South Africa
In South Africa, the company registry is CIPC, with a free name search and a login-based Enterprise Enquiry.
- Official company register
- CIPC Companies Register (eServices / BizPortal)
- Free online search
- Partial
- Company identifier
- Enterprise (registration) number
- Who can see beneficial owners
- Obliged entities and authorities only
- Data access for developers
- Bulk data only
- Company search
- eservices.cipc.co.za
- Checked on
Search South African companies on CIPC: a name search is free on the website, and Enterprise Enquiry on eServices (login required) shows status, addresses and registered directors. An electronic disclosure certificate costs R30. CIPC’s beneficial ownership register, launched 1 April 2023, is open only to law enforcement agencies and vetted competent authorities. Companies are identified by the enterprise (registration) number.
- Region
- Africa
- Run by
- Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC)
- Registry website
- cipc.co.za
- Visible for free
- Name search on the CIPC website; eServices Enterprise Enquiry (login required) shows enterprise number, name, type, status, registration date, physical and postal addresses, and registered directors or members.
- Paid documents and fees
- Electronic disclosure certificate R30; certified copy of a document on file R5 (close corporation) or R20 (company); certificate of company information R20 (CC) or R50 (company); file inspection R5 (CC) or R100 (company); photocopies R0.50 (CC) or R1.50 (company) per copy; data extracts R10 plus R0.04 per record.
- Beneficial ownership register
- CIPC Beneficial Ownership Register (launched 1 April 2023)
- Beneficial ownership access in detail
- The CIPC Beneficial Ownership Register, launched 1 April 2023, is not open to the public; CIPC limits access to law enforcement agencies and vetted competent authorities.
- Beneficial ownership register website
- cipc.co.za
- API or data service
- https://www.cipc.co.za/?page_id=6125 (paid data extracts)
- Search interface languages
- English
- What an official extract contains
- Disclosure certificate (electronic, verifiable online); certified copies of registration documents
- What to know before a KYB check
- Beneficial ownership filing is mandatory for companies and CCs, but the register is closed to accountable institutions, so UBO details must be collected from the customer. Enterprise Enquiry requires a CIPC customer login.
- Sources
Page URL CIPC – FAQs https://www.cipc.co.za/?page_id=4160 CIPC – Disclosure forms and fees https://www.cipc.co.za/?page_id=6125 CIPC – Beneficial ownership register https://www.cipc.co.za/?p=20577 CIPC – Step by step guide: Enterprise Enquiry (PDF) https://www.cipc.co.za/wp-content/uploads/Step_by_step_Guide/Enterprise_Enquiry_v1.0.pdf CIPC – Step by step guide to public disclosure (PDF, 2025) https://www.cipc.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Step-by-step-guide-to-public-disclosure-compressed.pdf - Verification
- Some fields unverified
Questions
How do I see directors of a South African company?
How much is a CIPC disclosure certificate?
Is the CIPC beneficial ownership register public?
Sources: each listing is compiled from the registry’s own website, the government body that runs it, official fee schedules and legislation, and the EU e-Justice portal. Every source is linked on the listing with the date it was checked. How we compile this reference