Company Secretarial Services in South Africa
Keep your company records accurate, your CIPC obligations under control and your directors informed with practical company secretarial support from M&J Consultants.
We assist South African companies and foreign-owned businesses with recurring CIPC compliance, statutory records, ownership disclosures and company changes. Whether you need help resolving an overdue filing or want an outsourced partner to maintain your compliance throughout the year, we provide a clear process and documented outcome.
South African CIPC support for private companies, growing groups and foreign investors.
Last reviewed
At a glance
- Covers
- Annual returns, ownership, directors and statutory records
- Built for
- Private companies, groups and foreign-owned businesses
- Engagement
- One-off corrections or ongoing compliance management
- Separate service
- Company registration creates the entity
Company compliance should not depend on a last-minute reminder
Company secretarial work is more than registering a business. A company continues to have record-keeping, disclosure and filing responsibilities after incorporation. Changes in directors, addresses, ownership or shareholding should be supported by the correct records and reflected with the appropriate authorities where required.
When these responsibilities are neglected, a company can face administrative complications, unreliable due-diligence records and avoidable delays when applying for finance, opening accounts, onboarding investors or entering important contracts.
M&J helps management establish a reliable compliance routine instead of reacting only when a transaction exposes missing or outdated records.
Our company secretarial services
CIPC annual returns
We help confirm the company's annual-return position, prepare the information required for submission and address outstanding filing periods. This is a corporate compliance filing and is separate from the company's tax return to SARS.
Beneficial ownership filings
We help companies organise ownership and control information, identify supporting records and prepare for beneficial-ownership declarations. Complex or uncertain structures are flagged for appropriate legal advice rather than treated as routine data capture.
Director appointments, resignations and record changes
We coordinate the information and company records required when directors are appointed, resign or when recorded director details need to be updated. Our process includes a consistency check across the company's supporting records.
Registered address and company detail changes
We assist with changes to recorded company information and help management identify other records or registrations that may also need to be updated after the CIPC change.
Statutory registers and company records
We help organise and maintain key corporate records such as director information, shareholding records, resolutions and supporting company documents. The exact record set depends on the company, its constitutional documents and its transactions.
Share certificates and share transactions
We provide administrative support for properly authorised share issuances and transfers, including record updates and document coordination. Transactions with legal, tax, exchange-control or B-BBEE implications should be reviewed by the relevant specialists before implementation.
Memorandum of Incorporation and company changes
Where a company proposes changes affecting its constitutional documents or governance arrangements, we help coordinate the process, required approvals and CIPC administration. Legal drafting is referred or handled with appropriately qualified legal support where necessary.
Company compliance health checks
Our health check identifies apparent gaps across annual returns, beneficial ownership information, director records and core statutory documents. You receive a prioritised action list showing what appears current, what needs evidence and what should be corrected.
Who we help
- South African private companies that want dependable recurring compliance support
- Owner-managed businesses whose records have not kept pace with company changes
- Company groups managing multiple CIPC profiles and annual obligations
- Foreign shareholders establishing or maintaining South African operations
- Businesses preparing for finance, investment or due diligence
- Accountants, attorneys and advisors who need an administrative company-secretarial partner
Our process
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Confirm the company and the request
We confirm the legal entity, registration details, authorised contact and the specific outcome required.
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Review available records
We review the documents and information relevant to the requested service. Missing, inconsistent or uncertain items are identified before submission.
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Prepare the filing or record update
We organise the required information, resolutions or supporting records and explain any approvals or signatures needed from the company.
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Submit or coordinate the change
Where authorised and within scope, we complete or coordinate the applicable CIPC process. Timing remains subject to complete information, system availability and CIPC processing.
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Deliver and maintain the record
We provide the resulting documents or submission evidence and explain any follow-up actions. Ongoing clients can add recurring compliance monitoring.
Why use an outsourced company secretarial service?
- Create one accountable process for recurring corporate compliance
- Reduce the risk of company records contradicting each other
- Prepare cleaner records for funders, investors and due-diligence teams
- Keep director and ownership information easier to verify
- Identify missing documents before an urgent transaction
- Give directors a clearer view of outstanding actions
Company registration and company secretarial services are different
Company registration creates the legal entity. Company secretarial services help maintain its corporate records and ongoing CIPC compliance after incorporation.
A newly registered business may need both: incorporation and initial setup first, followed by an annual compliance and record-maintenance service.
Put your company records back under control
Tell us what has changed, what is outstanding or what transaction you are preparing for. M&J will review the position and recommend a practical next step.
- No obligation: we confirm scope before any work starts
- A clear next step, whether the matter is routine or complex
- Specialist referral where a matter needs legal interpretation
Request a company compliance review
Complete the form and an M&J consultant will come back to you.
Frequently asked questions
Answers to what clients ask most before instructing us. If your situation is not covered here, ask us directly and we will tell you what applies to your company.
Ask a different question Does every private company need to appoint a company secretary?
Private companies do not use the same mandatory company-secretary framework that applies to certain other company categories. However, directors remain responsible for ensuring that the company meets its legal and record-keeping obligations. An outsourced company secretarial provider can administer this work without being presented as a formally appointed statutory office holder.
Can M&J fix overdue CIPC compliance?
We can assess the company's available records and outstanding items, then recommend and assist with the appropriate corrective process. The outcome depends on the company's status, the completeness of its records and CIPC requirements at the time.
Are CIPC annual returns the same as SARS tax returns?
No. A CIPC annual return is a corporate-registry obligation. A SARS tax return reports information for tax purposes. Completing one does not automatically complete the other.
What documents will you need?
The documents depend on the service. They may include registration documents, identity documents, current company records, shareholding information, resolutions and evidence supporting a requested change. We provide a tailored checklist after the initial review.
Can you assist a foreign-owned South African company?
Yes. We assist foreign shareholders and regional groups with South African company administration. Where a matter involves tax residence, exchange control, immigration or legal structuring, we coordinate or recommend the relevant specialist advice.
Do you guarantee CIPC processing times?
No provider can responsibly guarantee a CIPC processing time. We can explain the likely process, prepare a complete submission and keep you informed, but timing can be affected by CIPC systems, verification requirements and the complexity of the matter.