Process of Business Registration in South Africa

In either of the job application scenarios or a foreign company that creates branches in South Africa and establishes a local unit, it is necessary to complete the South African business registration process for Pty Ltd.

Reservation of the Business Name

Before Pty Ltd is registered, the desired name must be approved and saved. Suggested names (up to three) are checked with the name registrar because they do not have a similar or comparative name and the proposed name is not offensive. The registration office then confirms the reservation of the name, which is valid for 2 months.

Private Company Ltd Incorporation

Only when the proposed name is approved and preserved can the actual registration of the company be processed. The newly created company is then assigned a registration number.

Pty Lyd's registration forms are:

Encounter (cf. 14.1):
Statute (CoR 15.1 A-E)

In addition, registration must be agreed with the competent authorities:

Revenue recipient responsible for income tax, income tax, value added tax (VAT);
Unemployment Insurance Fund (UFI);
Regional Service Council (R.S.C.).

Other authorities that may require registration are local regulatory authorities and / or health authorities.

If changes are made to the registered closed corporation, a CIPC notification is required. Changes may include, for example, participation or changes in the accountant or postal address of Pty Ltd. Accordingly.

It is advisable to think carefully about the choice of name, as there are no other changes to the name after the registration.