Company Registration

There are a number of reasons to register a company for your business.  One of the most important is limited liability which is the concept of separating your personal assets with those of the company.  In the event of someone suing the company, the personal assets of the owners are protected by the limited liability. 

Registering a company also lends credibility and legitimacy to the business.  Many government departments and funders require that the company is registered for tenders and financing. A registered company will also signal credibility and build trust with a customer base. 

A limited power of attorney (LPOA) and a special power of attorney (SPOA) are often used interchangeably, but there`s a subtle difference: both grant an agent authority to act on behalf of the principal in specific matters, but a limited power of attorney typically refers to authority confined by scope (e.g., handling one financial account), while a special power of attorney is often confined by purpose or event (e.g., selling a specific property during a set period). In practice, both authorize narrow, predefined actions, but “special” emphasizes the purpose, and “limited” emphasizes the extent of authority.

We do not offer VAT-registered shelf companies for two key reasons: cost and legal compliance.

1. Higher Cost and Delays
   Shelf companies are generally more expensive and time-consuming than registering a new company. Once purchased, a shelf company still requires several changes, including:
• Updating the company name
• Appointing new directors
• Changing the registered address
• Appointing a public officer
• Transferring share ownership

These administrative steps can cause unnecessary delays and frustration. In contrast, registering a new company is faster, more affordable, and provides a clean slate for business operations.

2. Legal and Compliance Issues with VAT Registration
   It is not legally compliant to offer a dormant company that is already VAT-registered. SARS (South African Revenue Service) requires proof that a company is actively trading before it can be VAT-registered — including a valid business bank account and a minimum turnover of R50,000. Attempting to maintain or transfer a dormant VAT-registered company may be viewed as fraudulent and could result in penalties or the rejection of the VAT registration by SARS.

For these reasons, we believe that registering a new company is the most efficient, cost-effective, and compliant option for our clients.

We are able to assist you to register  a company in South africa providing the following requirements are fulfilled;

 1. You will need a valid South African street address which will be used as your registered company address; post box addresses will be rejected.   (We are unable to assist with supplying this registered addresses, however you can always open a virutal office using companies such as Regus or Cube Workstace )

2. All Directors need a current and valid passport as CIPC (The South African Company Registrar) does not accept Refugee Status nor Asylum Seekers.

3. The Directors need to be present in South African to open a bank account to comply with FICA requirements, which require a proof of address.   (We are unable to offer this service)

 If you haven’t already, please take a look at the YouTube video I have made on this topic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0naw81vppY

 Should you have the above requirements, we recommend you use our website.

The cost is from R590 for the first director and shareholder thereafter R100 per shareholder and R100 per director. The service includes all the supporting documentation which will enable you to open a bank account in your new company’s name. The company tax registration with SARS is automatically included.

The processing time depends on CIPC (currently CIPC is taking 5 working days).   I would recommend having a scanner and a printer available as the registration process requires documents to be printed signed and emailed back to us.

Due to the South African foreign exchange controls and the high banking costs charged to us we do not accept EFTs from foreign banks (this includes transfers from Namibia).  All foreign payments must be via the Master Card or VISA credit card facility on the site.