knowledge sharing.

On space security, the Ministers reiterated support for the prevention of an arms race and the weaponization of outer space, including the adoption of legally binding agreements and confidence-building measures to ensure global security. They also called for accelerated negotiations on the WHO Pandemic Agreement and its Annex on Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing.

The statement recognised BRICS’ role in fostering innovation, technological cooperation, Industry 4.0 initiatives, and startup engagement, as well as promoting ICT and AI for inclusive economic growth.

The Ministers noted the BRICS expansion process according to the BRICS Membership Expansion Guiding Principles, Standards, Criteria and Procedures, adopted at the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa. 

“The Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to consolidate and strengthen BRICS in line with the group’s spirit of mutual respect and understanding, sovereign equality, solidarity, democracy, openness, inclusiveness, collaboration, continuity, full consultation and consensus. 

“They emphasised the importance of partner countries contributing to BRICS cooperation in accordance with the Modalities of BRICS Partner Country Category adopted during the BRICS Summit at Kazan, Russia. 

“They reaffirmed that institutional development is a continuous and dynamic process that should reflect the group’s needs and priorities. They took note of the need to establish a common BRICS database to facilitate access to relevant documents and background information,” the statement read. 

The Ministers underscored their strong belief that extending the BRICS partnership with Emerging Markets and Developing Countries (EMDCs) would further contribute to strengthening the spirit of solidarity and true international cooperation for the benefit of all. – SAnews.gov.za

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BRICS Ministers warn against protectionism

Source: Government of South Africa

BRICS Ministers of Foreign Affairs/International Relations have raised concerns over the proliferation of trade-restrictive actions, whether in the form of indiscriminate rising of tariffs and non-tariff measures that threaten global economic stability.  

The Ministers held their annual meeting on the margins of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday. The meeting was chaired by India in its capacity as the incoming BRICS Chair for 2026. 

In a joint statement, the Ministers highlighted the risks posed by rising tariffs and protectionist measures, particularly when used as tools of coercion.

“They voiced serious concerns about the rise of unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures which distort trade and are inconsistent with WTO rules. They cautioned against such practices that risk fragmenting global trade and marginalising the Global South,” the statement read.

The Ministers emphasised the importance of strengthening international trade systems and avoiding practices that fragment global markets or disrupt supply chains. 

They called for adherence to World Trade Organization (WTO) rules and urged all nations to ensure trade policies promote economic development and inclusivity.

The BRICS grouping also reaffirmed its commitment to enhancing cooperation among member states to address challenges in global trade and to support the interests of emerging markets and developing economies.

The Ministers highlighted the pivotal role of BRICS countries in global food production and agricultural sustainability. 

They recognised that family farmers, smallholders, pastoralists, artisanal fishers, indigenous communities, women, and youth are essential for advancing sustainable agricultural practices and transforming food systems. 

They stressed the importance of technological innovation, mechanisation, and digital solutions to increase productivity, enhance resilience, and improve livelihoods.

The Ministers called for minimising disruptions and promoting rules-based trade in agriculture and fertilisers, ensuring continuous food supplies and essential inputs, while emphasising that such trade should be exempt from restrictive measures inconsistent with WTO rules. 

They also welcomed the initiative to establish a BRICS Grain Exchange, which may later expand to other agricultural commodities.

Addressing global food security, the Ministers lauded the successful convening of the Second United Nations Food Systems Summit Stocktake (UNFSS+4) in Addis Ababa in July 2025, noting that it provided an opportunity to link high-level ambition with local action in transforming food systems.

In addition to agriculture, the Ministers reaffirmed the strategic importance of critical minerals for zero- and low-emission energy technologies, energy security, and resilient supply chains. 

“They reaffirmed the need to promote reliable, responsible, diversified, resilient, fair, sustainable, and just supply chains of such minerals to guarantee benefit sharing, value addition and economic diversification in resource-rich countries, while fully preserving sovereign rights over their mineral resources, as well as their right to adopt, maintain and enforce measures necessary to pursue legitimate public policy objectives,” the statement read. 

The statement also reaffirmed the value of BRICS people-to-people exchanges, tourism, and ecotourism as drivers of sustainable development. Highlighting the growth and inclusivity of the bloc, the Ministers noted that the BRICS expansion enhances its global credibility, appeal, and voice for the Global South.

