Latest South African Emigration News & Tax Insights

Close-up of a person's hands using a calculator and dropping a coin into a jar full of coins on a white table.

Important Tax Directive Updates from SARS will impact expats’ withdrawal of retirement interests

12/04/2025

On 8 April 2025, the South African Revenue Service (SARS) announced a set of updates on tax directive system changes which will impact South Africans who have already left the country or are in the process of cutting tax ties. This will come into full force on 11 April 2025. John-Paul Fraser Team Lead: Cross...

Woman in white shirt and dark pants holding the handle of two stacked suitcases at an airport terminal.

Don’t be misled: No waiting period for SA expats who want to cease tax residency

25/03/2025

Many South African expatriates have unknowingly missed out on paying lower taxes in South Africa for years while living abroad, due to confusing or misguided advice that they must reside outside the country for a number of years before officially ceasing tax residency in South Africa. John-Paul Fraser Team Lead: Cross Border Taxation A South...

Elderly couple reviewing financial documents together in a bright, modern kitchen.

Understanding South Africa’s Exit Tax and the Proposed Tax on Retirement Interests

25/03/2025

A misunderstanding of certain sections in the Income Tax Act has many South Africans who moved abroad and ceased tax residency, worried that they will also be liable to pay Capital Gains Tax (CGT) on the withdrawal of their retirement funds, in addition to the tax levied as per SARS’ Tax Tables. Mbalenhle Mahlaba Expatriate...

Person's hand places a silver coin on a tall stack, symbolizing saving and financial growth.

Talk of a Wealth Tax in South Africa is just not going away

05/03/2025

The ever-present talk of imposing a wealth tax on South Africans as a source of revenue has resurfaced after National Treasury’s plan to collect an additional R58 billion mainly from higher VAT in the 2025/26 financial year, was stopped in its tracks with the postponement of the National Budget. Business Day quoted “senior officials aligned...

South African flag, toy airplane, and passport with a 2013 Mauritius visa stamp over a map of Southern Africa.

South Africa’s Financial Future in Limbo - Should You Exit Now?

01/03/2025

The initial disbelief and shock on the postponement of the 2025 Budget Speech may have made way for cooler heads and the hope that more deliberations will deliver better budget outcomes for vulnerable citizens and a platform for economic growth, but many South Africans are questioning whether now is the right time to move their...

Man speaking at a podium to an audience in a bright, modern conference room with large windows overlooking city buildings.

2025 Budget Speech: August House Adjourned – Is it time to make the move?

24/02/2025

The unexpected postponement of the 2025 Budget Speech is causing endless speculation as well as heightened unease and uncertainty among business owners, investors as well as South African taxpayers about what the immediate future holds. Maybe even more so for South African expatriates who have moved abroad and those considering relocating to another country, as...

Upset young woman leaning on a yellow suitcase at an airport, holding a passport, looking distressed.

Saudi’s national employment targets leave many South African expatriates high and dry

14/02/2025

South Africans are among a growing number of global expatriates in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) who are forced to return home due to strict local employment targets. Commonly known as Saudization and Emiratisation , these policies aim to increase and ensure more jobs are filled by Saudi and UAE nationals. Mbalenhle...

A smiling woman waves to a man from behind, who is also waving, in a bright, modern building like an airport.

Returning to South Africa? SARS is Waiting for Expats Coming Home

12/02/2025

Be it the call of South Africa’s pleasant weather, a desire to raise a family close to parents, or retiring to the high-life, many thousands of South African expats elect to return home every year. No matter the reasons for repatriation, the South African Revenue Service (SARS) wants to know the finer details of when...

Smiling businesswoman in a beige suit talks on her phone while pulling a teal suitcase, walking beside a modern building.

Leaving South Africa: Know the difference between Financial Emigration and Physical Emigration

04/02/2025

With almost 1 million South Africans who have moved abroad to start a new life overseas in the last two decades, it is clear emigration is top of mind for many. According to the latest available data, more than 120,000 South Africans left between 2015 and 2020 to relocate to a new country, but leaving...

Person in a suit stacking wooden blocks spelling "TAX" next to growing stacks of coins and a financial document.

All must be in order with the Tax Man to ensure you can smoothly transfer funds overseas

17/01/2025

An unsuspecting taxpayer recently faced a dilemma when he had to do international fund transfers, but found SARS had cancelled his Tax Compliance Status (TCS) PIN approval, a critical component for taxpayers who need to transfer funds internationally or engage in other cross-border transactions. Lovemore Ndlovu Head of SARB Engagement and Expatriate Compliance Without a...

Bearded man in a coral shirt and round glasses looks at his laptop, adjusting his spectacles in a modern office.

Worried about your assets when you break tax ties with South Africa, here are some tips.

13/12/2024

We all want to protect our assets best we can, but just know that the Tax Man is always watching. For South Africans who are leaving to live overseas, it is not just a question of pack up and go, and breaking tax ties with the South African Revenue Service (SARS). Ceasing South African tax...

Global network map with illuminated connections radiating from South Africa and other continents, over a blurred city

Understanding and Changing Your Tax Residency Status in South Africa

02/12/2024

South Africans who have settled in other countries may not be aware that a change in tax residency is not automatic. As a result, these expatriates fail to notify the South African Revenue Service (SARS) of their tax status change, thereby remaining a resident of South Africa for tax purposes. It is important to note...

Cookie	Duration	Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional	11 months	The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy	11 months	The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.

LATEST NEWS

Important Tax Directive Updates from SARS will impact expats’ withdrawal of retirement interests

Don’t be misled: No waiting period for SA expats who want to cease tax residency

Understanding South Africa’s Exit Tax and the Proposed Tax on Retirement Interests

Talk of a Wealth Tax in South Africa is just not going away

South Africa’s Financial Future in Limbo - Should You Exit Now?

2025 Budget Speech: August House Adjourned – Is it time to make the move?

Saudi’s national employment targets leave many South African expatriates high and dry

Returning to South Africa? SARS is Waiting for Expats Coming Home

Leaving South Africa: Know the difference between Financial Emigration and Physical Emigration

All must be in order with the Tax Man to ensure you can smoothly transfer funds overseas

Worried about your assets when you break tax ties with South Africa, here are some tips.

Understanding and Changing Your Tax Residency Status in South Africa

Find Us

Contact Details

In the News

LATEST NEWS

Find Us

Contact Details

In the News

This Website Uses Cookies