South African television and radio personality Somizi Mhlongo is reportedly facing a tax bill of almost R20 million. This comes after the South African Revenue Service (SARS) obtained a default judgment against him in the Johannesburg High Court.
According to a report by Africa Daily, Mhlongo allegedly owes SARS R19,712,913.01. The debt relates to personal income tax. It was initially more than R11.8 million, but interest and penalties increased the amount.
SARS Sends Final Demand
SARS reportedly sent Mhlongo a final letter of demand on 22 April 2026. The letter gave him 10 business days to pay the outstanding amount or use one of the available tax-relief options.
For example, Mhlongo could have applied to pay the debt in instalments. He could also have asked SARS to suspend payment while a formal dispute was considered. Another option was to apply for a compromise on part of the debt.
However, according to the report, Mhlongo did not respond to the demand or make arrangements to settle the debt. As a result, SARS approached the Johannesburg High Court and obtained a default judgment.
SARS Could Take Further Action
The court judgment could allow SARS to take further steps to recover the money if the debt remains unpaid. These steps may include attaching and selling assets belonging to Mhlongo.
The latest case also comes after previous tax problems involving the entertainer.
Mhlongo Faced Tax Problems Before
In 2022, SARS reportedly attached and auctioned some of Mhlongo’s household furniture. This followed his failure to settle a tax debt of more than R3.5 million.
That earlier debt reportedly involved unpaid tax dating back to 2014.
No Public Response Yet
At the time of the latest report, Mhlongo had not publicly responded to requests for comment about the reported R19.7 million tax debt.
Meanwhile, the latest court development has once again placed his financial affairs under public scrutiny. The main question now is how the reported debt will be settled between Mhlongo and SARS.
