Last updated: 13 November 2026
Registering a company takes days. Running it correctly takes years. Most of the problems we fix for clients don’t come from the registration itself. They come from what was, or wasn’t, decided around it: the structure, the directors, the tax set-up, the Public Officer, the bank account and the annual filings. Our packages start with a consultation so you decide with the full picture. Below are the questions overseas owners ask us most.
Yes. Owning a South African company does not require a work permit or residency. What you can do inside the business, such as working in it, is a separate question, and we advise on it in your consultation.
No, you don’t need a local director to form the company. We will still advise whether a local partner would help with funding, tenders or permits, so you decide on purpose and don’t default.
Yes. A non-resident can hold all the shares. How you structure ownership affects tax, banking and future funding, so we map it out before anything is filed.
Yes, many of our clients do. Running it from abroad still requires a local compliance presence, such as a Public Officer (see “What is a Public Officer, and does my company need one?” below), and your tax position needs careful structuring.
A branch, registered as an external company, is an extension of your foreign parent company, so the parent carries the liability and the reporting. A subsidiary is a separate South African (Pty) Ltd with its own legal personality and limited liability, which usually makes banking, contracting and tenders simpler. The right choice depends on your liability exposure, tax position and what the parent company's home country requires. We map this out with you during the consultation before anything is filed.
No. As the sole shareholder and sole director, no new shares can be issued and no existing shares can be transferred without your own written resolution. Every registration includes a standard Memorandum of Incorporation (MOI). If you want extra protections written into it, such as restrictions on share transfers so the company stays fully independent of any other business, local or foreign, we customise the MOI as a separate service, quoted on request.
No. The process is done remotely with documents and electronic signatures. We tell you in advance if any step needs an in-person action.
You contact us, we hold your consultation, you choose a package, we collect your documents, we form the company, and then we set up its tax and compliance profile. Every package page lists its own steps.
It depends on the package and on how quickly your documents are complete. Each package page states its turnaround, and the fastest way to save time is to send complete, correctly certified documents, especially for External company setup.
Usually certified copies of your passport and proof of residential address, with further items depending on the package and on your bank. We give you an exact checklist at your consultation.
Yes. Many foreign applicants are rejected at CIPC's Foreigner Assurance Verification step when they apply on their own. We offer a standalone Foreigner Assurance Verification for R850, completed in 1 to 3 working days. You receive the official CIPC reference number and tracking, and you see the outcome before paying for any further services. If you then proceed with a full registration package, the R850 is credited in full towards it.
CIPC accepts passport copies certified in South Africa only. A notarised or apostilled copy from another country is not accepted for this purpose. If you cannot get your documents certified in South Africa, we arrange certification for R385 per director. Proof of address not in English needs an English translation. For parent company documents (for subsidiaries and branches), we confirm the translation and notarisation requirements during the consultation, based on the country where the documents were issued.
Each package page lists exactly what is included. Government fees are charged separately, and each package states whether the Public Officer and Registered Representative are included. Nothing is hidden, and we confirm the full total before you commit.
Typically CIPC annual filing, beneficial ownership updates, SARS returns, and a Public Officer if your company needs one. We quote these with your formation so there are no surprises in year two. For reference: a virtual registered office is R1,200 per year, and ongoing Public Officer compliance oversight starts from R4,750 per year. Bank fees are charged directly by the bank.
You can pay by card or PayPal in USD, or by bank transfer in rands. Our Promise to Pay option allows a deposit followed by instalments.
It is free when you buy a package. We build it in so you make informed decisions. If you consult and then decide to delay or go elsewhere, an engagement fee applies, and it is credited if you proceed. The fee exists because the consultation involves real expert time and advice.
It can be done, but banks set their own requirements and make their own decisions. We prepare your documents and guide the process, and we are honest at the consultation about what is realistic for your situation. If the bank declines the application, the bank facilitation fee is refunded less an R850 administrative charge.
The company needs its own SARS tax profile. VAT becomes compulsory above a turnover threshold and can be voluntary below it, and we advise based on your plans. The director needs their own personal Tax number as well.
Yes. We offer bank account facilitation as a standalone service for existing South African companies, including companies whose director lives outside South Africa. The account is opened in the company's legal name with the director as signatory. Whether it can be fully activated remotely depends on the bank's FICA and anti-money-laundering checks, and we tell you honestly what to expect before you commit.
You do not need an attorney to register your company. A Registered Representative is the person SARS recognises to act for the company on eFiling. It is a tax compliance role, not a legal one. We can set up and activate the Registered Representative as part of your compliance package. You would only need an attorney for separate legal matters, such as drafting contracts or resolving disputes.
A Public Officer is the individual SARS holds responsible for the company’s tax matters, and they must be resident in South Africa. Non-resident owners usually need us or another local professional to fill the role.
