CIPC Company Search: Check if a Company Is Registered
Before you pay a supplier, sign a contract or buy a company, check it on CIPC. Here is how to search for free, what the results actually mean, and how to read a registration number at a glance.
By the Mitrend Accounting Services company secretarial team · Checked against CIPC’s own guidance on · Independent guide, not affiliated with CIPC
To check if a company is registered in South Africa, search its name or registration number on CIPC e-Services (Enterprise search) or BizPortal; both are free. For an official record, log in to e-Services → Certificates & Disclosures and request a free disclosure (not valid for official use) or a full disclosure (R30), which lists the status, registration date, addresses and directors. The status must say “In Business” for the company to be active.
Free tool on this page: Registration number decoder ↓
Free ways to search CIPC records
- CIPC e-Services enterprise search (eservices.cipc.co.za → Search): search by company name or registration number.
- BizPortal (bizportal.gov.za): a free company search, handy on a phone.
- Name availability search when reserving a name. This only tells you whether a name is taken, not who owns it.
Free searches confirm that a company exists and show its basic details. For anything official (bank onboarding, tenders, legal matters) use a disclosure certificate.
Disclosure certificates: free vs full
Log in to e-Services → Certificates & Disclosures. The options are:
| Option | Cost | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free disclosure | Free | Enterprise number, name, type, status, registration date, addresses and directors/members. Not valid for official purposes. |
| Full disclosure | R30 | An official certificate of the company’s current record |
| MOI (incorporation documents) | Per CIPC fee | The registered Memorandum of Incorporation |
| Approved names | Per CIPC fee | Confirmation of reserved or approved names |
| Person disclosure | Per CIPC fee | The companies a specific person is or was a director of |
Certificates are emailed to the address on your customer code profile. Need certified paper copies of old records? Email disclosureenq@cipc.co.za with the company name, registration number, exactly which documents you need, your customer code and contact details. See also our guide to CIPC documents.
What each CIPC company status means
| Status | Meaning | Safe to deal with? |
|---|---|---|
| In Business | Active on the register | Yes, from a registration point of view |
| AR Deregistration Process | Annual returns outstanding for two or more years; CIPC has started deregistering it | Caution: the company still exists, but it is not compliant |
| Deregistration Process (voluntary) | The directors applied to close it | Caution: it is closing |
| Final Deregistration | No longer exists as a legal person | No. It can’t contract until it is reinstated |
| In Liquidation / Business Rescue | Insolvency proceedings are under way | Get legal advice before contracting |
How to read a CIPC registration number
South African company numbers follow the format YYYY/NNNNNN/TT: the year of registration, a sequence number, and a two-digit code for the type of entity. For example, 2019/123456/07 is a private company registered in 2019. Paste any number below to decode it:
Registration number decoder
Paste a company or CC registration number, e.g. 2019/123456/07.
| Code | Entity type | Suffix |
|---|---|---|
| 06 | Public company | Ltd |
| 07 | Private company | (Pty) Ltd |
| 08 | Non-profit company (formerly “section 21” company) | NPC |
| 10 | External company (foreign company registered in SA) | n/a |
| 21 | Personal liability company | Inc |
| 23 | Close corporation | CC |
| 30 | State-owned company | SOC Ltd |
Searching for directors
CIPC lets you see the directors of a company through a disclosure, and the companies linked to a person through a person disclosure (logged in on e-Services). CIPC also publishes a Disqualified Director Register. When you register a company, e-Services automatically flags whether a proposed director is disqualified.
Use director information responsibly: it is personal information protected by POPIA, and should only be used for legitimate purposes such as due diligence.
A 5-minute supplier check
- Search the registration number on the invoice. Does the name match?
- Confirm the status is In Business.
- Check the registration date. Is a “20-year-old firm” actually two months old?
- Compare the directors with the people you are dealing with.
- For larger deals, ask for a recent full disclosure, a tax compliance status PIN and a B-BBEE certificate.
- Confirm the bank details through a bank account verification, never just from an emailed letter.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check if a company is registered in South Africa?
Search the company name or registration number for free on CIPC e-Services or BizPortal. For an official record, request a full disclosure certificate (R30) on e-Services.
Is the CIPC company search free?
Yes. The enterprise search and the free disclosure are free. The free disclosure is not valid for official purposes; an official full disclosure costs R30.
What does 07 at the end of a registration number mean?
It means the entity is a private company (Pty) Ltd. 06 is a public company, 08 a non-profit company, 21 a personal liability company (Inc), 23 a close corporation and 30 a state-owned company.
Can I search CIPC by ID number?
Logged-in users can request a person disclosure on e-Services, which lists the companies linked to a person. It should only be used for legitimate purposes.
What does “AR deregistration process” mean?
The company has not filed annual returns for two or more years and CIPC has started deregistering it. Filing all outstanding returns stops the process.