Name reservation
We reserve and confirm your company name with CIPC, and help you pick a backup in case your first choice is taken.
CIPC company registration
Register your company with CIPC, the easy way.
We register your private company (Pty Ltd) with CIPC end-to-end — name reservation, MOI, share certificates and director details — and hand you a ready-to-trade business. No queues, no jargon, no guesswork.
What you get
- CIPC name reservation and approval
- Registered Pty (Ltd) with MOI and COR documents
- Share certificates and director details on record
- Free beneficial ownership filing included
From
R880
Turnaround
2–5 days
For
South African founders starting a private company (Pty Ltd)
Registering a company with CIPC is the first real step to trading legally in South Africa — but the process trips people up. Name reservations get rejected, the Memorandum of Incorporation has to be right, share allocations must be documented, and beneficial ownership now has to be filed from day one. Miss a step and you're stuck when the bank asks for documents you don't have.
Smartbook handles the whole registration end-to-end. You send us your details once, we deal with CIPC, and you get a ready-to-trade company pack — the certificate, MOI, share certificates and beneficial ownership filing — organised and ready to open a bank account and sign clients.
When you need this
Register a Pty (Ltd) when you want to:
- Trade legally and sign contracts under a registered business
- Open a business bank account in the company's name
- Bid for tenders or invoice corporate and government clients
- Separate your personal liability from the business
- Bring on shareholders or co-founders with documented shares
What's included
Full CIPC registration
Your Pty (Ltd) is registered with a standard Memorandum of Incorporation and an official Registration Certificate (COR 14.3).
Share certificates
Share allocation is set up correctly and issued so ownership is properly documented from day one.
Director details
Directors are loaded correctly against the company, with ID and contact details recorded as CIPC requires.
Beneficial ownership
We file your beneficial ownership register with CIPC at registration — a requirement many owners miss.
Ready-to-trade pack
You receive every document neatly organised and ready to open a bank account, sign contracts and invoice.
How it works
Send us your details
Share your preferred company name, director details and shareholding. We confirm everything before we file.
We register with CIPC
Our team reserves the name, lodges the registration and files your beneficial ownership — and keeps you updated throughout.
You're ready to trade
We hand over your full company pack so you can open a bank account, sign clients and start invoicing right away.
What we need from you
Have these ready and we can file quickly.
- Your preferred company name and one or two backups
- Certified ID copy for each director
- How the shares should be split between shareholders
- An email address and contact number for the company
- A registered business address
Common questions
How long does company registration take?
Most registrations are completed within 2 to 5 working days once we have your details and the name is approved. Name approval is usually the only variable, and we help you choose names likely to be accepted quickly.
What do you need from me to get started?
Your preferred company name (and a backup), the ID details of each director, and how the shares should be split. That's enough for us to handle the entire CIPC filing for you.
Is beneficial ownership really included?
Yes. CIPC now requires most companies to keep a beneficial ownership register. We file it as part of your registration at no extra cost, so you start fully compliant.
Can you help after the company is registered?
Definitely. We also handle annual returns, director and share changes, and SARS tax registrations — so your company stays compliant long after it's set up.
Do I need to register for tax as well?
Your company is automatically registered for income tax at CIPC registration. If you need VAT, PAYE or UIF, we can register those with SARS for you too.
Related services
Last reviewed: June 2026. Smartbook keeps this page current with CIPC and SARS rules.
Ready to get this sorted?
Tell us about your company and we'll send a free compliance check.
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