Registering a company in South Africa is quicker and cheaper than most people expect. Here's exactly how to do it with the CIPC (Companies and Intellectual Property Commission), and the important steps that come after registration.
Step 1: Register on the CIPC portal
Create an account on the CIPC website (or use BizPortal, the government's one-stop service). You'll need your ID and basic details for each director.
Step 2: Reserve a name (optional)
You can reserve a company name, or register with a default name that's just the registration number followed by "(Pty) Ltd" and change it later. Name reservation is cheap and usually approved within a few days.
Step 3: Register the company
Submit the incorporation with your directors' details. A standard private company (Pty) Ltd is inexpensive to register and often processed within a few working days. You'll receive a registration number and a CoR14.3 certificate.
Step 4: You're automatically registered for income tax
When CIPC registers your company, it's automatically registered for income tax with SARS and issued a tax number. Every company is a provisional taxpayer — so provisional tax deadlines now apply to you (see our provisional tax guide).
What to do next
1. Open a business bank account in the company's name — keep business and personal money separate from day one. 2. Register for other taxes if needed — VAT once you approach the R1m threshold, and PAYE/UIF/SDL once you hire staff. 3. Set up your books. SARS expects proper accounting records kept for at least seven years. 4. File your annual return with CIPC every year to keep the company in good standing.
Start your books right
The businesses that stay out of trouble are the ones that keep clean records from the first invoice. 360books gives your new company invoicing, banking, VAT and payroll in one place — with the SARS calendar built in — so "doing the admin" never becomes a crisis.