Register a non-profit company

About registering a non-profit company 

For your civil society organisation to be recognised as a legal entity, you must register it as a non-profit company (NPC) with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC).

NPCs are entities that are set up to help people, protect the environment or to lobby for some good cause. They could include churches, charity organisations and cultural organisations. The primary objective of an NPC is to benefit the public, not to make profit.

The income and property may not be distributed to the incorporators, members, directors or officers of a non-profit company, except as reasonable compensation for services rendered by them. All of a non-profit company’s assets and income must be used to advance its stated objectives, as set out in its Memorandum of Incorporation (MOI).

A minimum of three incorporators must complete and sign the MOI. A minimum of three directors must be appointed.

Non-profit companies must at all times have at least three directors (unless MoI indicated a higher minimum number of directors). The appointment of an auditor and company secretary is not mandatory but optional.

You can register a non-profit company as a:

• standard non-profit company (with members)
• standard non-profit company (without members) 
• customised non-profit company (with members), 
• customised non-profit company (without members).

The name of a non-profit company will end with “NPC”.

What you should do

1. Register online as a customer with CIPC so that you can transact with CIPC or register through an existing customer e.g. ask your accountant to register for you.
2. Reserve a company name by completing the Application to Reserve a Name, Form CoR 9.1. A name reservation is valid for six months. 
3. Pay a filing fee.    
4. Submit the following supporting documents with your application:
   • certified passport copies (if foreign national) or certified identify document (ID) copies (if South African) of all indicated initial directors and incorporators 
   • a certified ID copy of the applicant if the application is not made by one of the indicated initial directors or incorporators 
   • if an incorporator is a juristic person, then a power of attorney for the representative authorised by that juristic person to incorporate the company and sign all related documents 
   • if another person incorporates the company and signs all related documents to the incorporation on behalf of the incorporators and initial directors, a power of attorney and certified ID copy of such a person is required 
   • if a name was reserved before the filing of incorporation documents, then a valid name reservation document is necessary.
5. If you are registering a standard non-profit company (without members), submit the following:
   • CoR15.1C 
   • CoR 14.1
   • supporting documents 
   • The following documents may be filed with the CoR15.1C:
     • CoR14.1 Annexure A  
     • CoR14.1 Annexure B  if name to be reserved at incorporation
6. If you are registering a customised non-profit company (without members), submit the following:
   • CoR15.1D 
   • CoR 14.1
   • supporting documents
   • The following documents may be filed with the CoR15.1D
     • CoR14.1 Annexure A 
     • CoR14.1 Annexure B  if name to be reserved at incorporation
     • CoR14.1 Annexure C  if ring fencing
     • CoR14.1 Annexure D if auditor, audit committee members and/or company secretary is appointed.
7. If you are registering a customised non-profit company (with members), submit the following:
   • CoR15.1E 
   • CoR 14.1
   • supporting documents 
   • The following documents may be filed with the CoR15.1E:
     • CoR14.1 Annexure A 
     • CoR14.1 Annexure B  if name to be reserved at incorporation
     • CoR14.1 Annexure C  if ring fencing
     • CoR14.1 Annexure D if auditor, audit committee members and/or company secretary is appointed

Please note: If a proposed name is rejected, the company may still be registered and the registration number then becomes the name of the company at incorporation, until such time as an appropriate name has been reserved/approved.  

How long does it take

• It takes a maximum of three days to reserve a name for a company.
• It takes 25 working days from receipt of application to register a non-profit company.

How much does it cost

• R175 - Memorandum of Incorporation (Subject to allowed reduction) for standard non-profit company (CoR 15.1C).  
• R475 - Memorandum of Incorporation (Subject to allowed reduction) for customised non-profit company with members (CoR 15.1D)  or without members (CoR 15.1E).  
• R50 for electronic name reservation. 
• R75 for manual filing of name reservation.

Forms to complete

The application forms are available from your nearest office of the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission or online.

Who to contact