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Doing business
Doing business in South Africa
The official bodies a foreign company, investor or professional deals with in South Africa – linked to their own websites – plus the treaties that matter for contracts and disputes, and law firms there that list business work.
Key facts
Key facts for business in South Africa
The short answer
Company registry in South Africa: Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC). Tax authority: South African Revenue Service (SARS). Requirements, fees and timelines change – confirm them with the body concerned and a lawyer admitted in South Africa before you act.
| Legal system | Mixed (Roman-Dutch civil law, English common law and customary law) |
|---|---|
| Official languages | English, Afrikaans, isiZulu, isiXhosa, Sepedi, Setswana, Sesotho, Xitsonga, siSwati, Tshivenda, isiNdebele, South African Sign Language |
| Currency | South African rand (ZAR) |
| Regional blocs | SADC |
| OHADA business law | No |
| AfCFTA (continental free trade) | Ratified (instrument deposited) |
| New York Convention (arbitral awards) | Party – in force since 1976 |
| ICSID Convention (investment disputes) | Not a member (checked October 2026) |
| Apostille Convention (public documents) | Party – in force since 30 Apr 1995 |
Treaty status from the official depositary records (UNCITRAL, ICSID, HCCH), regional blocs from their own websites, AfCFTA from tralac – checked October 2026. Not legal advice.
Official bodies
Who does what in South Africa
| What for | Official body | Website |
|---|---|---|
| Registering a company | Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) | cipc.co.za |
| Investment promotion | InvestSA | investsa.gov.za |
| Tax | South African Revenue Service (SARS) | sars.gov.za |
| Central bank, currency and foreign exchange | South African Reserve Bank (SARB) | resbank.co.za |
| Work and residence permits | Department of Home Affairs (DHA) | dha.gov.za |
| Courts and justice | Office of the Chief Justice (OCJ) – South African Judiciary | judiciary.org.za |
| Official business procedures portal | BizPortal | bizportal.gov.za |
Each link was opened and checked as the body’s own website in October 2026. Links to official sites only – never to agents or look-alike sites.
Getting started
What foreign businesses usually sort out first
- Choose how you will operate. A subsidiary, a branch, a representative office, or working through a local partner or distributor. The options and their conditions are set by national company law.
- Register the business. Company registration: Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC).
- Register for tax. Tax registration: South African Revenue Service (SARS).
- Check investment rules and incentives. Some sectors have licensing, local-ownership or registration rules, and some investors qualify for incentives. Investment agency: InvestSA.
- Permits for foreign staff. Work and residence permits: Department of Home Affairs (DHA).
- Banking and foreign exchange. Rules on accounts, moving money in and out and paying dividends abroad come from the central bank (South African Reserve Bank (SARB)) and the banks.
- Contracts and disputes. Agree the governing law, the courts or arbitration seat, and the language. South Africa is a party to the New York Convention, so arbitral awards made in other member states can be recognized there under it.
A general checklist, not legal advice. What applies to you depends on your sector, structure and nationality.
Law firms
Law firms in South Africa for business matters
Bisset Boehmke McBlain
Cape Town
Christodoulou & Mavrikis Inc.
Johannesburg
Cluver Markotter
Stellenbosch, Paarl
Covington & Burling
Johannesburg
Cox Yeats Attorneys
Durban, Johannesburg, Cape Town
DKVG Attorneys
Cape Town, Bellville (Tyger Valley), Claremont
Fairbridges Wertheim Becker Attorneys
Cape Town, Johannesburg
Fasken
Johannesburg
Fluxmans Attorneys
Johannesburg
Garlicke & Bousfield Inc
Durban, Cape Town
GMI Attorneys
Pretoria, Sandton, George
KISCH IP
Johannesburg, Pretoria
24 firms in South Africa list corporate, tax, employment or other business work on their own websites – the first 12 are shown A to Z. See every firm in South Africa.
Checking a lawyer in South Africa
Who admits lawyers: Legal Practice Council (LPC) under the Legal Practice Act 28 of 2014; admission and enrolment by the High Court
Professional title: Attorney / Advocate
Official roll: lpc.org.za
Search the Legal Practice Council's public list of legal practitioners (lpc.org.za, Members of the Public > List of Legal Practitioners) and, for attorneys holding trust money, ask for a current Fidelity Fund Certificate.
We could not confirm every detail from official sources, so use this as a starting point.
Sources: lpc.org.za. Checked October 2026. Not legal advice.
Questions
Doing business in South Africa: questions
Where do you register a company in South Africa?
With Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) (cipc.co.za). Requirements change, so confirm them with the registry and a lawyer admitted in South Africa.
Is South Africa a party to the New York Convention?
Yes – in force since 1976 (UNCITRAL status table, checked October 2026).
Does South Africa accept apostilles?
Yes – South Africa is a party to the Apostille Convention, in force since 30 Apr 1995 (HCCH status table). A public document from another member state needs only an apostille from the issuing country.
What currency is used in South Africa?
South African rand (ZAR).