How to register a company in South Africa

Where companies get registered

All South African companies are registered with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC). You can register directly on CIPC eServices or through BizPortal, CIPC's simplified platform. Banks and third-party agents also offer registration, usually bundled with other services.

The standard route for a small business is a private company, a Pty Ltd. It gives you a separate legal entity, so business debts belong to the company rather than to you personally, and it is the structure most clients, suppliers and tender boards expect to deal with.

Step 1: reserve a name (optional but recommended)

A name reservation costs R50 at CIPC and lets you propose up to four names in order of preference. CIPC checks each against existing companies and reserved names, and the first acceptable one is held for you for six months.

You can skip this step and register the company with its enterprise number as the name (for example "2026/123456/07"), then add a proper name later by amendment. That works, but most owners want the name from day one, so reserve first. If you only want the reservation handled, we do it for R250 including the CIPC fee.

Step 2: register the company

Registration with a standard memorandum of incorporation costs R125 at CIPC. You will need certified ID copies for every director and incorporator, the reserved name (if you have one), a registered address, and details of who holds the shares. Straightforward applications are typically processed within a few business days, though timelines vary with CIPC's workload.

If you would rather not deal with CIPC forms and follow-ups, ProperSA registers the company for a flat R790, name reservation and CIPC fees included.

What you get back

• Registration certificate (COR14.3): the company's birth certificate, showing its name and enterprise number. Banks and tender boards will ask for it constantly.
• Memorandum of incorporation (MOI): the company's rulebook. Most small companies use CIPC's standard short-form MOI, which is fine for a simple owner-managed business.
• Income tax number: SARS registers every new company for income tax automatically as part of CIPC registration. You do not apply separately; the number arrives with or shortly after your registration documents.

What comes after registration

Registration is the start, not the finish. In the first weeks you should deal with:

• Beneficial ownership filing. New companies must file their beneficial ownership register with CIPC within 10 business days of incorporation, naming the individuals who ultimately own or control the company. Skipping it blocks your future annual returns. We file it for R490.
• Bank account. The bank will want your registration certificate, MOI, directors' IDs and proof of address. Trading through a personal account undermines the whole point of having a company.
• SARS eFiling. Register the company on eFiling and appoint a registered representative so you can file returns and request a tax clearance PIN when clients or tenders ask for one.
• Annual return diary. From the first anniversary of registration, the company must file a CIPC annual return every year, even if it never trades.

If you hire staff or expect turnover to grow, UIF, COIDA, PAYE and eventually VAT registration follow. None of these happen automatically.

Frequently asked questions