BizPortal is the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission’s paperless online platform for registering a South African company and completing selected related services. It connects company registration with services from CIPC, SARS, UIF, the Compensation Fund, the B-BBEE Commission, banks and other partners.
If you only need a standard private company and your details are straightforward, BizPortal can be the quickest direct route. If the ownership structure, Memorandum of Incorporation or supporting documents are more complex, get advice before filing.
What can you do on BizPortal?
The public BizPortal service page lists:
New company registration
Automatic SARS income-tax registration for new companies
UIF and Compensation Fund registration where the company has employees
B-BBEE certificates for qualifying exempted micro enterprises
.co.za domain registration
Business-bank-account applications with participating banks
Selected CIPC updates and BizProfile services
Not every business will need every service. Registering a company does not automatically mean you should register for VAT, PAYE or UIF; those obligations depend on turnover, employees and the way the business operates.
What does BizPortal cost?
| Service | Public BizPortal price |
|---|---|
| Company registration without a reserved name | R125 |
| Company registration including a name | R175 |
| UIF registration | No BizPortal fee |
| Compensation Fund registration | No BizPortal fee |
| Qualifying B-BBEE certificate | No BizPortal fee |
The R175 option combines the registration with a company name. CIPC’s separate fee schedule states that an online name reservation is R50. These are government-platform fees, not the fee a professional service provider may charge to prepare, check and manage the application.
How long does it take?
BizPortal advertises one-day company registration, subject to its terms. CIPC’s 2026/27 service standards are maximum processing targets for most complete and accurate filings—not a guarantee for every application.
Allow extra time where a proposed name is rejected, identity details do not match, payment is not correctly allocated, the application needs resubmission, or the CIPC system is experiencing high volumes.
BizPortal or professional help?
Use BizPortal directly when the filing is standard and you are comfortable checking the result yourself. Professional help is useful when there are foreign shareholders, trusts, a customised MOI, unusual share rights, several founders, or uncertainty about tax and employment registrations.
Frequently asked questions
Is BizPortal the same as CIPC? BizPortal is a platform developed by CIPC. It provides selected CIPC services and connects to participating partner services.
Does BizPortal register a company for tax? The platform states that new companies are automatically registered with SARS for income tax. VAT, PAYE and other registrations have separate qualifying rules.
Do I need documents to register? BizPortal advertises its standard registration process as paperless. More complex structures or later services may still require supporting information.
Register correctly the first time
Smartbook handles the CIPC filing, checks the company details and helps you understand the registrations that come next.
Last reviewed: 31 August 2026. General guidance, not advice on your circumstances.
Primary sources: BizPortal · CIPC turnaround times · CIPC fees