Check if a South Africa company is active
Free, official, source-cited — updated 2026-06.
Search Company Records in South Africa
3 free lookups per day. No sign-up required.
How do I check whether a company is still active in South Africa?
Search the company by name or registration number and read its status field. On CIPC, an "active" or "registered" status means the entity is currently on the register; "dissolved", "struck off" or "liquidation" means it is not trading legally.
Step-by-step
- 1
Find the company
Search by name or registration number to open the correct record.
- 2
Read the status field
The status is the register's own verdict on whether the entity currently exists. Treat anything other than active/registered as a red flag before contracting.
- 3
Check the last filing date
An entity can be nominally active but years behind on filings. A long gap since the last filing is a warning sign even when the status reads active.
- 4
Confirm at the source
Status changes propagate from CIPC at https://www.cipc.co.za. For a decision with money attached, confirm there.
https://www.cipc.co.za
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if a South Africa company is still trading?
The register's status field is the authoritative answer. An active/registered status on CIPC means the entity is currently on the register. It does not by itself prove the business is operating, so also check the most recent filing date.
What does "dissolved" or "struck off" mean?
The entity has been removed from the register and can no longer legally trade or enter into contracts. Any invoice or agreement issued under that name after removal should be treated as invalid.
Is checking company status in South Africa free?
Yes — status is part of the free public record on CIPC. No account is needed.
What is a (Pty) Ltd?
Pty Ltd (Proprietary Limited) is South Africa's private company, equivalent to a Ltd. It restricts the transfer of shares and limits the number of shareholders to 50. There's no minimum capital requirement. It's the most common company type in South Africa.
People also ask about check whether a company is still active in South Africa
The exact questions searchers type into Google — answered from the primary source.
Is the South Africa company register free to search?
Yes. Basic company lookups on the CIPC are free — you can search by company name or registration number, view legal status, registered address and (usually) directors at no cost. Some jurisdictions charge a small fee only for downloading full filed documents.
What is the official South Africa business registry?
The CIPC is the official public register of companies incorporated in South Africa. It is operated by the government and is the primary source cited on this page — https://www.cipc.co.za.
Related guides and tools
More South Africa guides
- Search companies by name
Find any registered company from a partial name — free, no signup.
- Search the company register
What the official register holds, and how to search it free.
- Search the business registry
Match a trading name to the registered legal entity behind it.
- Find the right entity
Tell apart several entities registered under near-identical names.
South Africa data
- South Africa company search
Search every CIPC record.