Your CIPC Compliance on Autopilot.
Over 2.2 million South African companies are flagged for Beneficial Ownership non-compliance and ~800,000 face deregistration. Autopilot watches every statutory deadline, warns you on WhatsApp, and prepares your filings for you — from R149/month excl. VAT.
Is Your Company At Deregistration Risk?
Enter your incorporation date and get your exact Annual Return due date, penalty exposure, and BO blocking status — instantly, free.
How Compliance Autopilot Protects Your Business
Continuous synchronization with CIPC registries and WhatsApp alerting engines ensures your enterprise never falls behind statutory deadlines.
Continuous Registry Radar
Our algorithms query the CIPC database continuously — tracking your incorporation anniversary, Beneficial Ownership currency, Financial Accountability Supplement (FAS) requirements, and flagging administrative notices immediately.
Multi-Stage WhatsApp Alerts
You receive direct WhatsApp notifications at T-60, T-30, and T-7 days before your statutory window closes — with itemized CIPC turnover calculations, required documents, and zero surprise penalties.
One-Tap Mandate Lodgement
Reply 'FILE' via WhatsApp. Our accredited secretarial team drafts your Beneficial Ownership registers, compiles your Annual Return, lodges with CIPC within 24–48 hours, and delivers your official CoR30.1 Good Standing Certificate.
The True Cost of CIPC Non-Compliance in South Africa
1. The "Beneficial Ownership Gate" on Annual Returns
Under the General Laws Amendment Act No. 22 of 2022, CIPC introduced a mandatory hard-stop on its filing portal: No South African entity can lodge an Annual Return without an active, verified Beneficial Ownership (BO) Register on file.
Companies that attempt to lodge their Annual Return without completing their BO register are rejected by the CIPC portal. As days pass, late filing penalties accrue, and the company enters the statutory deregistration pipeline. Autopilot solves this by syncing both filings into a unified, simultaneous lodgement workflow.
The Progression of CIPC Enforcement Actions:
| Compliance Status | Timeline | Commercial Repercussions | Remediation Protocol |
|---|---|---|---|
| In Compliance (Good Standing) | Within 30 days of anniversary | Valid CoR30.1 certificate; active banking & tender eligibility. | Annual Return + BO register filed seamlessly. |
| Statutory Penalty Incurred | Day 31 to Day 180 post-anniversary | R150–R1,000 late penalties; public CIPC status marked "Non-Compliant". | Pay accrued statutory penalties + update BO records. |
| "In Deregistration" Status | 6+ months overdue | Automated bank alerts sent; commercial loan applications blocked. | Urgent manual intervention; file catch-up returns to halt deregistration. |
| Final Deregistration | Unresolved statutory notice | Bank accounts frozen; company ceases to legally exist; assets forfeit. | CoR40.5 formal reinstatement application with 2-year bank proofs. |
2. FICA Banking Freezes & Commercial Account Suspension
Under Section 21 of the Financial Intelligence Centre Act (FICA), South African commercial banks (Standard Bank, First National Bank, Nedbank, Absa, Investec) receive direct electronic notifications from CIPC. When a company is placed into "In Deregistration" status, banks are legally mandated to freeze electronic payments, debit orders, and credit facilities.
Recovering from a bank freeze can take 2 to 4 weeks if handled reactively. Compliance Autopilot completely prevents registry flags from occurring in the first place, safeguarding your company’s day-to-day liquidity and payment processing.
Less Than Your Bank's Late-Payment Fee
Statutory CIPC fees billed separately at cost. Cancel anytime.
Deadline Radar
Never miss a statutory date again
- ✓ CIPC deadline radar (Annual Return + BO + FAS)
- ✓ WhatsApp alerts at T-60 / T-30 / T-7
- ✓ Deregistration watch with instant warning
- ✓ DIY filing guides for every deadline
Full Autopilot
We watch, we warn, we file
- ✓ Everything in Deadline Radar
- ✓ We FILE your Annual Return every year (turnover under R10m; statutory CIPC fee billed separately at cost)
- ✓ Beneficial Ownership refresh included
- ✓ One-tap mandate signature — zero forms
- ✓ Certificates delivered in-app + WhatsApp
- ✓ Deregistration watch: restoration support if CIPC flags you (restoration is a separate CIPC process with its own fees)
Scale Secretarial
A company secretary on retainer
- ✓ Everything in Full Autopilot
- ✓ FAS preparation & submission
- ✓ Director changes (COR39) — 2 per year included
- ✓ Registered address amendments
- ✓ Priority handling of all filings (response-time targets agreed per engagement)
Compliance Autopilot FAQs
What exactly does Compliance Autopilot do?
Autopilot tracks every statutory deadline your company has with CIPC — Annual Returns, Beneficial Ownership refreshes, and the FAS/AFS requirement — warns you on WhatsApp at 60, 30 and 7 days before each deadline, and on the Full Autopilot plan we prepare and file for you with one-tap mandate signature (statutory CIPC fees billed separately at cost).
What happens if my Annual Return is already overdue?
CIPC publishes lists of companies facing deregistration for missed annual returns — it is a large share of the register. Enter your incorporation date in the free scanner above and we estimate what you may owe in penalties and whether you are at deregistration risk. Full Autopilot includes restoration support if CIPC flags you (restoration is a separate CIPC process with its own fees).
Why does Beneficial Ownership block my Annual Return?
Since July 2024, CIPC hard-stops all Annual Return submissions until your Beneficial Ownership register is current. Autopilot monitors your BO status and refreshes it automatically before it can ever block a filing.
Are government fees included in the subscription?
Subscription pricing (excl. VAT) covers monitoring, alerts, preparation and filing labour. The statutory CIPC fee (R100 to R4,000 depending on turnover, per Table CR 2B — confirm the current schedule on cipc.co.za) is billed separately at cost, always shown before we file.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes, monthly plans are cancel-anytime. If you cancel after we have already filed your current year, protection simply ends at your next anniversary — no lock-in, no penalties from us.
Deregistration Is Forever. Autopilot Is R149/Month excl. VAT.
A deregistered company cannot trade, bank, tender, or own assets. Protect yours in under two minutes.
Run My Free Deadline Scan