“Life Happened, It Hurt, I Healed”: MaMkhize’s Crumbling Empire Faces Fresh SARS Property Blow
Written By: Mzansi News Desk | Published: October 27, 2026 | 6 min read
South African businesswoman Shauwn Mkhize, popularly known as MaMkhize, once declared that life had hurt her but that she had healed. Now, her reported business troubles have returned to the spotlight, with Royal AM's tax dispute and a court-authorised sale of five Sandton properties valued at an estimated R35 million drawing renewed attention.
The story stretches across two separate periods. In April 2025, MaMkhize reportedly broke her social media silence with a message about pain, healing and changing relationships, following mounting pressure around Royal AM FC. In October 2026, a separate court development reportedly authorised the sale of five properties in Sandown, Sandton, as SARS pursued further steps in a tax recovery dispute.
The developments have placed the businesswoman's public image, football interests and property-related legal battles under renewed scrutiny. However, the allegations surrounding the assets and the eventual use of any sale proceeds remain matters to be determined through the relevant legal process.
“Life Happened, It Hurt, I Healed”
In a report published on 3 April 2025, MaMkhize was described as having broken her silence after a period away from social media. The businesswoman had reportedly not spoken publicly online since releasing a statement on 8 January addressing concerns about the non-payment of players at Royal AM FC.
Her return was marked not by a detailed explanation of the club's financial problems, but by a personal reflection about difficult experiences, trust and the people she believed deserved a place in her life.
“My side of the story doesn’t matter anymore. Life happened, it hurt, I healed. But most importantly, I learned who deserves a seat at my table and who will never sit again.”
— Shauwn Mkhize, in an Instagram post quoted in an April 2025 report
The message suggested that MaMkhize was looking back on a painful period and reassessing the relationships around her. The reference to people who would never again have a seat at her table was widely framed as a statement about trust and loyalty.
Yet the post did not provide a detailed account of the legal and financial issues surrounding her business interests. Nor did it resolve the questions being asked about Royal AM, its players and the reported tax dispute.
What Her Statement Revealed
MaMkhize described herself as having been hurt but having healed. The statement presented a personal reflection rather than a formal response to the SARS proceedings.
Her comments about who deserved a seat at her table placed the emphasis on loyalty, disappointment and deciding who should remain part of her circle.
While the post addressed her personal outlook, it did not settle the separate financial and legal issues involving Royal AM or the properties later discussed in court reports.
Royal AM: The Football Club at the Centre of the Storm
Royal AM FC became one of the most visible parts of the wider controversy surrounding MaMkhize. The club had been a prominent investment in her public business profile and was associated with her son, Andile Mpisane.
According to the April 2025 report, MaMkhize had bought the club for her son as a birthday gift when he turned 19. The team subsequently faced mounting uncertainty amid concerns about player payments and a reported tax recovery dispute.
In March 2025, a SARS-appointed curator reportedly issued a public notice announcing that Royal AM would be put up for auction in an effort to recover a reported R40 million tax debt associated with MaMkhize.
The proposed auction represented a serious development for a football club whose identity and public profile were closely associated with its ownership. A potential sale can create uncertainty for players, employees, supporters, commercial partners and the club's future.
The Royal AM report and the later Sandton property proceedings form part of the public discussion around the wider tax dispute, but they concern different assets and different legal steps. The reported auction of the football club should not be confused with the court-authorised sale of the five properties.
The SARS Property Case: What the Court Reportedly Allowed
The legal pressure described in the April 2025 report followed proceedings in the KwaZulu-Natal Local Division of the High Court. The report said that, in late 2024, the court granted a preservation order and a search-and-seizure warrant in a matter involving the Commissioner of SARS, MaMkhize and others.
A further development was reported on Monday, 26 October 2026. According to the information about the ruling, the Durban High Court, with Judge Jacqueline Henriques presiding, authorised the sale of five properties in Sandown, Sandton.
The properties were reportedly being held under a preservation arrangement, with ongoing expenses making continued retention costly. The reported order allows a curator bonis — a person appointed to administer property under court supervision — to sell the five assets.
The ownership question is particularly important because the properties were reportedly not registered directly in Mkhize's personal name. The listed registered owners included Yaron Peretz and 22 Aston Investments (Pty) Ltd.
Who Owns the Properties?
The reported ownership details identify Yaron Peretz and 22 Aston Investments (Pty) Ltd. The properties were not described as being registered directly in MaMkhize's name.
SARS alleges that the properties were acquired for Mkhize's benefit and is pursuing further legal steps to establish whether the assets or their proceeds can be applied towards the tax debt it seeks to recover.
The reported authorisation to sell does not, by itself, establish every allegation about beneficial ownership or automatically determine who is entitled to the sale proceeds.
The legal distinction matters. Registration in the name of a company or another person does not by itself answer every question about who benefits from an asset. However, SARS's allegation that the properties were acquired for Mkhize's benefit should not be presented as a final finding unless the relevant court has made that determination.
