The Taxman raids MaMkhize’s wardrobe again: Over 200 bags up for auction

The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has moved against another slice of Shauwn “MaMkhize” Mkhize’s luxury assets, placing more than 200 handbags and suitcases under auction scrutiny as part of its effort to recover millions in unpaid tax. Only 23 of the seized bags passed independent authentication and were cleared for sale.

The latest auction, run by Bidders Choice, includes authenticated designer bags and luggage linked to Mkhize, alongside her 2021 Lamborghini Urus. The vehicle, with 43,080 km on the clock, was listed at R3.1 million.

Among the cleared handbags are an Yves Saint Laurent quilted leather bag, which had reached R19,000 in bidding when the auction was under way; hot-stamped Louis Vuitton suitcases priced between R10,500 and R11,500; and a Louis Vuitton chain messenger bag valued at R12,000. Other authenticated lots included Gucci, Balenciaga, Goyard and Christian Dior bags, with early bids ranging from R1,500 to R6,000.

Bidders Choice managing director Pieter Geldenhuys said the auction house examined every bag and suitcase before deciding which items could be submitted for authentication. He estimated that about 200 bags had been seized, but said the company could authenticate only 23.

“We did a lot of investigation and research to see what you can authenticate and what you can’t authenticate,” Geldenhuys said.

He explained that many bags carried brand names but lacked serial numbers or other identifying markers. Where authentication teams could not locate serial numbers, the items were left out of the sale rather than being declared fake. The authentication was conducted by an independent external specialist. Geldenhuys said the process was designed to establish which items could be verified, not to make a blanket finding that every unauthenticated bag was counterfeit.

The auction forms part of a wider asset-recovery process overseen by a curator bonis under SARS instruction. The proceeds are intended to help settle tax debts the revenue authority says remain outstanding. The bags are not the only assets connected to Mkhize placed before buyers. Earlier auctions included vehicles, construction equipment, artwork, office furniture, warehouse materials and household goods. Bidding in the October auction opened on Friday, October 10, and closed on Wednesday, October 15. Prospective buyers could inspect items at Bapsfontein and Mooikloof in Pretoria on October 13 and 14.

Mkhize’s dispute with SARS has escalated over several years. In 2023, the revenue authority issued a R37.9 million tax bill and obtained a preservation order over assets including Royal AM Football Club. By November 2024, SARS and the South African Police Service had raided her La Lucia home in Durban, seizing luxury vehicles, more than 40 firearms and other assets. The tax dispute is linked to unpaid taxes connected to Royal AM, the Premier Soccer League club Mkhize bought in 2021.

The October sale followed an earlier auction of 13 luxury vehicles and a Royal AM-branded Mercedes-Benz Maybach V-Class bus, managed by Bidders Choice.

Once the auction closes, Bidders Choice compiles a summary of the prices achieved and submits it to the curator. The curator then presents the results to creditors, who must be satisfied before the prices are accepted.

That means the final recovery amount, the allocation of proceeds and the status of the remaining unauthenticated bags remain unresolved. SARS’s action, however, signals that the revenue authority is continuing to pursue Mkhize’s assets as it seeks to recover the outstanding debt.

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