A private company may not offer shares to the public and restrictions are also placed on the transferability of their shares. Private companies must have at least one director and one incorporator. The director and incorporator may be the same person. The word “person” includes a juristic entity. This means that a legal entity or a trust may be an incorporator of a new company. Most private companies are owner-managed and tend to have a smaller number of directors.
All companies must have a Memorandum of Incorporation (MOI) which sets out the rules agreed to by the shareholders for the management and maintenance of the business. Private companies may be registered with a standard or a customised MOI. The standard MOI is provided by law and is integrated into the company registration process (click here to preview a standard MOI). A customised or non-standard MOI allows shareholders to impose certain conditions or waive certain requirements, such as an audit requirement. Such MOIs must be attached to the applications and may require the assistance of a legally qualified person or someone with company secretarial knowledge.
A Private Company with a standard MOI may be registered on-line, at a self-service terminal or through collaborating banks. Click here to view a guide on how to register a private company at the Self-help Service Terminals.
Click here for step by step guide for new company registration via E-Services.
Click here for the CIPC service standards. Service Standard is dependent on payment for the transaction being made.
For enquiry send an email to:
Checklist for registration of a private company with standard MOI:
To be able to transact with CIPC, one needs to register as a customer on the e-services website. Once registered, a virtual account is created in the customer name. Registering as a customer is a once-off process. Keep your customer code and password safe for use when transacting with us.
Click here to register as a customer.
You may also follow a step-by-step guide.
Funds may be deposited into the CIPC bank account. Customers are urged to only deposit funds that are required for the transaction. Bulk deposits are discouraged. A customer code must be used as a reference for funds to be allocated accordingly.
New e-service transaction accept card payments only
| Service | Fee |
|---|---|
| Name reservation | R50 |
| Private company with standard MOI; Non-profit company without members and with standard MOI or Co-operative |
R125 |
| Private company with customised MOI; Personal liability company; Public company; State owned company; Non-profit company without member and with customised MOI or Non-profit company without member and with customised MOI | R425 |
| External company | R400 |
| Domestication of a foreign company | R100 |
Bank details
| Bank name |
ABSA |
| Account Type: | Transmission Account |
| Account Name: | CIPC |
| Account Number: | 4055 68 1017 |
| Branch Name: | Van der Walt Street |
| Payment Reference: | CUSTOMER CODE |
For more information about name reservations click here. Any for-profit company may be registered with or without a company name. If a reserved name is not included in the initial application, the company will be registered with its enterprise number. A name may be added at a later stage through a company name change (amendment of MOI). A company name change requires an approved name reservation and a special resolution to effect a change to the Memorandum of Incorporation (MOI).
Available Platforms for name reservations:
- New E-services – www.cipc.co.za / Online Transacting / New E-services
- BizPortal – www.bizportal.gov.za
- CIPC Mobile App
- Self Service Terminal
- Banks (as part of company registration process)
- Associated name reservations or names requiring supporting documentation
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - e-Services – www.cipc.co.za / Online Transacting / e-Services
Click here for the CIPC service standards. Service Standard is dependent on payment for the transaction being made.
Click here to log an enquiry (only after the indicated service standard has lapsed).
Name transfer
An approved name may be transferred to another customer, provided that it has not yet been assigned to an existing entity and it is still valid. Only the owner of the customer code that was used to initially reserve the name can transfer such name to another customer.
Click here to apply for name reservation and/or to transfer the ownership of the reserved name.
Defensive name
To apply for a defensive name click here