Looking ahead, India will host the BRICS Summit in 2026, providing a platform to further discussions on trade, economic cooperation, and strategies to strengthen global partnerships in a fair and equitable manner.

The Ministers expressed appreciation to India for holding the BRICS Ministers of Foreign Affairs/International Relations meeting on the margins of UNGA 80. 

They extended their full support to India for its BRICS Chairship in 2026 and the holding of the XVIII BRICS Summit in India. The Ministers also looked forward to the Standalone Meeting of BRICS Ministers of Foreign Affairs/International Relations in India in 2026. – SAnews.gov.za

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SARS, Tax Ombud join forces against cybercrime

Source: Government of South Africa

The South African Revenue Service (SARS) and the Office of the Tax Ombud (OTO) have expressed concern over growing reports of hijacked eFiling profiles, saying they are working closely to protect taxpayers and maintain the integrity of the country’s tax system.

In a joint statement issued on Friday, SARS and the OTO responded to a recent Sowetan article highlighting an increase in cybercriminals targeting taxpayer profiles and resulting in financial losses. 

The institutions noted that at the time of publication, the OTO’s draft report had not yet been released for public comment and that the article contained “a number of factual inaccuracies.”

The organisations emphasised their distinct but complementary roles in South Africa’s tax administration. They are established in law to fulfil distinct yet mutually reinforcing roles for the sole benefit of taxpayers and the tax finance system for the country. 

“SARS not only respects but considers the role of the OTO as an indispensable partner to ensure the functioning of the tax ecosystem is fair and beyond reproach. In this regard SARS has and continues to work hard to address whatever complaints that have been laid with the OTO,” the statement read.

The statement also emphasised that the two institutions play a paramount role in the functioning of tax administration. Each institution respects the other’s mandate, while both being the cornerstone for the fiscal integrity of South Africa tax ecosystem.

The OTO will release its draft report on 1 October 2025, following extensive engagement with all stakeholders.

Rising cybercrime risks

The OTO has been investigating compromised taxpayer profiles for more than a year, after receiving numerous complaints from both individuals and tax practitioners.

“In today’s digitally interconnected environment, cybersecurity risks have escalated dramatically, posing significant threats to individuals, businesses, and institutions. 

“As personal and financial transactions increasingly migrate online, malicious actors exploit vulnerabilities in authentication protocols, data-sharing mechanisms, and user behaviour to perpetrate identity theft, fraud, and unauthorised system access. Even routine activities, such as accessing tax platforms or updating banking details, have become potential gateways for exploitation.” the statement said. 

It added that SARS, as the custodian of revenue collection and refunds payment, is a prime target for cybercriminals exploiting vulnerabilities in online systems.

Cooperation and security measures

SARS and the OTO stressed that they maintain a cooperative relationship, with a shared goal of restoring public confidence in the eFiling system.

SARS said it continues to enhance security protocols to mitigate risks and urged taxpayers to remain vigilant by safeguarding login details and reporting suspicious activity through official channels.

“The release of the OTO’s draft report has been delayed allowing SARS to provide detailed input on preliminary findings, ensuring a comprehensive and balanced analysis.

“Whilst consultations have been extensive between the parties, parts of the draft may still carry areas of difference, which is to be expected in any review of this nature. This cooperative approach aims to strengthen the report’s recommendations and foster meaningful improvements,” the statement added.

Commitment to taxpayers

Both SARS and the OTO reiterated their unwavering commitment to enabling taxpayers to comply with their obligations safely and confidently. 

The institutions urged taxpayers to remain cautious and report any irregularities through official SARS channels.

“We respect that the final report by the OTO will be made public soon, and SARS remain committed to continue its engagement with the public on its substance. The public must be assured though, that SARS continue to work with diligence to ensure the highest level of integrity and protection to taxpayers who uses the SARS digital platform,” SARS Commissioner Edward Kieswetter said.

The Tax Ombud added that OTO takes the hijacking of taxpayer eFiling profiles very seriously. 

“As an independent institution, the OTO ensures objective oversight and the fair treatment of taxpayers. The OTO upcoming draft report reflects extensive engagement with all stakeholders and is aimed at driving real, practical solutions,” OTO said. – SAnews.gov.za