How to file beneficial ownership with CIPC

Every company and close corporation must tell CIPC who really owns or controls it: its beneficial owners. You can do it yourself on CIPC e-Services. This guide follows CIPC's own step-by-step guides.

The short version

Who: companies (private, public and non-profit) and close corporations. Co-operatives are not covered. Even a one-person company files.
What: the people who in the end own or control the business, directly or through other companies or trusts. CIPC's register asks for everyone with 5% or more of a class of shares.
When: every year, before you file your annual return, even if nothing changed; and again when the owners change.
Cost: CIPC's guides do not list a fee for this filing. Payments on CIPC e-Services are by card.
If you do not: CIPC flags it when you file your annual return, and can follow up. Giving CIPC false or misleading information is a criminal offence.

Step by step on CIPC e-Services

Get ready. You need a CIPC customer code and password, and the cellphone number and email address on your CIPC profile must be right: CIPC sends one-time PINs (OTPs) to them. A change to those details takes about 48 hours to work.
Sign in to CIPC e-Services. Go to eservices.cipc.co.za (or "Online transacting" on cipc.co.za). Enter your customer code, password and the security code, accept the terms and choose Login.
Open Beneficial Ownership. Choose Transact, then Beneficial Ownership. Read the declaration, choose I Agree and Continue, then New.
Choose your company or close corporation. Find it in the list (or search by name or number) and choose the blue hand under File. Check the registration number, name, type and status, and check that the OTP contact details shown are yours.
Say what type of company it is. Under "Select Company Type" choose Affected Companies or Non-Affected Companies. Most small private companies are non-affected. A public company, a state-owned company, a subsidiary of one, and a private company where more than 10% of the shares changed hands in 24 months are "affected"; CIPC has a separate guide for them.
Answer the ownership questions. A non-affected company answers a few questions. If any answer is yes, it declares its beneficial owners and gets a confirmation certificate; if every answer is no, it gets a confirmation email. The short route is for 10 or fewer directors or members; otherwise the full declaration applies.
Complete the register for every director or member. Choose Continue, then Edit next to each person, and fill in: the date the shares or interest were obtained, the number of shares (a number, not a percentage) and the class of shares. A non-profit company chooses "Control" or "Interest"; for a close corporation CIPC fills in the members' interest. Choose Save.
Fix what CIPC refuses. Issued shares cannot be more than authorised shares, and blank authorised shares stop the filing: email proof to beneficialownershipenq@cipc.co.za. A wrong director or member must first be corrected with a CoR39 (directors) or CK2 (members).
Confirm with the OTP. Check the summary and choose Continue. CIPC sends an OTP by SMS and by email. Choose the red X under Confirmed, type either OTP exactly as sent and choose Verify. When the X turns green, choose Finish. The filing shows under "Completed applications" and CIPC emails you.
Keep the records. In this short route you do not upload the mandate or the register, but the company must keep them (and certified ID copies of its beneficial owners), because CIPC can ask for them at any time. Do not email them to CIPC unless asked.

Complicated ownership?

If shares are held by another company or a trust, CIPC has a separate guide for complex structures, and an accountant or company secretary can help. SignalLedger does not file anything for you.

Official sources

CIPC step-by-step guides (section "Beneficial Ownership": the optimised filing guide, affected companies, complex structures and the troubleshooting FAQ).
CIPC beneficial ownership enquiries: beneficialownershipenq@cipc.co.za, call centre 086 100 2472.

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Checked against CIPC's guides on 21 October 2026. CIPC changes its screens from time to time: if a step looks different, follow CIPC's latest guide. General guidance, not legal advice.

General guidance only, not legal, tax or compliance advice. Requirements, fees and processes change: confirm each item with the official body before you act. SignalLedger is an independent private platform, not a government website. Checked 19 October 2026. How we check our information.