Award-winning musician, DJ and entrepreneur DJ Sbu has urged South African creatives to pay their taxes and not learn the hard way like himself.
On Friday, the Tembisa-born entrepreneur took to social media to warn his peers in the industry to ensure their affairs with the taxman were straight.
“If there’s 1 thing I regret as an Creative Entrepreneur is not learning about my taxes properly earlier in my career. Pay your taxes guys. You don’t want to be in my shoes. I am learning the hard way,” he said.
This comes after the former TS Records executive was embroiled in yet another tax fiasco with the South African Revenue Service (Sars) in 2021.
According to media reports, DJ Sbu, no stranger to Sars, initially owed R5 million to the taxman and after additional tax and interest, the tax bill rocketed to over R15m.
His first troubles with Sars came in 2018 when the founder of MoFaya energy drink was slapped with a R2.2m tax bill.
DJ Sbu urged creatives to invest in a lawyer and accountant early in their careers.
“Dear young creatives and entrepreneurs. Get yourself a legal adviser and an accountant from beginning of your career,” he said.
Some of the stars in the South African entertainment industry who have had trouble with the taxman include Cassper Nyovest, Bonang Matheba, the late AKA, Black Coffee and TKZee, among others.
Nyovest’s company Family Tree is the latest to be targeted by Sars for unpaid income tax, while in 2018 Matheba was charged for dodging personal taxes from 2007 to 2017 and company tax from 2014 to 2017.
In 2017, AKA was said to be owing Sars at least R2m.