The South African Revenue Service SARS has opened a formal drive to bring social media influencers into the tax net. It warned that all forms of remuneration must be declared.
SARS said the following are taxable under the Income Tax Act and that voluntary disclosure will be critical:
cash payments
gifted products
travel and services provided in exchange for publicity
Industry data from Modash shows the move will affect a large cohort. Modash's database identified about 81 808 Instagram influencers located in South Africa as of August 2025, and this is not counting the TikTok and YouTube creators.