How to register a Business Name or company in South Africa
Registering a business or company name in South Africa is the best way to start your business. The name of your business is your identity and registering it means no other business will come around to take it away from you. South Africa is the most developed country in Africa and therefore they are organized in most of their dealings especially government-related matters. We are going to discuss this topic step by step for easier understanding and follow up.
Where to register your company
You can register your company name at CIPC which stands for Companies and Intellectual Property Commission.
Must I register with a company name?
Yes you have registered your company but not really with a name, and please bear in mind that if you register your company without a name it means its registration number automatically becomes the company name.
What kind of company should I register
That’s a good question, this is the type of companies you can register;
Private Company: a business owned by an individual or few investors.
Personal Liability Company: this is the company that’s run by a group of professionals like lawyers and doctors.
Non-profit Company: an example of this type of company is a church.
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There are companies that you don’t need to register such as informal businesses and sole proprietors. Most people register their businesses when the business has grown so much in returns that they need to register it in order to create trust with their customers. To conclude this part, any business that wishes to have any form of transaction with government must be registered. Please bear this in mind, if you decide not to register your company or business with CIPC, you will still be registered with South African Revenue Services.
How to register your business name as a trademark
This part is very essential to the success of your business. When you register a trademark for your company no other person or competitor will be allowed to make use of your name. This is just the best way to secure your business name from others out there and for trademarks, it is registered according to the South African Trade Marks Act and there are requirements that are involved too. You might ask what do I mean by trademarks? it’s simply the logos, slogans, product names and company names of your business.
