Former tax boss Edward Kieswetter has a new job

The former commissioner of the South African Revenue Service (SARS), Edward Kieswetter, has founded his own company, vEKtor Solutions Laboratory.

Kieswetter now leads the company as its chief executive officer. This comes shortly after his tenure at SARS came to an end in April 2026.

Kieswetter’s LinkedIn profile shows that he became the chief executive officer of vEKtor Solutions Laboratory in May 2026.

vEKtor Solutions Laboratory is a consulting firm that helps corporate clients and public state institutions improve their organisations.

Kieswetter has a wealth of experience turning around struggling institutions, as this is exactly what he did during his tenure as SARS Commissioner.

His experience in business turnarounds started at Alexander Forbes, which Kieswetter led from 2009 to 2016.

During his time as Alexander Forbes CEO, Kieswetter led the financial services giant to a significant financial turnaround, rebuilt its reputation and brand, and oversaw its relisting on the JSE.

However, Kieswetter’s greatest accolade is his work at SARS, which had been hollowed out during the State Capture era before he was chosen to rebuild the institution.

When the State Capture era ended, and a new administration was ushered in, Kieswetter became the man tasked with turning SARS around and restoring it to its former glory.

He became the SARS Commissioner in May 2019, relinquishing all the external roles he had taken on during his time away from the revenue service.

At SARS’ helm, Kieswetter rebuilt trust in the institution and restored its efficiency as a revenue service.

In Kieswetter’s last year as commissioner, the taxman celebrated collecting a record R2 trillion in tax revenue.

When Kieswetter’s tenure ended in April 2026, President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed his appreciation and high regard for the commissioner’s leadership.

He said Kieswetter “has positioned SARS as a critical enabler of fiscal stability, social delivery, trade facilitation, and the enablement of domestic and foreign investment”.

Kieswetter was succeeded by his deputy commissioner, Johnstone Makhubu, who took the reins on 1 May 2026.