Register your information officer. Properly, once.
POPIA (the Protection of Personal Information Act) says every business has an information officer, usually the owner, and that the officer must be registered with the Information Regulator before doing the job. Most small businesses have never done it. For R390 we prepare the registration on the Regulator's eServices portal, get it submitted, add a deputy if you want one, and file the certificate where you can find it.
What you get
- The correct information officer named: POPIA says it is the head of the business, and we check your CIPC record so the name matches
- Every portal field prepared in advance, in writing: business details, registration number, officer details, contact details and the category of body
- The eServices portal registration completed and submitted, with you holding the login (see how below)
- A deputy information officer added if you want one, with the authorisation letter POPIA requires
- The registration certificate and reference number from the Regulator saved to your client portal
- A one page duties note for the officer: what POPIA and PAIA (the Promotion of Access to Information Act) expect, and the yearly report deadline
- The Regulator's e-form prepared as a fallback if the portal is unavailable, ready for you to email
- Confirmation in writing that the step is done, for your compliance file
How ordering works
- Order online with the button below and pay by card or instant EFT (PayFast), or wait for the EFT invoice.
- Fill in the short form in your portal: business name and registration number, who runs the business, contact details, and whether you want a deputy.
- We prepare the full registration and put a filled-in copy in your portal. The Regulator's portal confirms the profile through your own email, so you create the profile from the link we send and paste our answers in. About ten minutes. If you would rather not, we complete the screens with you on a short video call while you stay logged in. We never ask for your password.
- The certificate arrives by email. Forward it or upload it and we file it on your client record with the duties note. Done.
Not sure this is the right one for you? Ask us first and you get a written answer within one business day.
What the Regulator's process looks like
Since May 2024 the Information Regulator runs registrations through its eServices portal. The business creates a profile, confirms it by email, and registers the information officer and any deputies. Registration is free, and a certificate with a reference number is sent to the registered email. If the portal cannot be reached, the Regulator accepts its e-form by email. From 2026 the Regulator will not accept the yearly PAIA report from a business whose officer is not registered. Source: inforegulator.org.za, checked 3 September 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Does a small business really have to register?
Yes. POPIA says every business that handles personal information has an information officer, by default the owner, CEO or managing director, and that the officer must be registered with the Regulator before acting in the role. There is no size exemption. The Regulator also will not accept a PAIA annual report from a business whose officer is not registered.
Can you do the whole thing, or do I have to log in?
The Regulator's portal ties the profile to your business and confirms it through your own email address. We never ask for your login details. We prepare every answer, you create the profile from the link we send and paste our answers in, about ten minutes, and the certificate goes to your email. If you prefer, we complete the screens with you on a short video call while you stay logged in and in control.
What does the Regulator charge?
Nothing. Registration is free. Our R390 is for preparing it correctly, adding a deputy where wanted, filing the certificate on your client record and writing the duties note. If the portal is down, we prepare the Regulator's e-form instead and you email it.
Is this the same as being POPIA compliant?
No. Registration is one duty. You also need a privacy policy, a PAIA manual, consent wording, a breach procedure and agreements with anyone who processes data for you. The POPIA Starter pack covers those five documents. Not sure where you stand? Run the free POPIA check or read the POPIA checklist.
Need the policies too?
The POPIA Starter pack gives you the privacy policy, PAIA manual, consent wording, breach procedure and processor agreement, written for your business.
See the POPIA Starter packGuidance, not legal advice. The Information Regulator's portal and process can change; we follow whatever the Regulator requires on the day.