CIPC: Obligation to maintain an accurate registered office and physical address

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CIPC: Obligation to maintain an accurate registered office and physical address

• 15 September 2026
• CIPC
• South African Accounting Academy

Summary:
The Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) has observed an increasing number of complaints from members of the public regarding companies that have relocated their business operations but failed to update their registered office and physical address records with the CIPC.

Article:

As a result, legal notices, court documents, compliance notices, regulatory correspondence, and other official communications continue to be delivered to outdated addresses. This creates significant inconvenience and potential prejudice to the current occupants of those premises, who have no association with the company concerned.

In terms of the Companies Act, 2008, every company is required to maintain an accurate registered office address and ensure that the information contained in the CIPC register remains current and correct.

Failure to update the registered office and physical address may:

• Constitute non-compliance with the Companies Act.
• Result in official notices being served at an incorrect address.
• Cause regulatory and legal communication failures.
• Create disputes and prejudice for innocent occupants of the premises.
• Impair the integrity and reliability of the public company register.

The CIPC therefore urges all companies to review their registered details and immediately update any outdated address information.

Companies should update their address if:

• They have moved their business premises.
• Their registered office is no longer operational.
• They no longer have permission to use the registered address.
• The property has been sold, leased to another occupant, or vacated.
• Mail and legal correspondence are no longer received at the registered address.

The responsibility for ensuring that company information remains accurate and up to date rests with the company’s directors and prescribed officers. Companies should periodically review all information maintained on the CIPC register to ensure continued compliance with the Companies Act.

Reporting Incorrectly Registered Addresses:

Where property owners or occupants continue to receive correspondence intended for a company that no longer occupies the premises, they may notify the CIPC and provide supporting information to facilitate appropriate regulatory follow-up.

Maintaining accurate company records promotes transparency, accountability, and the integrity of South Africa’s corporate register:

See the link on how to amend a Company Address on CIPC eServices at https://eservices.cipc.co.za/ 

Click here to download Notice 41 of 2026:

https://www.cipc.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/41.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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