What documents are required to register a company in South Africa

Certified ID/Passport copy – The certification must be done by Police or Commissioner of Oaths and must be less than three months old. 2. 4 Proposed company names 3. P.O Box in South Africa – if any 4. Physical address in South Africa – if any 5. Directors and shareholders contact number and email

What is company registration?

A registered business is recognised as such by South African law. Registering your company means you enjoy rights, benefits and privileges that an unregistered business cannot enjoy.

Why do you need to register a company?

A registered business allows you to create a separate business banking account. You will receive a separate income TAX number as well, another great way to keep your personal matters outside of your business. All funding providers will require that you have a registered business entity. Banks and credit providers largely offer two credit options, business and personal. Both avenues are tailored to the needs of the entity. Your products and services will naturally have an identity, a product name or something that uniquely distinguishes you from everyone else in your market. Registering your business gives you measure of identity protection. You can now put your name on your product without someone else cloning your products with your name on it. Note that to completely engage with brand name protection you need to explore trademarks and copyright protection. Customers trust registered businesses. When you register a business, it means that you are serious about trading and you inspire confidence to your market.

Where do you register a small business?

Your business must be registered with Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC). There are services which facilitate this process which will allow you to complete your registration online with minimum fuss. At GFI Group, you can now register your business name and domain name at the same time. It’s important to check if your business name and domain name is available. You would not want to register the one with the other being taken already.

What names can I use for my business?

When choosing your name it is important to choose a name that will most likely be accepted by either CIPC, South Africa or BIPA, Namibia. Otherwise this can cause delays in the registration process. Avoid names containing "International”, “Projects" or "National" for example Johannesburg International, Johannesburg Projects or Johannesburg National. These names will likely be rejected as they can be misleading. In the case of surnames, only surnames of the members, directors or major shareholders will be allowed.

How many Directors are allowed in a Company?

This depends with company to be registered. In most cases, a minimum of 1 director is required to register a company. To register an NGO/Church in Namibia, there is a minimum limit of 7 directors required.

Can I register Company if I am listed on ITC?

Yes you can register a company if you are blacklisted at credit bureaus but you might however have a problem to open a bank account, or get loan from most financial providers.

Can foreigners register a Company in Namibia or South Africa?

Yes, you will have to provide us with a valid passport copy (certified) or RSA/NAMIBIA ID Document and have a residential address in South Africa/Namibia.

I don’t have an Accounting Officer. What do I do?

We will assign our own Accounting Officer at no extra cost. We will send you the necessary documents

How do I verify if my company is registered?

You can can validate if a company is indeed registered by checking on CIPC website for South Africa and BIPA website for Namibia. South Africa (https://cipc.co.za); Namibia (https://bipa.na)

Improve your brand reputation

Gain brand credibility with potential stakeholders including investors, customers, suppliers and employees.

Attract business opportunities

A registered company is considered trustworthy and desirable by sponsors.

Separate your finances

Apply for a business bank account or loan separately to your personal account using your official registration documents.

Protect your personal liability

You will not hold personal liability with company legalities such as debt and other obligations.

Stay motivated and focused

Having a registered company will hold you accountable so that you can achieve business success.