Company Registration Cost in South Africa: What You'll Actually Pay (2026)
OurPower - Last verified 2026-05-03
"I have a company registered for tax efficiency and it took me a few years of admin nightmare to realise that there is very little efficiency to be had and a lot of admin. I ended up paying an accountant to do all the admin and that costs about R40k per year for their services. DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE ADMIN!"
The headline number is misleading
Every guide tells you a Pty costs R175. That's the official CIPC fee for a short-form MOI Pty registration with a name. It is true, and it is misleading. The headline doesn't include name reservation (R50), the long-form MOI (R475 if you go that way), the bank account, the BEE affidavit, the annual return, or any of the post-registration compliance.
Most service providers package these together for R590 to R1,500 and call it the 'real' price. That's also misleading - they bundle items you may not need.
Year-1 cost: realistic line items
- CIPC name reservation: R50 (online) - optional
- CIPC Pty registration short MOI: R175 (R125 without a name)
- CIPC Pty registration long MOI: R475 (only if needed)
- Bank account opening: R0 (free) but R50-R250/month from there - that's R600-R3,000 in year-1
- BEE EME affidavit: R0 (free template, commissioned at police station)
- BEE QSE / Generic verification: R8,000-R30,000 (only above R10m turnover)
- Tax Compliance PIN: R0 (free, via SARS eFiling)
- COIDA registration: R0 (free) but annual ROE based on payroll - typically 0.27-7% of total payroll
- UIF / PAYE registration: R0 (free, automatic via BizPortal)
- VAT registration: R0 - only above R1m turnover
- Accounting: R0-R12,000+/year (DIY vs outsourced bookkeeping)
- CIPC Annual Return: R100 if under R1m turnover (R150 late penalty)
- Beneficial Ownership filing: R0 official (R250-R550 if outsourced) - mandatory annually since 2024
Realistic ranges by business shape
- Solo freelancer Pty (no employees, no VAT, DIY accounting): R275 to register + R1,200 year-1 ongoing = ~R1,500.
- Small services Pty (2-3 employees, outsourced bookkeeping, BEE EME): R225 + R800 banking + R6,000 accounting + R100 AR = ~R7,500 year-1.
- Construction or security Pty (sector regulator, employees, COID, BEE): R225 + R450 CIDB / PSIRA + R1,000 COID + R6,000 accounting + R450 BEE if QSE = R10,000-R20,000 year-1.
Service-provider markups
BizPortal direct: R175 (short MOI). Govchain: R950 once-off (includes name + tax + BEE affidavit + share certs). SwiftReg: from R590. Register Company: R985-R1,450. Company Partners: phone-quoted.
Their price covers convenience and the rest of the post-CIPC chain (SARS, UIF, BEE prep, sometimes a free BEE affidavit). If you have time and competence, BizPortal direct is the same outcome at a third of the cost.
Frequently asked questions
Is the R175 figure for real?
Yes. CIPC's published fee for a short-form MOI Pty registration with a name. https://www.cipc.co.za/?page_id=3804
What's the cheapest legal way to register a Pty?
Register without a name on BizPortal: R125. You trade as your CIPC reg number ('K2026/123456/07') and add a name later for R50 + R30 if you want.
Why are services so much more expensive?
They charge for hand-holding through SARS, UIF, BEE, banking, CSD - everything CIPC doesn't do. If you're confident on the post-registration chain, you can skip them.
Tools to help
Related guides
General guidance for South African company registration. Not legal or tax advice. CIPC fees and SARS rules change - figures verified 2026-05-03. Sources: CIPC, SARS, BizPortal.