CLOSE CORPORATION COMPANY REGISTRATION IN NAMIBIA

Close Corporation

Company Registration in Namibia is an important step for any business that wants to operate formally and build credibility. A Close Corporation, or CC, is often a practical choice for small businesses that want a simple legal structure with limited liability. It is a separate legal entity, which means it can trade, hold assets, and enter into contracts in its own name. However, Company Registration in Namibia should also align with the business’s long-term goals. While a CC offers simplicity, it is often not the preferred structure for investors, large-scale growth, or advanced ownership planning. Businesses that want stronger investment appeal, better scalability, and a more formal corporate image often choose a Private Company, a Foreign/External Company, or a Public Company instead.

A CC may work well for straightforward owner-managed operations. Yet if the business plans to expand, attract investors, or build a larger corporate structure, a company format is usually the better option. This gives the business more flexibility for future growth and can improve confidence among investors and stakeholders. At GFI, we assist clients with Company Registration in Namibia through a clear, guided, and professional process. We provide expert support with the required BIPA Namibia registration steps, making the process simple, efficient, and convenient for online ordering.

Expert Advise: If your business needs a simple structure, a CC may be suitable. If your goal is investment, expansion, and long-term growth, a Private, External, or Public Company is generally the stronger choice.

WHAT WE DO FOR YOU

What We Offer

We manage the full Close Corporation Registration process in Namibia from start to finish. This includes BIPA registration support, preparation of the founding statement, accounting officer consent letter guidance, beneficial ownership filing, and payment of applicable BIPA fees.

For Close Corporations, the correct legal structure is based on members, not directors or shareholders. We help members complete the required registration steps clearly, correctly, and efficiently.

Clients who do not have a local address may also access a Namibia registered address option for registration purposes. We also provide secure online storage for key statutory records, including the founding statement, registration documents, member details, accounting officer information, and beneficial ownership records.

Under Option 3, we provide support and documentation guidance for opening a Namibian business bank account, helping your Close Corporation start with a stronger compliance foundation.

WHAT WE CHARGE FOR COMPANY REGISTRATION

Our Prices/Fees Structure

Package pricing is based on the selected Option 1, Option 2, or Option 3. All prices are exclusive of VAT.VAT is charged at 15% in Namibia, and the pricing exchange rate used is 1 ZAR = 1 NAD. Each package includes a Beneficial Ownership Filing for 1 shareholder and 1 share certificate. Additional beneficial ownership filings for directors and additional share certificates are charged at ZAR 850 each. Option 3 also includes support and documentation for opening a new company bank account with FNB NamibiaOur Expert Advice: Choose Option 3 for the most complete setup, so you are fully prepared to start operating in Namibia with confidence.

Close Corporation | Once-Off Price

Close Corporation Option 1

R 14,950.00 R 6,950.00
Close Corporation | Once-Off Price

Close Corporation Option 2

R 17,950.00 R 9,950.00
Close Corporation | Once-Off Price

Close Corporation Option 3

R 24,950.00 R 12,950.00
COMPANY REGISTRATION TIMELINES

How Long To Register

GFI completes Namibia company registrations efficiently and professionally within 10 days of receiving all required documents and payments. This timeline includes company name reservation with BIPA, auditor and lawyer appointments, and the preparation of a high-quality incorporation application for submission to BIPA Namibia. Throughout the engagement, clients receive detailed weekly status updates by email, ensuring full visibility on progress at every stage. Where any issue arises, the client is informed promptly together with a clear solution. Each client is also supported by a dedicated engagement manager, who remains accessible via WhatsApp and email for responsive, reliable communication.

DOCUMENTS & INFORMATION REQUIRED

What We Need From You

To register your Close Corporation in Namibia, please provide accurate and current information. Provide the following:

  • Four (4) proposed company names
  • Certified ID or Passport copy for each shareholder
  • Certification must be by Police or Commissioner of Oaths (Must be less than 3 months old)
  • Company address in Namibia (required). If not available, we can use ours
  • Directors and shareholders contact details
  • Phone number and email address
  • Directors and shareholders physical address
  • Foreigners may use their country of origin address
  • Services of the company
  • Occupation of each director/shareholder
  • Minimum of 1 director/shareholder
  • At least 1 main director. Clearly indicate who is a director and who is a shareholder.
ID & PASSPORT REQUIREMENTS

Important ID & Passport Rules

If you are a Namibian citizen, attach a certified copy of ID. ID must show:

  • Front and back
  • Clear and visible details

If you are not a Namibian citizen, attach a certified copy of passport. Passport must show:

  • Bio page
  • Clear and visible details

Certification/Notary rules:

  • Namibia residents: certification by Police or Commissioner of Oaths
  • Outside Namibia: passport must be notarized by a Notary Public
  • In all cases, the stamp must be less than 3 months old
CLOSE CORPORATION APPLICATION FORM

Registration Form

For faster assistance, please download and complete the Public Limited Company Registration Application Form in full, and then email the completed form to [email protected].