It still has compliance obligations. We offer options for dormant and lightly trading companies so you stay in good standing without overpaying.
An annual return and a beneficial ownership filing. Missing them can lead to penalties and eventually deregistration. CIPC does not reliably send reminders, so we track the dates for you.
Often they don’t. The costly gaps, such as beneficial ownership filings and director updates, rarely arrive by email. You will usually discover them only when you try to file, claim or start another process.
No. Owning shares or being a director does not give you residence or the right to work. Attending board meetings is not treated as work, but running the business day to day inside South Africa, or taking local pay, needs the right visa. The company and the visa are separate processes, but your company’s records become part of your application. That is why we build them together.
It is for a foreigner who establishes or invests in a South African business. The standard requirements are R5 million of capital from outside South Africa, a recommendation from the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic), a business plan, and an undertaking that at least 60% of your staff will be South African citizens or permanent residents, with proof within 12 months. Rules are under review, so we confirm the current position when you apply.
Sometimes. The Director-General of Home Affairs may reduce or waive the capital requirement for businesses in sectors prescribed as being in the national interest, or when the dtic requests it. This is discretionary, not an entitlement. In practice, waiver applications often take a year or longer. We never promise an outcome. We help you build the strongest honest case.
Beyond the gazetted sectors, officials look at what your business does for South Africa, not only how much you invest. That can include jobs created, skills transferred, local manufacturing or beneficiation, exports, technology, and investment in areas that need it. The more of this you can show with records, the stronger your motivation.
They are not a legal requirement, and they do not guarantee approval. But a recommendation or waiver is about showing your contribution to South Africa, and a documented record gives officials evidence instead of promises. Even where the chance of success is small, a well-documented record is what separates a request for a favour from a demonstrated case. We tell you honestly at the consultation how strong your case is.
A portfolio can include:
• B-BBEE status: a certificate or sworn affidavit, depending on your turnover.
• SED (socio-economic development): contributions that benefit communities, recognised on the B-BBEE scorecard.
• CSI (corporate social investment): spending on education, health, skills or community needs.
• CSR (corporate social responsibility): how the business operates responsibly toward people and the environment.
• CSD registration: National Treasury’s Central Supplier Database, which shows you are active in the formal economy and able to supply government.
• Employment and unemployment relief: permanent jobs, learnerships, internships and training for South Africans.
• Local supplier development: buying from small South African businesses.
• A clean compliance record: SARS tax compliance status and CIPC good standing.
Records, not just photos. Examples are payroll and UIF records, employment contracts, training certificates, invoices from local suppliers, dated project reports, proof of spend, signed letters from beneficiaries such as schools, clinics, NPOs, municipalities or ward councillors, and independently reviewed financials. Everything must be genuine. Staged projects or fronting are unlawful and will sink an application. We explain exactly what to gather at your Consultation & Assessment.
It takes time. If you are aiming for exemptions or waivers, a credible portfolio built gradually can take up to two years of steady, documented activity. The exception is a lump sum you can commit at once, such as funding a community project. That can speed things up, but projects still take time to deliver and document. The earlier you start, the stronger your position, and the best time to start is before you apply.
Yes. The Immigration Act lets the Minister of Home Affairs grant exemptions, and in special circumstances permanent residence outside the ordinary categories. These are discretionary, rarely granted and slow, and they usually need a strong national-interest case backed by evidence. They are a long shot, and we will tell you plainly if yours is one.
It depends on the role, qualifications and company. Options include the points-based General Work and Critical Skills visas (in force since October 2024), intra-company transfers for group staff, and the business visa for owners. The right route and the documents it needs are explained at your Work Permit consultation.
There is a business route that generally requires the prescribed capital investment, kept invested, and the employment of South African citizens or permanent residents. A permit granted on this basis can lapse if the capital is not kept invested. The capital requirement can be reduced or waived in national-interest cases. Other routes exist, including work-based and critical-skills categories. The government has also proposed reforms to residence and naturalisation, so the rules may change before your application, and we confirm them at the time.
No, and be wary of anyone who does. Home Affairs and the dtic make the decisions, rules change, and officials have discretion. We prepare the strongest honest application and tell you the realistic chances upfront, including when they are small.
Because the right route, the documents and the strategy depend on your situation. The exact process is shared once you engage. The fee is credited toward the next phase if you proceed.
Online sites file your registration and stop there. Registration is only the first step. After it come the tax profile, the Registered Representative, the Public Officer, the bank account, annual filings and, for foreign owners, the permit and tax questions. If the structure wasn’t right at the start, fixing it later often costs more than getting it right the first time. Government departments also don’t always update their requirements online, so a site that relies on published information can give you outdated steps. As a registered TCSP and compliance specialist, we handle the whole path and stay with you after the company exists.
Named professionals on our team, not an anonymous system. You will know who to contact and who is accountable.