How to Register a Company on CIPC

A complete, up-to-date guide to registering a private company (Pty Ltd) with CIPC in South Africa — the two portals (BizPortal vs eServices), costs, documents, the full step-by-step, SARS and beneficial-ownership duties, and what to do after you're registered.

Fees, links, and screens change. The official sources are linked inline and listed at the bottom — confirm current details on CIPC or BizPortal before you rely on them. Prefer to talk it through? Tap Ask on this site.

This pairs with Choosing a Business Bank Account in South Africa (you'll need one in the company's name) and the maker guides The Money Side of Selling Clothes You Make and Getting Opportunities for Your Clothing Design Talent.

What this is

How to register a private company (a "(Pty) Ltd") with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission () in South Africa. Since old Close Corporations (CCs) can no longer be newly registered, a private company is the standard route today.

Why it matters

A registered company lets you:

Open a bank account in the business's name and look professional to clients.
Register on the Central Supplier Database (CSD) and bid for government tenders.
Sign bigger contracts, apply for funding, and build something that outlives a single person.

You don't need a company to start selling — a sole proprietor can trade today (see the bank account guide). Register when you're going bigger.

Two ways to register

	BizPortal (recommended)	CIPC eServices
Speed	Fastest — bundles several steps	A bit more manual
Bonus	Can also do tax, a business bank account, , certificate in one flow	Company registration only
Best for	Most first-time founders	People who want the classic portal

For most people, start at BizPortal — it links to Home Affairs to verify your ID and can register you for tax and a bank account at the same time.

What it costs

Item	Approx. fee
Name reservation	R50
Company registration (online)	R125 (with a reserved name)
Register without choosing a name yet	about R125 total
Manual / paper filing	higher (~R175)

So a typical new company is roughly R125–R175 all-in. Fee guide: CIPC forms & fees and the 2026 CIPC registration guide.

Watch out: agents who charge R1,000+ for what CIPC does for ~R125. Doing it yourself on BizPortal is simple. Only pay a pro if you genuinely want help.

What you need before you start

A South African ID number (the portal verifies it against Home Affairs in real time) or a CIPC customer code
Each director's ID number and details
Spouse details if married in community of property
A cellphone number and email that can receive OTPs
A physical street address for the registered office (not a PO Box)
A payment method to load the fee

Step by step

Create your profile on BizPortal (or CIPC eServices) — enter your ID; it verifies against Home Affairs.
Load funds / pay the fee (CIPC works on a deposit/credit system).
Choose a company name — propose up to 4 names, or register first and name it later. CIPC checks the name isn't taken.
Enter company details — directors' IDs, the registered address, and financial year-end.
Sign the documents — you'll get forms (e.g. CoR14.1, CoR15.1) to sign and upload, with certified ID copies.
Approval — usually 24–48 hours. CIPC emails your CoR14.3 registration certificate with your company registration number.
Get your tax number — registration auto-registers you for Income Tax; emails your tax reference number (confirm on SARS eFiling). To set up your profile and claim business expenses, see Registering for Tax on SARS eFiling.

After you're registered (don't skip these)

Open a business bank account in the company's name → see Choosing a Business Bank Account.
File your Beneficial Ownership register with CIPC — listing everyone who owns/controls the company. This is now a legal requirement and must be kept updated. See CIPC beneficial ownership.
Stay tax compliant — tenders need a valid Tax Compliance Status (TCS) PIN from SARS.
Get a certificate or affidavit — a sworn affidavit is free for small businesses (EME) and is often needed for tenders and bigger clients.
Register on the CSD to bid for government tenders.
File your CIPC Annual Return every year (around your registration anniversary) — miss it and CIPC can deregister your company.

Things to watch out for

Keep your email and cellphone current — CIPC and SARS send everything there.
The Annual Return is easy to forget; a deregistered company can lose its bank account and contracts.
Beneficial ownership filing is not optional anymore — keep it updated when directors/owners change.
Beware third parties who overcharge for simple CIPC steps.

Where to learn more

CIPC official website — registration, forms, fees, beneficial ownership
BizPortal — register company + tax + bank account in one place
SARS / eFiling — tax registration and compliance
Central Supplier Database (CSD) — to bid for tenders
A future companion article on this shelf: How to find and win a .