NAMIBIA COMPANY NAMING CONVENTION

Service Scope Guidelines

  • Your proposed company name must align with the type and range of services your business intends to offer.
  • If your business will provide multiple unrelated services, such as construction, transportation, and gardening, your company name should include a broad descriptor such as “Trading” or “Investments”, for example, ABC Trading or ABC Investments.
  • If your business will provide one specialized service only, your company name may reflect that service directly, for example, ABC Construction.
  • If your company name refers to one specific service only, such as Construction, you may not offer additional unrelated services under that name.
  • You may register a maximum of five business objectives/services only.
  • These should be limited to two core objectives and three auxiliary services.
  • When listing your services, include service names only and do not add descriptions.
    • Examples of acceptable service listings include construction, logistics, transport, electrical, and gardening services.
  • Your business objectives must match your proposed company name.
    • For example, if your proposed name is Panna Luxury Car Wash, then Car Wash is the business descriptor, and your objectives should relate to car wash or related services.
  • Your business name must contain a unique prefix, which is the first distinguishing word or words in the name, for example, Panna Luxury.
  • All words in the business activities must be written in full.
    • Abbreviations are not allowed, including terms such as IT, Agri, Pharma, and similar shortened forms.
  • Your proposed name must comply with good public order and morality.
    • Offensive, aggressive, or obscene words are not allowed.
  • The following sectors must be registered separately and may not be combined with other industries:
    • Tourism Sector
    • Financial Sector
    • Real Estate Sector
    • Engineering Sector
ANSWERS TO THE MOST ASKED QUESTIONS!

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. In many cases, a Remote Company Bank Account can be opened without directors or shareholders traveling. However, some documents may still need notarisation, branch verification, or courier delivery depending on the bank’s requirements.

Support is currently provided for Namibia and South Africa.

Processing times vary by bank and by the completeness of submitted documents. With proper preparation, the process is often much faster than applying without guidance.

Yes. In most cases, all directors must sign the required documents in the presence of an authorized bank representative or a Public Notary.

Courier fees, notarisation costs, and other third-party charges are normally for the client’s account.

Pricing depends on the volume, complexity, and nature of the work. We offer flexible service tiers for businesses of all sizes and needs.

We work with Xero, QuickBooks, Pastel, and Zoho Books. We can also adapt to other suitable platforms.

We use internal data security controls, restricted access practices, monitored systems, and confidentiality measures to protect client information.

We currently provide Accounting, auditing, and tax filing services in Namibia and South Africa.

You can share documents by email, cloud storage, remote system access, or web-based accounting software.

Yes. However, many business owners prefer outsourcing to save time, improve accuracy, and focus on core operations.

Yes. Under the Namibia Companies Act, 2004, every company must appoint a company secretary. The secretary may be an individual or a corporate body, but must be resident in Namibia.

GFI can act as your Namibia company secretary. Our annual company secretarial support may include:

  • Preparing and filing annual returns
  • Safekeeping statutory company records
  • Liaising with Namibian authorities on your behalf
  • Filing changes to the company structure
  • Reminding you of important statutory deadlines

These services are provided at an additional fee, depending on the scope of work required.

Yes. Under the Namibia Companies Act, 2004, every company must have a registered office in Namibia from the date of incorporation.

To help you meet this requirement, GFI can provide our Namibia office as your company’s registered address. This address can be used for receiving official government correspondence, including:

  • Tax letters
  • Annual return notices
  • Other statutory communications

Many of our clients also choose to use this address on invoices, contracts, websites, and business cards, where appropriate.

Yes. In Namibia, companies are generally required to register for corporate income tax. VAT registration may also be required, depending on the nature and size of the business.
GFI can assist with tax and VAT registration, depending on the registration package you choose.

Not necessarily. GFI can assist with opening a Namibia corporate bank account without the client needing to travel.
Bank account opening can be a detailed and time-consuming process, especially where shareholders, directors, or signatories are based overseas. GFI helps manage the process and reduce the administrative burden, while supporting clients through the bank’s compliance and approval requirements.