R1.8 Million Arrears and R188,000 Monthly Security Bill
The reported financial picture surrounding the five Sandton properties includes substantial municipal charges and recurring security expenses. These costs help explain why the properties' continued preservation became a central issue in the reported application for permission to sell them.
According to the information supplied about the proceedings, outstanding municipal charges on four of the properties totalled approximately R1.8 million as of October 2025.
The properties were also reportedly costing around R188,000 per month for private security. Securing vacant or preserved properties can be costly, particularly when the assets must be protected while ownership or financial claims remain unresolved.
The reported expenses provide context for the sale application. They do not mean that the estimated market value will be recovered in full, or that all of the money generated by a sale can automatically be used to settle the disputed tax debt.
Inside the R35 Million Sandton Property Portfolio
The five properties are located in Sandown Extension 24, Sandton, Johannesburg. Their combined estimated market value was reported at approximately R35 million, although the amount eventually realised through a sale could be different.
Reported Property Valuations
The reported combined estimate of what the five properties could be worth under market conditions.
The reported forced-sale estimate is lower than the market valuation, illustrating that a sale under particular conditions may realise a different amount.
The reported municipal valuation provides another reference point, but it is not necessarily the amount a buyer would pay.
The five properties listed in the report are:
- Remaining extent of Erf 662, Sandown Ext 24 — 1,698.41 sqm
- Portion 1 of Erf 662, Sandown Ext 24 — 1,059.97 sqm
- Portion 2 of Erf 662, Sandown Ext 24 — 728.335 sqm
- Portion 3 of Erf 662, Sandown Ext 24 — 879.703 sqm
- Erf 223, Sandown Ext 24 — 4,993 sqm
The combined land area listed for the five properties is approximately 9,359.423 square metres. The individual areas differ significantly, and the combined valuation should not be interpreted as proof that every property carries an equal share of the overall value.
The properties were reportedly associated with the Adrianne Street and Aston Street area of Sandown. The legal issue is not simply how valuable the assets are, but also the ownership arrangements, SARS's claims about who benefits from them and the legal treatment of any proceeds generated by a sale.
This means that permission to sell and permission to use the proceeds for tax recovery are separate legal questions. The reported order allows the sale to proceed, while the subsequent legal process is intended to determine whether the funds can be applied to the liabilities SARS seeks to recover.
From Royal AM to Sandton: The Bigger Picture
MaMkhize's public image has long been associated with business, luxury and football. Her reported difficulties involving Royal AM and the later proceedings concerning the Sandton properties have placed that image under renewed scrutiny.
The contrast between her 2025 message about healing and the later property development is striking. At the time of the Instagram post, she was presenting a personal reflection about pain, trust and moving forward. The subsequent legal developments have focused on a different set of questions: tax liabilities, asset preservation, ownership and the treatment of proceeds.
Those issues should not be conflated. A personal social media statement does not determine a legal dispute, and a court-authorised sale does not by itself prove every allegation concerning the assets or establish that all the proceeds belong to SARS.
The next significant developments will concern the outcome of the property sale, the amount actually realised and the decisions made in any further proceedings about the money. The reported figures provide a sense of the scale of the assets, but the final financial and legal consequences remain dependent on the process.
People Also Ask: MaMkhize, Royal AM and SARS
In an Instagram post quoted in an April 2025 report, Shauwn Mkhize reflected on difficult experiences and changing relationships. She said she had learnt who deserved a seat at her table. The statement was personal and did not provide a detailed response to the SARS proceedings.
The April 2025 report said a SARS-appointed curator announced an auction process aimed at recovering a reported R40 million tax debt associated with MaMkhize. That figure reflects what was reported at the time and should not automatically be treated as a final amount established by a court.
According to the reported October 2026 court development, a Durban High Court order authorised the sale of five properties in Sandown Extension 24. The reported process followed SARS's application concerning the preserved assets and the costs of maintaining them.
The five properties were reported to have a combined estimated market value of R35 million. Their reported forced-sale value was R24.5 million, while their municipal valuation was approximately R22.8 million. The final sale price could differ from these estimates.
Municipal charges on four properties were reportedly about R1.8 million as at October 2025. Private security for the properties was reportedly costing approximately R188,000 per month.
The reported ownership details identify Yaron Peretz and 22 Aston Investments (Pty) Ltd as registered owners. SARS alleges that the properties were acquired for Mkhize's benefit. That allegation is distinct from a final legal finding about beneficial ownership.
No. According to the reported order, the proceeds must be held in an interest-bearing trust account. SARS was reportedly given one month to institute further proceedings to establish whether the funds may be applied towards the tax debt.
Editorial Note
This article combines an April 2025 report about MaMkhize's Instagram statement and Royal AM with reported developments concerning five Sandton properties in October 2026. The events occurred at different times and concern separate assets and legal steps. The financial figures and legal details are presented as reported and should be checked against the relevant court documents and official statements before publication.
