Deloitte Africa, a tax and advisory firm that operates the DESMAT compliance platform for contracting and mining rights, signed an agreement with Refuel, a hardware and software provider tracking fuel consumption. The companies linked their systems to help heavy industry operators automate data collection for diesel rebate claims submitted to the South African Revenue Service (SARS). The integration connects physical fuel tracking with tax reporting mechanisms to format operational data according to government requirements.
Businesses in the mining, agriculture, forestry and fisheries sectors depend on diesel rebates, which provide R3,82 or more per litre in working capital. Many of these organizations operate using manual logbooks and fragmented reporting methods, leading to rejected claims and financial penalties for non-compliance. The reporting gap occurs because standard systems capture fuel volume at the point of pour without attributing consumption to specific machinery activities.
Refuel addresses this issue by deploying proprietary hardware and software to monitor fuel levels and run hours per asset for individual work sessions. The tracking system differentiates between fuel consumed during primary rebate-eligible tasks and diesel burned in non-eligible operations.
“SARS is modernising the system to improve compliance while creating a faster, more transparent refund process for businesses. SARS’ rollout of its standalone, digital diesel refund system shifts the refund process from the value-added tax environment onto a dedicated, automated platform. Intended to streamline validations and improve transparency, the move provides an opportunity for businesses to digitise their systems and move away from manual logbooks. They stand to get their claims paid out faster if they provide data SARS can trust,” said Refuel CEO Ricky Luntz.
Consumption metrics from the hardware flow directly into the Deloitte Africa DESMAT platform to produce substantiated claims matching the new reporting structures. The combined deployment provides a security check across the ecosystem to mitigate fuel theft and operational wastage.
“This automated solution aligns with SARS’ digital upscaling objectives by standardising claim workflows and elevating record-keeping standards across the diesel rebate lifecycle. Improved data integrity and real-time processing not only reduce exposure to errors and penalties, but also enhance audit readiness — demonstrating how technology is central to modern tax compliance,” said Olebogeng Ramatlhodi, Deloitte Africa’s Indirect Tax Leader.
Government authorities are transitioning the rebate framework to eliminate manual processing and improve auditing standards.
“As the industry moves toward the full rollout of the digital SARS system, the Deloitte Africa and Refuel alliance provides a necessary bridge between onsite technology and tax compliance,” Luntz said.