If the directors are outside Namibia, the bank account opening documents must usually be signed and verified in one of the following ways:

  • In the presence of a Public Notary in the country where the director is located, or
  • At the nearest FNB branch, if arranged with the bank

Please note the following:

  • The account-opening documents must not be notarized or signed before an authorised FNB representative
  • The original signed documents must then be couriered to Namibia for processing
  • All notary and courier costs are for the client’s account

Once all required information has been received, GFI will prepare the bank account opening documents for signature. We will then send the documents directly to the nominated Public Notary or to the nominated FNB branch.

For certain entities, such as Private Companies, Public Companies, and NGOs, the Memorandum and Articles of Association must be certified by a Notary Public who is a qualified legal practitioner.

For this reason, applicants registering these entity types are encouraged to engage a legal practitioner.

After registration, companies must continue to meet certain compliance obligations. These may include:

  • Filing annual returns
  • Paying annual duties
  • Notifying authorities of changes in ownership
  • Notifying authorities of changes in the financial year-end
  • Notifying authorities of changes in business activities
  • Reporting changes in share capital
  • Updating the registered office address
  • Applying for voluntary de-registration where applicable

Annual returns and annual duties

The Companies Act, 2004, requires active companies and close corporations to submit annual duty returns. Annual duties are payable to the Registrar at the end of the entity’s financial year.

Failure to pay annual duties is an offence and may result in penalties.

Entities with up-to-date annual returns and annual duties may qualify for a BIPA Good Standing Certificate.

Consequences of non-payment of annual duties

If annual duties remain unpaid, the entity may face the following process:

  • First reminder letter
  • Second reminder letter
  • Intended de-registration notice published in the Government Gazette
  • Final de-registration notice published in the Government Gazette
  • Deregistration and removal from the register

Voluntary de-registration

If a company or close corporation has ceased trading, the directors, members, or authorised representative should apply for voluntary de-registration.

The general process is as follows:

  • The applicant or agent submits a de-registration request to BIPA
  • BIPA reviews the application
  • If annual duties are outstanding, the owners are notified
  • If there are no outstanding issues, BIPA begins the de-registration process
  • Notifications are sent to the Receiver of Revenue and the Social Security Commission
  • If there is no objection, the de-registration is approved, published, and the entity is struck off the register

The main types of business entities that can be registered in Namibia include:

  • Defensive Name
  • Close Corporation (CC)
  • Private Company (Pty Ltd)
  • Public Company (Ltd)
  • Section 21 Company / Non-profit Association
  • External or Foreign Company

Because the registration documents can be complex, it is generally recommended that a legal practitioner assist with the process.

The usual process includes:

  • Drafting the required registration documents
  • Preparing the Memorandum and Articles of Association
  • Certification by a Notary Public
  • Tailoring the documents to the company’s specific requirements
  • Submission of the completed documents to BIPA with the prescribed fees

A Close Corporation (CC) is a business structure with the following features:

  • It is formed by a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 10 members
  • The members own and manage the business
  • Ownership is expressed as a percentage interest
  • The total percentage interest of all members must equal 100%
  • It is intended to operate for profit
  • It is a separate legal entity from its members
  • Members may be held liable in certain cases of negligence or misconduct

No. A company in Namibia can be incorporated with 1 director and 1 shareholder, and neither is required to be a Namibian citizen or resident.

There is also no minimum initial share capital requirement, and the client does not need to travel to Namibia to complete the incorporation.

Yes. Foreigners can register a company in Namibia.

A Namibian company may be incorporated with 1 director and 1 shareholder, and neither need be a Namibian citizen or resident. There is no minimum initial share capital requirement. In most cases, the client does not need to travel to Namibia to complete the process.

For further information about our company registration services in Namibia, please contact our in-house country expert

Ready to have your company registered?

Purchase your once-off company registration service today by clicking the “Order Now” button in the pricing table above. For more information or tailored guidance, you may also speak to one of our consultants using the contact details listed on our contact us page.

CONTACT US THROUGH ONLINE CHANNELS

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  1. Chat online with a consultant by clicking the button at the bottom right of this website.
  2. Start a WhatsApp conversation by clicking the button at the bottom left of this website.
  3. Our preferred communication channels are WhatsApp and email.

Please note: All consultations, whether online or in person, are by appointment only. We strongly advise against scheduling appointments, as our experience shows many can be unproductive. Before booking an appointment, please make sure it is truly necessary. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at [email protected]