"Who would have known?": Entrepreneur shares cheeky response after spotting SARS on wheels

Cape Town entrepreneur Chris de Water filmed a SARS vehicle pulling up next to him at a Western Cape petrol station on 14 October 2026
De Water, who runs a subscription-based business training course called AutoBPO, captioned the clip with a sarcastic joke about the tax authority
South Africans flooded the comments with jokes about SARS tracking him down

A post. — Cape Town BPO entrepreneur on the left and a SARS vehicle at a petrol station on the right. Images: @chris_bpo/Instagram
Source: Instagram

A Cape Town entrepreneur had an awkward moment at the petrol station that the internet could not stop laughing about. Chris de Water, known online as @chris_bpo, posted a clip on 14 October 2026 after spotting a South African Revenue Service vehicle filling up right beside him.

In the video, De Water stands outside a fuel station in the Western Cape, covering his mouth with his fist as he waits to fill up his car. He then slowly turns the camera to reveal a SARS vehicle parked at the adjacent pump. Trying not to draw attention, he keeps his movements low-key before quietly putting his phone down. The caption on the reel read:

"Didn't know SARS was mobile 🇿🇦🌹" — a tongue-in-cheek nod to the fact that South Africa's tax authority had seemingly shown up right next to him.

Who is Chris de Water?

De Water runs AutoBPO, a subscription-based business model and training course that charges members around R3,500 per month. The programme teaches a system where students act as middlemen on freelance platforms such as Upwork, using automated bidding tools to apply for remote jobs and outsourcing the work to offshore developers. The business model has attracted criticism online, with some describing it as a subscription scheme that benefits De Water more than his students.

Whether or not SARS was actually there for him remains a mystery, but the timing gave South Africans plenty to work with.

Watch the moment Chris spotted the SARS vehicle at the petrol station.

Mzansi reacts to the SARS sighting

South Africans in the comments section on the Instagram page had a field day:

@christopher_0livier said:

"They are coming for you 🙌😂"

@tristan_duval2006 commented:

"Bra wat de moer aha vokof sars they are watching you 😀" [Bra, what the hell, get out of here SARS, they are watching you.]

@jmkingvon asked:

"Wat is dit wmk sars" [What is this, I swear SARS]

@jasonnonstop_rsa replied:

"Ja bruh Pasop 😂" [Yeah bro, watch out.]

@reef_cape joked:

"SARS SWAT Squad."

@kaytee_mcc offered:

"Ay bro listen can we collab?"

The video struck a nerve with South Africans who know all too well the anxiety that comes with tax season. Whether it was just a coincidence or the universe sending a message, De Water's reaction was one many people could relate to.

"Who would have known?": Entrepreneur shares cheeky response after spotting SARS on wheels

Who is Chris de Water?

Mzansi reacts to the SARS sighting

More on SARS and South African tax