Renowned actress and producer Sonia Mbele has become the latest figure in South Africa’s entertainment industry to attract the attention of the South African Revenue Service (SARS) for issues related to unpaid taxes. The former Generations star is now at risk of losing her possessions, as her production company, Sonia Mbele Films, has not cleared a tax obligation exceeding half a million Rand.
As reported by Daily Sun, the tax authority has secured a court ruling against Mbele, who recently joined the final season of e.tv’s popular soap opera Scandal! The Johannesburg High Court’s decision has empowered the Sheriff of the Court to intervene and potentially seize assets from Sonia Mbele Films.
Sonia Mbele faces asset forfeiture due to R585k tax liability
On 5 February 2026, SARS reportedly sent a final demand notice to the production entity, allowing 10 business days for the debt to be resolved. With no response or payment forthcoming, the matter was escalated to the court system.
The Johannesburg High Court has approved SARS to instruct the local Sheriff to attach and liquidate assets belonging to Sonia Mbele Films in pursuit of the outstanding tax payment.
Furthermore, this ruling grants the agency the authority to pursue funds from third parties indebted to Sonia Mbele’s firm, requiring them to remit payments directly to SARS instead.
Prior to escalating to legal proceedings, SARS is said to have extended numerous options to Sonia Mbele Films, including payment plans, temporary suspension of the debt under dispute, and potential relief for financial hardships, yet these offers remained unaddressed.
Following Mbele’s failure to act on any of the proposed solutions, SARS’ debt management official, Mfanzima Ntokozo Nzimande, validated the debt and sought a court ruling. The actress now contemplates the serious consequences of losing company assets due to this tax issue.
Efforts to contact Sonia Mbele for her perspective yielded no response; her phone calls reportedly went unanswered, and her WhatsApp messages and emails had not been returned as of the current reporting.
A spokesperson from SARS, Siphithi Sibeko, declined to provide specific comments on the situation, citing confidentiality surrounding tax matters.
