Paying taxes: Profit tax in South Africa

South Africa: Paying taxes: Profit tax was 21.8% in 2019. ▼ Falling

Latest (2019)
21.8%
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
48th
of 190 countries
All-time high
24.9%
in 2009
All-time low
21.4%
in 2013
Years of data
15
2005–2019

Paying taxes: Profit tax in South Africa, 2005–2019

05101520252005201220192005: 24.4 % of profits2006: 23.7 % of profits2007: 24 % of profits2008: 24.4 % of profits2009: 24.9 % of profits2010: 24.8 % of profits2011: 24 % of profits2012: 23.9 % of profits2013: 21.4 % of profits2014: 21.7 % of profits2015: 21.7 % of profits2016: 21.7 % of profits2017: 21.7 % of profits2018: 21.8 % of profits2019: 21.8 % of profits

Source: World Bank. Measured in % of profits.

Analysis

The most recent figure for paying taxes: profit tax in South Africa is 21.8%, measured in 2019.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 12.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, paying taxes: profit tax in South Africa peaked at 24.9% in 2009 and was at its lowest, 21.4%, in 2013.

That places South Africa 48th out of 190 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.

Paying taxes: Profit tax in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Paying taxes: Profit tax (% of profits) in South Africa, 2005 to 2019.
Year % of profits Change
2005 24.4%
2006 23.7% -2.9%
2007 24.0% +1.3%
2008 24.4% +1.7%
2009 24.9% +2.0%
2010 24.8% -0.4%
2011 24.0% -3.2%
2012 23.9% -0.4%
2013 21.4% -10.5%
2014 21.7% +1.4%
2015 21.7% +0.0%
2016 21.7% +0.0%
2017 21.7% +0.0%
2018 21.8% +0.5%
2019 21.8% +0.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 24.3% 23.7% 24.9% 5
2010s 22.4% 21.4% 24.8% 10

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 45 Uganda 22.3% compare
  2. 46 Thailand 22.2% compare
  3. 47 Libya 22.1% compare
  4. 48 Armenia 21.8% compare
  5. 48 Dominica 21.8% compare
  6. 51 India 21.6% compare
  7. 51 Niger 21.6% compare

See the full ranking of 190 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is paying taxes: profit tax in South Africa?
Paying taxes: profit tax in South Africa was 21.8% in 2019, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest paying taxes: profit tax recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 24.9% in 2009.
What is the lowest paying taxes: profit tax recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 21.4% in 2013.
How does South Africa rank for paying taxes: profit tax?
South Africa ranks 48th out of 190 countries with data for 2019.
Is paying taxes: profit tax rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 12.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from the World Bank, published as part of Paying taxes: Profit tax (% of profits). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Paying taxes: Profit tax in South Africa. Statizoid. Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/paying-taxes-profit-tax-percent-of-profits/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Paying taxes: Profit tax (% of profits)
Unit
% of profits
Source
World Bank
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
190 places, 2,789 data points, 2005–2019
Last refreshed

The profit tax measures the amount of income taxes borne by the business in the second year of operation, expressed as a share of commercial pro?t.