Name Reservation | CIPC

NAME RESERVATION


In terms of the Companies Act, 2008, a for profit company (e.g. private company) may be registered with or without a company name while a not for profit company must have a name. When a company is registered without a reserved name, its registration number automatically becomes the company name with (South Africa) as the suffix. This is the quickest way to register a company.

In terms of the Companies Act, 2008, a for profit company (e.g. private company) may be registered with or without a company name while a not for profit company must have a name. When a company is registered without a reserved name, its registration number automatically becomes the company name with (South Africa) as the suffix. This is the quickest way to register a company.

Such a company may transact with a trading (business) name, or may apply to add a reserved name at a later stage. In this case, the company will need to first reserve a name and then apply for a name change, which constitutes a change to its Memorandum of Incorporation (MOI) (refer to  Maintain a Business).

If your initial name reservation application is not approved, you will need to apply for new names. You may apply for between 1 and 4 names during each application process. Each name reservation application costs R50 and since it is regarded as a filing fee and not an administrative fee, it is not refundable. It is advised that a free Trade Mark search and browser search (using your preferred browser Google or Chrome etc) to confirm the use of your proposed name before submitting such as part of your name reservation application.

Your name reservation application is only registered or reserved upon written confirmation from CIPC in the form of a CoR9.4.  The name reservation is valid for 6 months during which period you must have used it on a company or co-operative registration or a change to a company or close corporation name.

Available Platforms for name reservations:

Click here for step by step guide for name reservation via New E-Services.

Click here for the Frequently Asked Questions.

Click here for the CIPC service standards.  Service Standard is dependent on payment for the transaction being made.

For enquiry send an email to:  Enqnamereservations@cipc.co.za (only after the indicated service standard has lapsed).

Extension of Reserved Name

A reserved name will continue to be valid for a period of 6 months from the date of approval but it can be extended on application together with the prescribed fee of R30, by the person who submitted the name reservation for a period of 60 business days at a time.

The approved or reserved name can only be extended within the month prior to its expiry date and once the reserved name has expired, the same cannot be extended.

Available platform:

Transfer of Reserved Name

Only a person under which the name has been reserved can transfer the reserved name to the other person by filing a signed notice of the transfer together with the prescribed fee. Thus a transfer of the reserved name can only be transferred from Customer Code under which the name has been reserved to another Customer Code.

A reserved name can only be transferred while still within the stated validity period and once the name has expired, the name cannot be extended.

NB:  Transfer of the reserved name does not result in the reserved name validity period being extended (the original validity period applies just assigned to another customer code) or a company name change.

Company Registrations

There are five types of companies that you can register.  If you wish to run a franchise business, you would register a private company.  If you wish to register a church, you would register a non-profit company.  A private school could be registered as a private company or non-profit company, depending on its objectives.  An association of professionals such as lawyers, doctors, civil engineers etc, may be registered as a personal liability company.  For personal liability companies, it is recommended that you consult the relevant regulatory or registration authority of such profession to confirm the type of company registration required

A company registration may vary between R125 and R475 (R125 for a private company, R475 for a non-profit company registered without members).