How to Change Your Company Name in South Africa

Maybe you registered in a hurry and CIPC gave you an auto-generated name like 2024/123456/07. Maybe you've rebranded, outgrown a placeholder name, or CIPC raised an objection to the name you're using. Whatever the reason, you can change your registered company name without starting a new company.

A company name change is handled by the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC), the body that holds the official register of every company in South Africa. It's done under the Companies Act, 2008, as an amendment to your company's founding document. The important part to understand up front: only the name changes. Your company registration number stays the same, your tax number stays the same, and your company keeps trading the whole time. You are renaming the same legal entity, not creating a new one.

Govchain can handle the whole name change for you, from reserving the new name to filing the paperwork with CIPC, so you don't have to touch the portal.

What actually changes (and what doesn't)

This trips a lot of first-time owners up, so it's worth being clear before you start.

What changes: the registered name on the CIPC register and on your registration certificate. That's it.

What stays exactly the same: your registration number, your income tax number, your VAT number if you have one, your bank account, your contracts, and your company's history. A name change doesn't reset anything. Your three-year-old company with the new name is still three years old.

One thing people confuse here is the difference between your registered name and your trading name. Your registered name is the legal name on the CIPC register. A trading name is just the name you put on your shopfront or invoices. If you only want to trade under a different name day to day, you may not need a formal name change at all. A formal change is for when you want the legal, registered name updated at CIPC.

What you need before you start

• The new name you want, plus one or two backups in case your first choice is taken.
• Agreement from the shareholders. A name change needs a special resolution, which means at least 75% of the voting shareholders have to approve it.
• Your existing company details: registration number and the director or representative's login or CIPC customer code.

Step by step: changing your company name at CIPC

1. Reserve the new name

You can't just declare a new name. You first have to reserve it with CIPC and check that no one else has it. This is done with a form called the CoR 9.1 (Application to Reserve a Name). CIPC charges R50 for this, and if the name is approved you get back a CoR 9.4, the confirmation of your reserved name. A reserved name is held for six months, which is plenty of time to finish the change.

This is where most name changes stall. CIPC will reject a name that's identical or confusingly similar to one already on the register, or one that's misleading. Having a backup name ready saves you from going back to the start. For more on picking a name that gets approved, see our guide on naming your company.

2. Pass a special resolution

Your company name lives inside your Memorandum of Incorporation (MOI), the document that sets out how your company is run. Changing the name means amending the MOI, and the Companies Act says that takes a special resolution from the shareholders.

In practice, for a small company where you are the only shareholder, this is a short written resolution you sign and keep on file. If you have other shareholders, you need at least 75% of the voting rights to agree. Keep the signed resolution. CIPC can ask for it.

3. File the amendment with CIPC

With the reserved name and the resolution in hand, you file the actual change. This is a CoR 15.2, the Notice of Amendment of the Memorandum of Incorporation. You submit it with your reserved name, and CIPC records the new name against your company.

You can do all of this yourself through CIPC eServices or the BizPortal site, or you can let Govchain file it for you.

4. Get your updated certificate

Once CIPC processes the amendment, your company's registered name is officially changed and you get an updated registration certificate showing the new name. From that point the new name is the legal name of your company.

5. Tell everyone who needs to know

CIPC shares company data with SARS, so your tax record updates from the CIPC side, but it's worth checking it reflected correctly on eFiling. Then update your bank, your invoices and letterheads, your website and domain, your B-BBEE affidavit, and any contracts or licences in the old name. The legal change is quick; updating the rest of the world takes a bit longer.

How much does it cost and how long does it take?

CIPC's own fees are small. Reserving the name is R50, and the amendment filing is a separate small fee on top. Fees and portal steps do change from time to time, so check the current amount on the CIPC site before you budget exactly.

The bigger cost is usually time and the back-and-forth if a name gets rejected. Govchain handles a company name change for R720 all in, which covers reserving the name, drafting the special resolution, filing the CoR 15.2 and sending you the updated certificate. Turnaround is usually about 10 working days once the new name is approved, though the name reservation step depends on how quickly CIPC approves your choice.

A worked example

Say you registered in a hurry and CIPC assigned your company the default name 2024/118842/07 (the registration number doubles as the name until you choose one). You now want to trade as Brightline Plumbing (Pty) Ltd. Here's how the change runs:

1. You apply to reserve "Brightline Plumbing" with a CoR 9.1 and pay R50. You list "Brightline Plumbing Services" as a backup in case the first is taken. Two working days later CIPC approves it and returns a CoR 9.4.
2. You're the only shareholder, so you sign a one-page special resolution adopting the new name and keep it on file. If you had a partner holding 30%, you'd still pass, because you'd jointly clear the 75% mark.
3. You file a CoR 15.2 with the reserved name attached.
4. About a week later CIPC issues your updated certificate. The registration number is still 2024/118842/07; the name now reads Brightline Plumbing (Pty) Ltd.
5. You update your FNB account, your invoices and your B-BBEE affidavit to match.

Nothing about the company reset. The entity that was 2024/118842/07 on Monday is Brightline Plumbing (Pty) Ltd the following week, with the same number, the same tax record and the same trading history.

Where name changes go wrong

Picking a name that's already taken. The single most common delay. CIPC rejects names too similar to existing ones. Have a second and third choice ready.

Forgetting the special resolution. People file the name change and skip the paperwork that authorises it. If you have co-shareholders, get the 75% approval in writing before you file.

Letting the name reservation lapse. A reserved name is valid for six months. If you reserve a name and then sit on it, you may have to reserve and pay again.

Assuming a name change fixes a trading-name problem. If all you do is operate under a different brand, a registered name change may be more than you need. Sort out which one you actually want first.

Common questions

How do I change an existing company name on CIPC?

You reserve the new name (CoR 9.1), pass a special resolution approving the change, then file a CoR 15.2 amendment with CIPC. CIPC updates the register and issues a certificate with the new name. The registration number stays the same throughout.

How much does it cost to change a company name in South Africa?

CIPC charges R50 to reserve the name, plus a small amendment fee. If you'd rather not deal with the portal, Govchain does the full change for R720, including the name reservation, the resolution and the filing.

How long does a CIPC name change take?

Budget around two to three weeks end to end. The name reservation is usually approved within a few working days, and the amendment is processed after that. Govchain's typical turnaround is about 10 working days once your new name is reserved.

Let Govchain change your company name for you

A name change is a small job that turns into a frustrating one the moment a name gets rejected or a form is filled in wrong. We reserve your new name, draft the special resolution, file it with CIPC and send you the updated certificate, so the same company keeps running under its new name with nothing else disturbed.

Change your company name with Govchain. Already registering a new company instead? Start with our guide on how to register a company online in South Africa.