Company Registration

What you need to know

Do you want to register a company in South Africa?  SwiftReg has designed a quick and easy way for you to complete the company registration process.
This page will enable you to register a (Pty) Ltd which is the most widely used company type for private businesses in South Africa.   It trades for profit and is a separate legal entity to its Shareholders. If you`re looking to register companies in South Africa, this is the standard choice.

Each company is required to have a minimum of 1 Director and 1 Shareholder and a valid physical South African street address. This is a key step in the business registration process.

You will need to provide 4 company name options for your application.  This is important when you register a business or register business in South Africa, as availability needs to be checked.

For company registration in South Africa, you`ll need to ensure you have all the necessary documents ready for new company registration as well as the details for each of your Directors and Shareholders.

Please note that if you come to a place during the company registration process, where some of the information is not immediately available, don`t worry as we automatically save every page of data for you.  All your information will be found under the `My purchases` option, that is available after login.

Good to know

Our price for company registration includes 1 Director and 1 Shareholder. Add R100 for each additional Director and each additional Shareholder



Price :  From R590
How long does it take?   2-5 Days


Call Centre
021 595 4433

Email
info@swiftreg.co.za

WhatsApp
060 070 2089

Frequently Asked Questions

What do I need to register a company?

You will need a valid identity document for all Directors; a South African Department of Home Affairs issued ID card or green ID book  or a valid foreign passport. 

For Directors you will need full details, such as residential and postal address, cellphone numbers and email addresses for company registration.

For Shareholders, you will need the residential address and full ID numbers. ID books are not required here unless they are also a Director.

For foreign nationals; if you do not reside in South Africa, the company is required to have a South African physical registered address. 

Currently asylum seekers are excluded from company registration. 

What is a director? What is a shareholder? Can they be the same person?

A Director runs the company; the Shareholder owns the company and they can be the same person. Minors (people under 18) may not be Directors of companies but they may be Shareholders.  We do not recommend having minors as Shareholders during company registration,  as they do have functions to perform such as the appointing of Directors.    Please note that during the company registration process all of their details, will have to be available.

Can Foreign Nationals be Directors and/or Shareholders during Company Registration?

Yes, provided that they have valid passports and that the company has a physical South African address.

Can I change my company name or Director/s after it has been registered

Yes, absolutely.  Depending on what you would like to do, you can change pretty much everything on a company after its registered as long as you follow the correct procedure.  It is important to advise CIPC of any changes to your company such as address, financial year end and any Director changes.  

How long does it take for company registration?

This is entirely dependent on CIPC and what their current turnaround time is.  Sometimes it can take a day but it usually doesn’t take longer than a week.   Most (Pty) Ltds are processed within a week from submission. 

What documents will I get when the company is registered?

We will send you all of your documents in a PDF format via email. They are; CoR 14.3 (Company Registration Certificate), CoR 14.1 (Notice of Incorporation), CoR 14.1A (Notice of Directors), CoR 15.1A (Memorandum of Incorporation), Share Certificates, Minutes of the Inaugural Meeting, FICA complaint Shareholders Declaration.  These are all the documents you will need to open a business bank account for your company.

What is a Juristic Person?

A juristic person is a legal entity which has the same rights and judicial capacities as  a natural person.  Some examples are a Company or a Trust.

What are Annual Returns?

Annual returns are a tax levied by CIPC for your company to remain registered with CIPC and comply with company law.  Each year on the anniversary of your company’s registration the annual returns are due even if your company did not trade or made a loss.  The annual returns dues are calculated on annual turnover.  If you fail to settle your annual returns, penalties will be levied against the company.  If the annual returns and penalties continue to remain outstanding, CIPC may start a Deregistration process.  This is the point when bank accounts are frozen and fixed properties become assets of the lender.  You may be able to restore the company if you are still trading.  This is a time consuming and costly process which is best avoided.  

What is a Limited Power of Attorney (LPOA)?

A limited power of attorney is used on a one time basis to complete a specific task.  The agent (the person to who the power of attorney is given) can only complete the specific task for which the limited power of attorney has been identified and has no authority to act on behalf of the principal other than what is assigned to them in the limited power of attorney. Once the transaction is completed, the limited power of attorney ceases.

Why do I need to register my company?

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. 

21,3K
Subscribers
4.8
672 Reviews

Company Registration Process

Step 1

Here you will need to give us your four name options. When providing us with different options, please don`t rehash the same name. Doing so could result in all four of your options being rejected. Its also advisable having something in the name that indicates what you are doing. Eg Peters Shoe Manufacturing rather than Peters Company Registration Step 1

Step 2

Capture the address details of your company. You will need business and postal address. Company Registration Step 2

Step 3

Specify the names of your Directors and Shareholders. You will also need to tell us how many shares to give to each of your shareholders. SwiftReg always uses 1200 shares at it handles most shareholder choices. You will need to divide your 1200 shares between your shareholders. So if you have 3 shareholders with equal shareholding then they will each receive 400 shares. Company Registration Step 3

Step 4

Here you need to specify the full details of the directors and shareholders for your company registration, including addresses and emails and cellphones for the directors Company Registration Step 4

Step 5

Payment. Here you will need to choose to pay either through Credit Card or EFT. SwiftReg uses PAYGATE which is the largest service provider in South Africa Company Registration Step 5

Step 6

Upload your documents. We will need you to upload all the directors identity documents. Also an LPOA for us to be able to register your company on your behalf Company Registration Step 6
Copyright Swiftreg 2025
Terms and Conditions