The official website for each job, in the order most people do them. Every job has one place to start, and more links if you need them.
The paperwork that turns an idea into a business. Most people start with these four.
Everyone
You can trade in your own name as a sole proprietor, or register a company that is separate from you. A sole proprietor does not register with CIPC and is taxed on the profit as an individual. A company must be registered, and many banks, funders and bigger customers ask for one.
Start hereStarting a business and tax Explains the kinds of business and how each one is taxed. (opens in a new tab)If you want a company
Choose a name, check nobody else has it, then register the company online. You can do this yourself in one sitting with your ID number and a bank card.
Agents charge extra for this same registration. Doing it yourself on BizPortal costs only the fee shown.
Start hereBizPortal Register a new company online and get your registration papers by email. (opens in a new tab)Everyone
Every business owes tax on its profit, company or not. Turnover Tax is a simpler option for a business with sales of R2.3 million a year or less. VAT only becomes compulsory once sales pass R2.3 million in a year, and you may choose to register from R120 000.
Start hereSARS for small businesses SARS's home for small businesses: how to register, what to send in and when. (opens in a new tab)Everyone
Keep business money apart from your own from the first day. It makes tax, pricing and proving your income far simpler. Before you choose a bank, compare the monthly fee and what each deposit and card payment costs.
Start hereBizPortal If you are registering a company, you can ask for an account at one of four large banks in the same sitting. (opens in a new tab)What applies depends on what you sell and whether you employ anyone. Skip what does not fit you.
Depends on what you sell
Many businesses need no licence. Selling food, trading on the street or at a market, and running a spaza shop usually do need a licence or permit, and your municipality issues it. Rules and fees differ from one municipality to the next, so ask yours before you start.
Start herePermits, licences and rights Government's list of the permits and licences a business may need. (opens in a new tab)Only if you employ someone
Once someone works for you, you register as an employer: with SARS for employees' tax (PAYE), for the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF), and with the Compensation Fund, which covers injuries at work. Do it before the first payday.
Start hereEmploying staff What a small business must register for and send in once it has staff. (opens in a new tab)Everyone
If you keep customers' names, numbers or addresses, the POPI Act asks you to keep them safe and use them only for what you collected them for. The Consumer Protection Act sets the rules on fair selling, returns and honest advertising.
Start herePOPIA explained What the law on personal information asks of a business. (opens in a new tab)Money, bigger customers and being easy to find. Come back to these once you are trading.
If you need funding or advice
Government agencies lend money and give free coaching and training. Most of the money is a loan to pay back, not a grant, and you will be asked for a business plan. SEDFA is the main agency: it replaced Seda and sefa in October 2024.
Nobody can get you government funding for a fee. Apply on the agency's own website or at its office.
Start hereSEDFA Loans, coaching, training and incubators for small businesses. Call 086 010 3703. (opens in a new tab)Only if you want this work
To supply any government body you must first be on the Central Supplier Database. Tenders from across government are advertised on eTenders. Big customers often ask for a B-BBEE certificate, and a company with sales of R10 million a year or less can get one free.
Start hereCentral Supplier Database Register yourself as a supplier to government. (opens in a new tab)Everyone
Customers look you up before they call. A Google Business Profile puts you on Google Maps and Search with your hours and number. Your own .co.za address makes your email and website look established.
Start hereGoogle Business Profile List your business on Google Maps and Search. (opens in a new tab)Whenever you have time
Short, free reading and courses for the evenings. Pick one source and follow it, instead of trying to read everything.
Start hereSME South Africa Plain-language guides on funding, licences and running a small business. (opens in a new tab)Official sources come first, and each link says who runs the site. Nobody pays to be listed here. A link to a company is marked “Company”.
my-sa.biz is not a government website and this page is not legal or tax advice. Fees and rules change, so confirm them on the official site. Read the disclaimer.
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