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Application to register a private company 

About registering a Private Company

Register your business as a private company with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) to prevent your company’s shares from being traded on the open market.

A private company is not allowed to offer securities to the public and is also restricted from transferring its shares. The membership of a private company is not limited to 50 people.   
                                                                                                                                                                                  
The board of a private company must comprise of at least one director, or any other minimum number as set out in its Memorandum of Incorporation (MOI). Each incorporator is a first director of the company. The company has an option of deciding whether to appoint an auditor or not.
 
Registered private companies are granted Proprietary Limited or "(Pty) Ltd” status.

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What you should do

  • Register online as a customer with CIPC so that you can transact with CIPC or register through an existing customer e.g. ask your accountant to register for you.
  • Reserve a company name by completing the Application to Reserve a Name, Form CoR 9.1.  Pay a filing fee of R75 if you submit your application manually and R50 if you file electronically.    
  • A name reservation is valid for six months.

Note: You can register a company without a name reservation.   The registration number becomes the name of the company at incorporation, until such time as an appropriate name has been reserved/approved.

  • Complete the following forms and hand deliver them to CIPC or submit them electronically: If you are registering a standard private company with default requirements, submit the following:
  • Notice of Incorporation (CoR 14.1) 
  • Memorandum of Incorporation (MOI) (CoR 15.1 A) or Cor 15.1B or Unique MOI
  • Submit the following supporting documents with your application: 
    • certified passport copies (if foreign national) or certified Identify Document (ID) copies (if South African) of all indicated initial directors and incorporators 
    • a certified ID copy of the applicant if the application is not made by one of the indicated initial directors or incorporators 
    • if an incorporator is a juristic person, then a power of attorney for the representative authorised by such juristic person to incorporate the company and sign all related documents 
    • if another person incorporates the company and signs all related documents to the incorporation on behalf of any or all of the incorporators and initial directors, a power of attorney and a certified ID copy of such a person is required 
    • if a name was reserved before the filing of incorporation documents, then a valid name reservation document.
  • Submit the following with the CoR15.1B:
    • CoR14.1 Annexure A 
    • CoR14.1 Annexure B  if  you did not reserve a name before filing of a CoR15.1A, but the incorporators elect to apply for a name reservation with incorporation documents
  • If registering a customised private company, submit the following:
    • Notice of Incorporation (CoR 14.1) 
    • Memorandum of Incorporation (MOI) (CoR 15.1 A) 
    • Supporting documents.
  • Submit the following with the CoR15.1B:
    • CoR14.1 Annexure A (if  the initial directors of a company have already been appointed before incorporation and they are not the same as the incorporators; or 
      • one or more of the incorporators  of a company is a juristic person(s) and the count of natural incorporators (first directors) is below the minimum 1 director as required by the Act, or the minimum number of directors specified on the CoR15.1A
    • CoR14.1 Annexure B if you did not reserve a name before filing of a CoR15.1A, but the incorporators elect to apply for a name reservation with incorporation documents
    • CoR14.1 Annexure C if ring fencing conditions are applicable        
    • CoR14.1 Annexure D if you have appointed an auditor.

Please note: If a proposed name is rejected, the company may still be registered and the registration number then becomes the name of your company at incorporation, until such time as an appropriate name is reserved or approved.     

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How long does it take

  • It takes between five and ten working days to reserve a name for a company.
  • It may take between five and ten working days to register a private company.
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How much does it cost

  • R175  - Memorandum of Incorporation (Subject to allowed reduction).
  • R50 - for electronic name reservation. 
  • R75 - for manual filing of name reservation.
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Forms to complete

(Forms are provided in PDF format. To open PDF documents, you need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader 4 or higher installed on your computer.)
If the CoR14.1 Annexure D is not filed at incorporation, a CoR44 must be filed within 40 business days after incorporation to notify the CIPC of the details of such officials.
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Please select one option:

 

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