Ezulwini– The Eswatini Revenue Service (ERS) says voluntary tax compliance has risen from approximately 62 percent in the 2019/20 financial year to more than 72 percent in 2025/26, marking significant progress in the country’s efforts to strengthen domestic revenue mobilisation and reduce reliance on external income sources.
Speaking during the 4th Annual ERS Client Appreciation Day held at Happy Valley Hotel on Friday, Commissioner General Brightwell Nkambule said while the improvement was encouraging, the revenue authority remained committed to achieving 100 percent voluntary compliance.
“Our voluntary compliance rate has increased from approximately 62 per cent in 2019/20 to more than 72 per cent in 2025/26. This progress is encouraging, but it also reminds us that there remains significant work to be done. Our vision remains ambitious and clear: 100 per cent voluntary compliance for a better Kingdom of Eswatini,” he said.
Nkambule attributed the improvement to sustained taxpayer education campaigns, enhanced customer service and increased investment in digital systems aimed at making tax compliance simpler and more accessible.
He said the ERS had deliberately shifted from viewing taxpayers merely as revenue contributors to treating them as partners in national development, an approach that has helped strengthen trust between the institution and the business community.
The Commissioner General noted that taxpayer education initiatives, including outreach programmes, stakeholder engagements, digital platforms and the Bafundzise campaign, had improved awareness of tax obligations while encouraging voluntary compliance.
He added that client satisfaction had also improved considerably, with the ERS Net Promoter Score increasing from below 10 percent six years ago to about 83 percent, reflecting growing confidence in the institution’s service delivery.
Nkambule said stronger domestic revenue mobilisation had become increasingly important as receipts from the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) continued to fluctuate, making locally generated tax revenue a more reliable source of financing government expenditure.
He further revealed that the domestic tax-to-GDP ratio had increased from about 13.4 percent to approximately 16.5 percent over the past decade, while the cost of collecting revenue had declined from above five percent to around four percent, demonstrating improved operational efficiency.
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