Share Register

What is a share register?

A share register is an official record of all the shareholders in a company, including details about how many shares each person or entity holds. It’s a legal requirement for South African companies and must be kept up to date at all times.

The register typically includes:

• Shareholder names and ID numbers
• Number and class of shares held
• Dates of share issuance or transfer

While the CIPC does not keep a central record of shareholders for private companies, your company is still required to maintain its own internal share register.

Where do I get or update my company’s share register?

The share register is usually created when your company is first registered and must be updated whenever shares are issued, transferred, or cancelled. You won’t find it on the CIPC portal – instead, it’s maintained privately by the company itself, often by the directors or a company secretary.

You can keep the register in digital or paper format, but it must be accurate and accessible for inspection by SARS, CIPC, or shareholders on request.

Govchain offers support for managing shareholder information as part of its Beneficial Ownership Register service.

What’s the difference between a share register and a share certificate?

The share register is the master list of who owns shares in the company, while a share certificate is a document given to each shareholder as proof of their ownership.

Think of the share register as the company’s internal record, and the share certificate as the shareholder’s official copy. Whenever there’s a change in ownership, both the register and the certificates must be updated accordingly.

Need help updating your company’s ownership records?

Govchain makes it easy to add or update your Beneficial Ownership Register – including shareholder and control disclosures that keep you compliant with CIPC regulations.