Company formation · South Africa
Company registration in South Africa
Register a South African company from our group headquarters in Johannesburg. CIPC registration, the MOI, the beneficial ownership filing, SARS activation and the payroll registrations — done in the order and the deadlines the law actually sets.
Our office
Johannesburg — group HQ
Common vehicle
Private company (Pty) Ltd
Registrar
CIPC
Then
SARS · UIF · COIDA
What is included
What we carry for you in South Africa
CIPC registration
Company registration with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission, with or without a reserved name.
Memorandum of Incorporation
The standard MOI, or a customised one where your shareholding needs specific provisions.
Beneficial ownership filing
The declaration identifying the natural persons who ultimately own or control the company — due within days of incorporation.
SARS activation
Activating the tax profile, appointing the public officer and registering the tax types the business needs.
Payroll registrations
PAYE, UIF, the Skills Development Levy where the payroll threshold applies, and COIDA after the first hire.
Ongoing compliance
Annual returns, income tax returns and the beneficial ownership updates that follow any change.
How it works
How a mandate runs
Step 01
Structure
Vehicle, shareholding, directors and whether a customised MOI is warranted.
Step 02
Register
CIPC registration and the registration certificate, with the name reserved if you want a specific one.
Step 03
Comply
Beneficial ownership filing, SARS activation and public officer appointment — all on short statutory clocks.
Step 04
Operate
Payroll registrations, banking support and the annual compliance calendar.
Local context
How registration in South Africa actually works
A South African private company is registered with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC). A name may be reserved first, or the company may be registered without one and receive an automatic registration number. The company adopts a Memorandum of Incorporation — the standard form is free, while a customised MOI carries an additional fee and is worth it where the shareholding needs specific provisions.
The clocks that catch people out
- Beneficial ownership — the declaration identifying the natural persons who ultimately own or control the company must be filed within days of incorporation. Miss it and banking and tender submissions get blocked.
- Public officer — SARS requires one to be appointed; the tax reference number issued at registration is not the same as an active tax profile.
- COIDA — registration with the Compensation Fund follows within days of the first employee.
Then the payroll registrations
Employing anyone triggers PAYE. The Unemployment Insurance Fund takes a contribution from employee and employer alike, and the Skills Development Levy applies once annual payroll passes the statutory threshold. VAT registration becomes compulsory above the turnover threshold and is available voluntarily well below it.
None of this is difficult in isolation. What causes trouble is the sequence and the deadlines — which is what we manage.
Thresholds, rates and turnaround times at CIPC and SARS change. We confirm the current position for your case rather than publishing figures that may already be stale.
From our headquarters
- Johannesburg is our head office
- Registration, tax and payroll under one counterpart
- EOR available if you would rather not register yet
- Southern African expansion from the same desk
- Telephone: +27 67 386 6383
Why Horizon
Our headquarters, which changes what we can do here
South Africa is where the group is run from, so a South African mandate is executed by the same office that oversees the rest of the network. We carry South Africa through establishment, workforce, procurement and freight under one agreement.
Group headquarters in Johannesburg
The senior team is here. Escalation does not cross a time zone, and decisions about your file are taken in the same building.
The full statutory set, not only the registration
CIPC, SARS, PAYE, UIF, SDL and COIDA are handled as one sequence, because a company registered without them cannot lawfully pay anyone.
The gateway for the region
Most groups entering Southern Africa establish here first. We build the structure so Angola, Mozambique and the corridor markets can hang off it later.
Common questions
Company formation in South Africa
How is a company registered in South Africa?
Through the CIPC. You may reserve a name first or register without one and take the automatic registration number. The company adopts a Memorandum of Incorporation — standard or customised — and receives its registration certificate and a tax reference number.
What has to happen immediately after registration?
The beneficial ownership declaration, identifying the natural persons who ultimately own or control the company, is due within days. The SARS profile has to be activated and a public officer appointed — the tax reference issued at registration is not an active tax profile. Both are frequent stumbling blocks.
Which registrations do we need before hiring?
PAYE for employees’ tax, UIF with contributions from both sides, the Skills Development Levy once annual payroll passes the threshold, and registration with the Compensation Fund under COIDA within days of the first employee.
When do we have to register for VAT?
Registration becomes compulsory once taxable supplies exceed the statutory turnover threshold in a twelve-month period, and voluntary registration is available at a much lower level. We confirm the current thresholds when we scope the registration, since they are periodically revised.
Can a foreign company or foreign directors own a South African company?
Yes. What needs planning is the documentation for non-resident directors and shareholders, the banking process and the public officer appointment. We sequence those together rather than discovering them one at a time.
Should we register a company or use an Employer of Record first?
If you only need people on the ground, an EOR is faster and lighter. If you need to contract locally, invoice locally, tender or hold assets, you need the entity. Many clients start on EOR and convert — we run both, so the advice is not driven by which service we happen to sell.
Begin with the objective. We will map the route.
Describe the South African operation you need — an entity, a payroll, a supply chain, or the regional structure behind all three — and we return the model and the sequence.