In recent years the South African government has made it easier for business owners to register a business in a simple and efficient manner.
Currently, the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) is used to register businesses. The CIPC website allows business owners to register the companies online.
By logging onto the CIPC website and looking for the “New Companies” link under the “Companies” tab, one can register a business online in South Africa.
Options available online:
- Register as a customer
- Register as a company
- Register as a co-operative
The CIPC currently prioritises the processing of online applications or lodgements relative to the manual lodgements.
For the process to be completed as quickly as possible, customers need to ensure that they submit accurate and complete information.
The customer’s account on the CIPC website must also have sufficient funds available for the transaction to be processed.
Once you have registered to open a company, you need to make sure that you fund your virtual account with at least R175. This amount will cover the registration cost of R125 and the name reservation cost of R50.
When you want to register a business online in South Africa, it’s important to keep in mind that the types of companies which you can open in South Africa are either a Non-profit Organisation or a Profit Company. Company registration costs vary between R175 for a Private Company and R475 for a Non-Profit Organisation. Other company types include State-owned companies and public companies.
What are the kinds of time frames you can expect when registering a new business in South Africa?
Name reservations take at least 5 working days.
New online company registrations take up to 3 working days.
Company name changes take up to 25 working days.
Register your company at the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) via the website www.cipc.co.za.
