South Africa company register search
Source-cited registry guidance — access and document fees vary by source.
Search Company Records in South Africa
Free basic search · no sign-up required.
How do I search the company register in South Africa?
Start with CIPC (https://www.cipc.co.za) for South Africa company records. Use the supported legal-name or identifier search and inspect available fields, such as Registration number, Company name, Type, Status. Official searches, documents and APIs have separate access rules; LemReveal's free lookup does not remove those conditions.
Step-by-step
- 1
Know which register holds the record
In South Africa, company records sit on CIPC. Trade directories and aggregator sites are copies — the register is the source of truth.
https://www.cipc.co.za - 2
Search by name or registration number
Use the exact identifier with its issuing register or jurisdiction. Name searches can return several candidates; a number is not a guarantee that the source is available or covers the record.
- 3
Read the register entry, not the marketing page
The register entry shows Registration number, Company name, Type, Status. That is what a bank, auditor or counterparty will check.
- 4
Keep a dated copy
Register entries change. Save the record with the date you retrieved it, or set up monitoring so you are told when the entry changes.
South Africa: choosing and checking the right record
- Choose the correct source
- Use CIPC for company registration information. Identify the official company record before interpreting a trading name, and follow the portal's current access or document-request process where further particulars are required.
- Confirm the entity
- Keep the full company registration number, including its separators and suffix, with the legal name. A company number and a tax reference are different identifiers.
Check current access and document options on the official CIPC site. For search limitations and missing-result guidance, see the South Africa registry guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is the South Africa company register free to search?
Check CIPC's current terms for basic searches, profiles, documents and APIs. Not all are necessarily free or available without an account.
Which register is the official one in South Africa?
Start with CIPC, at https://www.cipc.co.za. Coverage can depend on entity type or jurisdiction; other official sources may answer different questions.
What does a South Africa register entry show?
Registration number, Company name, Type, Status. Availability of each field depends on what CIPC publishes.
Do register entries stay accurate?
Only until the company files its next change. Directors, addresses and status can change without notice, which is why a dated copy — or automatic monitoring of the entry — matters for anything contractual.
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 search the company register 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 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.
- Look up a company by number
Match the identifier and issuing jurisdiction, then confirm the returned entity.
South Africa data
- South Africa company search
Search every CIPC record.