City Makoti Warns Content Creators About SARS and Voluntary Disclosure Programme
- Reality TV star City Makoti shared a detailed breakdown of SARS's Voluntary Disclosure Programme on Instagram
- City Makoti previously warned content creators about declaring income and accepting brand deals in exchange for gifts
- Her post comes after SARS announced plans to tax influencers, a move that sparked a strong reaction from Lasizwe
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Source: Instagram
Reality TV star Anika Dambuza, popularly known as City Makoti, has raised the alarm for South African content creators after sharing a detailed breakdown of the South African Revenue Service's Voluntary Disclosure Programme (VDP) on Instagram on Wednesday, 2 September 2026.
The post, which broke down the VDP as SARS's "open door" policy, outlines how taxpayers can regularise past tax defaults before the taxman comes knocking. City Makoti drew attention to one particular clause: the requirement that a disclosure must be made *before* SARS notifies a taxpayer of an audit or investigation. She circled the word "Voluntary" in green and scribbled a pointed question alongside it: "So being set up for an audit/investigation?"
City Makoti's Warning to Influencers
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The post is part of a broader conversation City Makoti has been steering around financial accountability in the creator economy. She has urged fellow influencers to declare their income properly and to stop accepting brand deals paid out in gifts or products without reporting the value to SARS.
Her timing is no coincidence. The South African Revenue Service has recently made clear its intention to bring content creators into the tax net, treating influencer income, including gifted goods and sponsored content, as taxable earnings. The announcement unsettled many in the industry.
[Lasizwe Dambuza](https://briefly.co.za/entertainment/celebrities/223758-lasizwe-dambuza-slams-sars-decision-tax-influencers/) was among the loudest voices pushing back against the decision, facing significant backlash after speaking out against SARS taxing influencers.
What the VDP Offers Taxpayers
According to the information City Makoti shared, the VDP offers a 100% waiver on understatement and administrative non-compliance penalties, protection from criminal prosecution, and a settlement limited to the outstanding tax amount plus applicable interest. To qualify, the disclosure must be voluntary, full, and complete, must not result in a refund owed to the taxpayer, and must not involve a similar default disclosed within the preceding five years.
For content creators who may have been accepting brand deals in exchange for products without declaring the value to SARS, City Makoti's post serves as a timely nudge to get their affairs in order before SARS comes to them first.
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Source: Briefly News
