CIPC: Additional information required for registration of external companies via online platforms

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CIPC: Additional information required for registration of external companies via online platforms

• 10 October 2025
• CIPC
• South African Accounting Academy

Summary:

The Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) has issued a new Practice Note to provide clarity on Additional information required for registration of external companies via online platforms.

Article:

To ensure that CIPC has relevant and usable information relating to external companies’ additional information is required:

• CIPC requires both the physical and postal address of the principal office of the external company both within and outside of the Republic.
• As from the release date of the automation of registration of external companies, it will not be necessary to upload proof of physical address of the physical address within South Africa – such validation will occur electronically.
• The industry within which the external company will operate within South Africa must be indicated.
• The person who is authorised to accept service of documents on behalf of the external company may only be a natural person and the physical and postal address must be within South Africa. The following additional information of such person will be required:

• Name and surname;
• South African Identity Number;
• Postal address within South Africa;
• Physical address within South Africa; and
• Email and cell phone number.

• A juristic person may be a director of an external company, and in such instance the following additional information of such juristic director is required:

• Name of the juristic person;
• Registration number of the juristic person; and
• E-mail and cell phone number for the juristic person.

As part of the electronic service, the following documents must be uploaded:

• A mandate authorizing the filer to act on behalf of the foreign company;
• A resolution from the directors approving the registration in South Africa;
• A certified copy of the certificate of incorporation;
• A certified copy of the company’s governance or constitutional documents;
• A certified translation certificate, if any documents are in a foreign language;
• A securities register.

Refer to the latest notice or practice note relating to certification of documents.

The revised Practice Note 6 of 2022, and the section relating to Registration of External Companies (CoR20.1 and supporting documents) on Practice Note 1 of 2024 are hereby withdrawn and replaced with this practice note effective from 29 September 2025 – as per the date communicated on the CIPC website for the release of the automation of registration of external companies (Form CoR20.1) in terms of Regulation 4(2)(b) of the Companies Regulation, 2011 (which was communicated via Notice 45 of 2025 – Refer to our previous Alert dated 2 October 2025). 

This Practice Note is applicable to the registration of external companies in terms of Section 24 of the Companies Act, 2008 read with Companies Regulation 20.

Click here to download Practice Note 4 of 2025:

https://www.cipc.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Practice-note-4-of-2025_Government-Gazette-publication-pages-2.pdf 

Relevance to Auditors, Independent Reviewers & Accountants:

• The Companies Act is yet another piece of legislation that your clients must comply with, and which you must assess compliance with.  If they don’t comply with the relevant laws and regulations, you have certain reporting obligations in terms of NOCLAR (NOn-Compliance with Laws And Regulations) – this could include reporting to management, qualifying your audit opinion, reporting a Reportable Irregularity, etc.
• As an auditor, independent reviewer and accountant, you also need to monitor your client’s compliance with the Companies Act and all relevant notices/enforcements/practice notes/customer letters issued by CIPC as the regulator.
• Where you perform these compliance tasks on behalf of your client, you need to ensure that you comply with all relevant notices/enforcements/practice notes/customer letters issued by CIPC as the regulator.

Relevance to Your clients:

• An entity (company or close corporation) has a duty to comply with the Companies Act, and all relevant notices/enforcements/practice notes/customer letters issued by CIPC as the regulator.

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