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Quick answer: Reserve a name (or register with a number-only name), prepare the director and shareholder details, file the registration with the companies registry and receive your registration certificate. With complete details it usually takes 3 to 7 working days. SARS issues the company's income tax number automatically.
What you need
- At least one director and one incorporator. A private company must have at least one director; the director and incorporator can be the same person.
- ID details for every director: a South African ID, or a passport for foreign nationals.
- Contact details and a registered office address in South Africa.
- Up to four proposed names in order of preference, or choose to register with your registration number as the name.
- Shareholding: how many shares are issued and who owns them.
The steps
- Reserve the name. The companies registry checks your proposed names against existing companies and reservations. An approved reservation lasts six months. See name availability.
- Choose the MOI. Most small companies use the standard Memorandum of Incorporation, the company's founding rules. A customised MOI is only needed for special arrangements between shareholders.
- File the registration. The application is filed online with the companies registry (through the official online registration system or BizPortal). Applications where every director is a South African ID holder can be approved quickly; foreign directors' passports are checked manually, which takes longer.
- Receive the documents. The registration certificate (CoR14.3) with your company registration number, plus the MOI. We also prepare share certificates for the shareholders.
What it costs
Our Business Registration Starter is R990 and covers the name reservation, the government filing fees, the registration documents, the MOI and SARS registration, delivered digitally. See what registration costs.
After registration
- Tax: SARS registers the company for income tax automatically through its link with the companies registry. You register separately for VAT or as an employer if those apply.
- Beneficial ownership: new companies must file their beneficial ownership information with the companies registry within 10 business days of incorporation. See the beneficial ownership guide.
- Bank account: open a business account in the company's name. We can help you apply for an FNB business account; approval is up to FNB.
- Annual returns: diarise the anniversary of your registration date. Every year, the company must file an annual return. See annual returns.
Tip: Keep the registration certificate, MOI and share certificates together in one folder, both as PDFs and printed. Banks, landlords and tender panels ask for them often.
Company Registration from Digitalx, priced in writing before we start.