Registering a company with CIPC is the first of five steps before a new company is ready to trade.
Step 1 — Register the company with CIPC
You register a private company ((Pty) Ltd) through the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission. You'll reserve a name (or trade under the registration number initially), file the incorporation documents, and appoint at least one director. You then receive your registration number and incorporation certificate, which banks and suppliers ask for.
Step 2 — Register with SARS
Company registration automatically registers the company for income tax. Depending on your business you may also need to register as an employer for PAYE/UIF/SDL before your first pay run, for VAT (compulsory from R2.3 million of taxable supplies, voluntary from R120,000), and with the Compensation Fund if you'll employ anyone.
Step 3 — Open a business bank account
Do this immediately, even as a solo founder. A company is a separate legal person. Keeping its money separate from yours preserves the liability protection that comes with incorporating.
Step 4 — File your beneficial ownership declaration
Companies must declare who ultimately owns or controls them to CIPC and keep that register current. It is a newer requirement under South Africa's anti-money-laundering reforms. CIPC will not process the annual return of a company that has not filed it.
Step 5 — Diarise the annual deadlines
From year one your company owes a CIPC annual return in its anniversary month, annual financial statements, an ITR14, provisional tax twice a year, and — with staff — monthly EMP201s. Each has a fixed deadline, and late filing brings penalties.
Our company set-up service
We handle CIPC registration, SARS registrations, the beneficial ownership declaration and the compliance calendar as one package. Our full starting a Pty Ltd guide has more detail, or see our company services.