Most company registrations that get held up at CIPC are held up by paperwork: an ID copy that was not certified, a name that was rejected with no backup, or a share split nobody agreed on. Here is exactly what to have ready before you start, and what you will need shortly after.
For the full process, costs and timelines, see how to register a company in South Africa.
The short answer
- A certified copy of the ID of every director
- Up to four proposed company names, in order of preference
- A physical address for the registered office
- How the shares are split, and who the beneficial owners are
- An email address and cellphone number for each director
Certified ID copies
You need a certified copy of the identity document of every director. If you have a smart ID card, copy both sides. Foreign nationals use a certified copy of their passport.
A certified copy is a photocopy stamped and signed by a commissioner of oaths, for example at a police station. Use a recent certification, because some institutions will not accept older ones, and make sure the copy is clear enough to read every detail.
Proposed company names
Have up to four names ready, in order of preference. CIPC approves one of them or rejects them all, and names are rejected often, usually because they are too close to a company that already exists. With alternatives ready, a rejection costs you a day rather than a week.
Names that suggest a link to government, or that closely copy a well-known business, are the ones most likely to fail. If you would rather not wait for a name at all, the company can be registered under its registration number and renamed later.
A registered office address
Every company needs a physical address in South Africa as its registered office. It goes onto the public register, so anyone can look it up. Many small companies use a home address, which is fine, as long as you are comfortable with it being public.
The share split and beneficial owners
Decide how many shares each shareholder holds before you register. It sounds obvious, but it is the question that most often stops a registration halfway, because partners have not actually agreed.
You will also need the details of the beneficial owners, the people who ultimately own or control the company. For most small companies these are simply the shareholders, but the declaration still has to be lodged with CIPC after registration.
Contact details for each director
Have a working email address and cellphone number for every director. They are used for CIPC correspondence, and later for setting up the company’s SARS eFiling profile.
What you will need soon after registration
Registration is only the start. Within the first weeks, most new companies also need:
- A bank confirmation letter once the business account is open, in the registered company name.
- The public officer’s details for SARS. A company needs a public officer before it can file anything on eFiling.
- Proof of address, which SARS and the banks usually ask for when you register or update details.
- Your registration documents: the registration certificate, the Memorandum of Incorporation and the share certificates, kept together where you can find them.
A checklist to keep
- Certified ID or passport copy for every director
- Four company names, in order of preference
- Registered office address
- Shareholding agreed, and beneficial owners identified
- Email and cellphone number for every director
- After registration: bank confirmation letter, public officer details and proof of address
Not sure you have everything?
A photo on WhatsApp is fine to start with. Send us what you have, and we will tell you what is missing before anything is lodged with CIPC. Essa & Company is an independent private business service provider, not CIPC or SARS.
Our Starter Package is R650. See company registration, or message us on WhatsApp.
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