Registering a Company Without a Name in South Africa (2026)

How it works

When you register a Pty on BizPortal you can skip the name field. CIPC issues a registration number like K2026/123456/07 and your company's legal name becomes that number with '(South Africa)' as a suffix. You trade under it until you decide on (and reserve) a real name.

It's R125 instead of R175 (saving the R50 name reservation fee). Same legal entity, same tax registration, same MOI.

When it's smart

• You want to ship fast and don't have a name yet.
• You're testing a business idea and may end up trading under a different name.
• You expect a brand pivot and don't want to be locked into the wrong name.
• Your name keeps getting rejected and you want to start operating while you keep trying.

When it isn't

• You're going to bid on a tender soon - tender boards prefer named companies.
• You need a business bank account immediately - banks accept K-number Ptys but it can slow down KYC.
• Your customers are consumers - 'K2026/123456/07 (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd' on an invoice looks unprofessional.
• You'll register a trademark or domain - a name is the foundation.

Adding a name later

Reserve a name on BizPortal or eServices (R50). Once approved, file a Notice of Change of Name (CoR21.1, R30-R50) to attach it to your existing K-number Pty. Your registration number doesn't change. SARS, banks and tenders all see the new name within a week.

Frequently asked questions

Tools to help

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