Company Registration in South Africa

The company registration cost varies depending on the type of company that you want to register, the number and nationality of the shareholders and directors. Contact us for more details.

Company registration in South Africa can be confusing. Here are the most common entity types in South Africa.

Branch Company – This is also referred to as an external company. This is a company that is duly registered in another country and now has the intention to setup in South Africa. Such a company is mandated by law to register with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) within 20 business days after it first begins to conduct activities within South Africa

Private companies – These companies are otherwise known as proprietary and they normally have ‘(Proprietary) Limited’ or ‘(Pty) Ltd.’ after their name. These companies are required to have at least one director, must limit transferability of shares to the public, and limit the number of shareholders to 50.

Personal liability – These Company types are registered by professionals such as accountants, engineers and lawyers. Once registered, the entity’s name is followed by ‘Inc.’ or ‘Incorporated’. The Company must have at least one director and directors of these companies (whether past or present) are jointly and severally liable for any debts and liabilities incurred by the company.

Public Companies – These companies are allowed to offer their shares to the public and the company is usually managed by a board of directors appointed by the shareholders. Once registered, the company’s name is followed by ‘Limited’ or ‘Ltd.’. The minimum number of shareholders is 7 and there is no limit on the maximum.

The requirements for Business setup in south Africa includes the following

• – Proposed names of the company
• – Activities the business will be involved in
• – Physical and postal Address of the company
• – Stated Capital
• – Email address and telephone number for the company.
• – Notarized travel passport copy of the directors and shareholders

Within a maximum of 15 days, the business set up process is complete. Business set up in the unregulated industries would take less days to setup.

It is not mandatory for you to apply for a visa if at all you will not be residing and working in South Africa. The requirement for a business Visa only comes into play if you would like to work physically in South Africa.