{"id":870309,"date":"2026-08-14T15:37:08","date_gmt":"2026-08-14T13:37:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=870309"},"modified":"2026-08-14T15:37:08","modified_gmt":"2026-08-14T13:37:08","slug":"edward-kieswetter-gets-a-new-job","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/government\/870309\/edward-kieswetter-gets-a-new-job\/","title":{"rendered":"Edward Kieswetter gets a new job"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Edward Kieswetter, the former commissioner of the South African Revenue Service (SARS), has established his own company, vEKtor Solutions Laboratory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After 12 years in total working for SARS, Kieswetter is now the CEO of his new company. This development follows the conclusion of his tenure at SARS in April 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I\u2019m excited to lead this new venture. Traditional consultancies are becoming irrelevant. vEKtor Solutions Lab goes beyond a glossy presentation and strategic advice,” said Kieswetter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It\u2019s about working alongside teams to build meaningful AI-enabled practical solutions, evidence-based and demonstrable proof. It\u2019s about closing the Execution Gap,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to his LinkedIn profile, Kieswetter officially became the CEO of vEKtor Solutions Laboratory in May 2026. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kieswetter\u2019s consulting firm focuses on assisting corporate clients and public state institutions in enhancing their operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He brings a wealth of experience in turning around struggling institutions, a skill he demonstrated during his time as SARS Commissioner. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

His background in business turnarounds began at Alexander Forbes, where he served as CEO from 2009 to 2016. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under his leadership, Alexander Forbes achieved a significant financial recovery, rebuilt its reputation, and successfully relisted on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, Kieswetter’s most notable achievement is his work at SARS, an organisation that had been severely weakened during the State Capture era. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After this tumultuous period ended and a new administration was introduced, Kieswetter was appointed to restore SARS to its former strength. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He became the SARS Commissioner in May 2019, stepping away from all external roles he had assumed during his previous absence from the revenue service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During his tenure, Kieswetter focused on rebuilding trust in SARS and enhancing its efficiency as a revenue collection agency. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In his final year as commissioner, the agency celebrated a record tax revenue collection of R2 trillion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Kieswetter’s term ended in April 2026, President Cyril Ramaphosa praised his leadership, stating that Kieswetter “has positioned SARS as a critical enabler of fiscal stability, social delivery, trade facilitation, and the enablement of domestic and foreign investment.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kieswetter was succeeded by his deputy commissioner, Johnstone Makhubu, who took over the role on 1 May 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A new chapter for SARS<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
SARS Commissioner Johnstone Makhubu<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Earlier this year, the South African Revenue Service (SARS) welcomed its new Commissioner, Johnstone Makhubu, who succeeded the former Commissioner, Edward Kieswetter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In his first official statement, Makhubu expressed that his appointment by President Cyril Ramaphosa carries significant responsibility. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Commissioner paid tribute to the recent history of recovery and reform at SARS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He acknowledged the leadership of former Commissioner Edward Kieswetter in restoring institutional stability and rebuilding public confidence following a turbulent period in the organisation\u2019s history. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He mentioned that SARS enters this new phase with a strong global reputation as a modern and capable revenue authority. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, he warned that maintaining this standing will require ongoing discipline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A central part of the new Commissioner\u2019s agenda is an internal reform initiative called \u201cDoing Basics Right,\u201d which aims to enhance core operational performance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Makhubu said that the goal is to create a system where compliance is simpler and more intuitive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Makhubu also reaffirmed SARS\u2019s commitment to addressing the country\u2019s growing illicit economy, which continues to undermine the tax base and distort legitimate competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSARS has developed its own Illicit Economy Strategy that will complement national efforts. The scale of the challenge is significant, and it demands coordinated and decisive action,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Former SARS Commissioner Edward Kieswetter has a new job.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":127,"featured_media":753291,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sma_x_autopost_status":"posted","_sma_x_autopost_error":"","_sma_x_post_id":"2088258853280362529","_sma_facebook_post_id":"191437357620492_2175970989889967","_sma_instagram_post_id":"18013958870934086","_sma_x_attempts":1,"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[19467,3246,26177],"class_list":["post-870309","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-government","tag-edward-kieswetter","tag-sars","tag-vektor-solutions-laboratory"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/870309","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/127"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=870309"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/870309\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":870342,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/870309\/revisions\/870342"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/753291"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=870309"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=870309"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=870309"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}