ZA · AfricaZW · Africa
South Africa vs Zimbabwe: tax rates compared
Between the two, South Africa's income tax rate (45%) tops Zimbabwe's (40%) by 5pp. The 200-country average is 28%: both sit above it. South Africa's figure is dated 2026-03-01 and Zimbabwe's 2025-01-01, so the two rates come from different data vintages.
Verified data covers five of the six tracked tax types for both countries; every rate below is cited to its source and dated.
At a glance
| Tax | ZA | ZW | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income Tax | 45% | 40% | ZA +5 pp |
| Corporate Tax | 27% | 25.8% | ZA +1.2 pp |
| VAT | 15% | 15.5% | ZW +0.5 pp |
| Capital Gains Tax | 18% | 1% | ZA +17 pplargest gap |
| Wealth Tax | 0% | 0% | match |
Income Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 45% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — South Africa (Individual, Taxes on personal income) · as of 2026-03-01 |
| Zimbabwe | 40% | Source: Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) — PAYE Foreign Currency (USD) Tax Tables, January-December 2025 · as of 2025-01-01 |
| Difference | +5 pp | South Africa higher |
Corporate Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 27% | Source: Tax Foundation — Worldwide Corporate Tax Rates · as of 2025-01-01 |
| Zimbabwe | 25.8% | Source: Tax Foundation — Worldwide Corporate Tax Rates · as of 2025-01-01 |
| Difference | +1.2 pp | South Africa higher |
Between the two, South Africa's corporate tax rate (27%) tops Zimbabwe's (25.8%) by 1.2pp. The 201-country average is 22.6%: both sit above it.
VAT
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 15% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — South Africa (Corporate, Other taxes) · as of 2026-05-29 |
| Zimbabwe | 15.5% | Source: EY Worldwide VAT, GST and Sales Tax Guide 2026 — Zimbabwe · as of 2026-01-01 |
| Difference | −0.5 pp | Zimbabwe higher |
Between the two, Zimbabwe's VAT rate (15.5%) tops South Africa's (15%) by 0.5pp. The 181-country average is 15%: South Africa matches the world average, Zimbabwe sits above it.
Capital Gains Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 18% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — South Africa (Individual, Income determination) · as of 2026-05-29 |
| Zimbabwe | 1% | Source: EY Worldwide Personal Tax and Immigration Guide 2025-26 — Zimbabwe · as of 2025-01-01 |
| Difference | +17 pp | South Africa higher |
Between the two, South Africa's capital gains tax rate (18%) tops Zimbabwe's (1%) by 17pp. The 175-country average is 10.3%: South Africa sits above it, Zimbabwe sits below it. South Africa's figure is dated 2026-05-29 and Zimbabwe's 2025-01-01, so the two rates come from different data vintages.
Wealth Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 0% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — South Africa (Individual, Other taxes) · as of 2026-05-29 |
| Zimbabwe | 0% | Source: ZIMRA (Zimbabwe Revenue Authority) · as of 2026-07-18 |
| Difference | 0 pp | displayed rates match |
There's no gap here — South Africa and Zimbabwe both post a wealth tax rate of 0%. The 193-country average is 0.1%: both sit below it.
Not covered for both countries yet: Crypto Tax.