About registering a public company

Raises capital on the open market by registering your business as a public company.

A public company is a company that can offer its registered securities (stock, bonds, shares, etc.) for sale to the general public, typically through a stock exchange. Occasionally, the stock of a public company is traded over the counter (OTC) via market makers who use non-exchange quotation services.

You must register your public company with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC).
Public companies must at all times have at least three directors (unless the Memorandum of Incorporation (MOI) indicated a higher minimum number of directors), three audit committee members (unless the Memorandum of Incorporation (MOI) indicated a higher minimum number of audit committee members), one juristic or natural company secretary that must be resident in the Republic and one juristic or natural auditor.  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.
 
Exceptions would be cases where the Memorandum of Incorporation (MOI) allows for a higher number of directors or audit committee members.

The name of a public company must end with the word “Limited” or its abbreviation “Ltd”.

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 you submit your application manually and R50 if you file electronically.  
• A name reservation is valid for six months. 
• Complete and submit the following (The following must be filed): 
• CoR15.1B or Unique MOI
• CoR 14.1
  

• 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 (The following may be filed): 
• 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.     d an auditor

How long does it take

• It takes between five and ten working days to reserve a name for a company.
• It may take five to ten working days to register a public company.
  

How much does it cost

• Name Reservation (CoR 9.1)
• R50 for electronic filing OR 
• R75 for manual filing
  

• Memorandum of Incorporation (CoR 15.1B) - R475

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.)

• CoR15.1B
• CoR 14.1
• The following may be filed with CoR15.1B
• CoR14.1 Annexure A
• CoR14.1 Annexure B 
• CoR14.1 Annexure C 
• CoR14.1 Annexure D
• 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.
  

Who to contact

National office
Tel: 086 100 2472
City/town: Pretoria
Province: Gauteng
Physical address: 77 Meintjies Street, Block F, Sunnyside, Pretoria, 0001
Postal address: P.O. Box 429, Pretoria, 0001
Web address: www.cipc.co.za/Home