SARS NEWS | SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS REPOSITORY UPGRADE
Achieving our Vision of a smart, modern SARS with unquestionable integrity that is trusted and admired is of paramount importance. Pivotal to the delivery of our vision are our digital platforms and technology infrastructure.
To provide clarity and certainty, make it easy for taxpayers and traders to comply with their obligations and building public trust and confidence, our technology assets must demonstrate the highest levels of availability, robustness and security.
In accordance with our Vision and Strategic Objectives, which includes modernising our systems to provide Digital and Streamlined online services, we are hard at work ensuring that we create further stability within the Customs space, performing regular upgrades, enhancements and maintenance.
Please be advised of a major intervention intended to improve reliability and system performance which will require significant scheduled system downtime this coming weekend to implement a required upgrade to the SARS Supporting Documents Repository system. The upgrade aims to improve efficiency and ensure greater capacity to meet future system demands, across the Enterprise.
Therefore, SARS Digital platform maintenance is scheduled for:
Friday, 21 November 2025 from 18h00 to Sunday, 23 November 2025 13h00
For the duration of the upgrade, supporting document access and case processing will be unavailable. Traders and Customs operational staff will not be able to submit or review any supporting documentation in relation to SSM cases.
Traders are urged to submit all outstanding supporting documents for cases which are currently in process to avoid delays during downtime. Traders are also encouraged to utilise the pre-clearance process in anticipation of clearances expected to move over the weekend. Traders and truck drivers are also requested to carry hard copies of all supporting documentation at Ports of Entry during the downtime – these will only be considered in exceptional cases for time critical consignments.
Note that normal EDI processing will not be impacted and be available throughout the weekend. Only where supporting documents are requested will those entries be impacted.
Customs responses (CUSRES messages) related to supporting documents submitted during this time will be delayed. However, arrival and exit management functions are available at land Ports of Entry for all released declarations and will be processed as normal.
Stakeholders are further urged to submit all Goods Declarations (bills of entry) and Road Manifests, especially those deemed priority, before Friday, 21 November 2025 @ 09:00.
Please follow all existing Modality escalations protocols for case specific queries or mail customscommandcentreescalations@sars.gov.za, for all generic queries. Also note that ongoing updates will be posted on the SARS website and via the EDI Bulletin Board.
Sincerely
THE SOUTH AFRICAN REVENUE SERVICE
18 November 2025