How to Check if a Business Name Is Taken in South Africa: CIPC, Trade Marks and .co.za Domains
To check whether a business name is taken in South Africa, look in three places: the CIPC company register (for registered and reserved company names), the CIPC trade mark register (for brands someone already owns), and a .co.za domain search (for the web address). Each one answers a different question, and passing one does not mean you pass the others. A name can be free at CIPC and still clash with a registered trade mark, or be free as a trade mark while the .co.za domain belongs to someone else.
Many of the people who contact us start on our domain checker with a name they love, and the domain is only one part of the picture. This guide walks through all three checks in the order that saves the most time and money, using what CIPC and the .co.za registry say themselves (checked 29 October 2026).
Why one check is not enough
It helps to know what each register actually protects, because they protect different things.
- The CIPC company register records the names of companies, close corporations and co-operatives. It stops two companies registering the same name.
- The trade mark register, also run by CIPC, records brands that someone owns for particular goods or services.
- The .co.za registry records who holds each web address.
CIPC is direct about the gap between the first and the second. In its own words: “Registering a business, company or domain name does not give you any proprietary rights. Only a trade mark can provide that kind of protection.” In other words, getting your company name approved does not mean the name is yours to use as a brand. That is why CIPC itself advises a free trade mark search and a normal web search before you even reserve a company name.
Check 1: search the CIPC company register
CIPC offers two ways to look up names on its eServices site at eservices.cipc.co.za:
- Enterprise search, which anyone can use as a guest, lets you “search for enterprises on our register using enterprise name, enterprise number or director ID/passport number”. Use it for a first look at whether a company with your name already exists.
- Name search, which searches “registered and reserved names”, needs a CIPC customer code. Reserved names matter because someone may have claimed your name in the last few months without registering a company yet.
You can also start from BizPortal (bizportal.gov.za), the government’s business registration portal, where the name availability check happens as a step inside company registration. CIPC’s own “Search our registry” page links to both.
A simple tip from experience: search for variations, not just your exact spelling. The Companies Act stops names that are “confusingly similar” to an existing one, not only identical ones, so “Coastal Plumbing” and “Coastal Plumbers” are worth checking together.
Why CIPC can turn a name down
Section 11 of the Companies Act (71 of 2008) sets out when a company name is not allowed. In summary, a name must not be the same as, or confusingly similar to:
- the name of another company, external company, close corporation or co-operative (unless it is part of the same group)
- a name registered as a business name under the old Business Names Act
- a registered trade mark belonging to someone else, or a mark with a trade mark application filed in South Africa, or a well-known mark
- a word or expression protected under the Merchandise Marks Act
A name also may not falsely suggest that the company is linked to another person or organisation, or to the state or a court, and it may not include words that amount to propaganda for war, incitement of violence or advocacy of hatred. Notice the trade mark point in that list. A clash with someone’s registered brand is a reason for refusal at company level too, which is one more reason to do the trade mark search early.
Check 2: search the trade mark register (free)
CIPC’s IP Online portal (iponline.cipc.co.za) has a free basic trade mark search. CIPC describes it as letting “members of the public to perform a quick search of trade mark records at no cost without the need to create a customer account or logging in”. You can search by keyword, trade mark name or number, and see the owner, status and the class of goods or services each mark covers.
Two things to understand when you read the results:
- Trade marks are registered per class. A mark for clothing does not automatically block the same word for accounting services. CIPC requires “a separate Trade Mark application for each international class of goods or services”.
- A free search is not a clearance. CIPC’s search page says the results “do not grant any right(s)” and that the outcome of an application is only decided on official search and examination by its Trade Marks Division.
If you want more certainty, CIPC offers a special search (form TM2) at R190 per class, and a trade mark application costs R590 per class, according to CIPC’s fee information. A registered trade mark can be kept indefinitely if it is renewed every ten years, and it protects you in South Africa only. CIPC notes that “Registration of a trade mark in South Africa does not give you any rights in relation to that trade mark overseas.”
If the name is central to your business, this is the point where a trade mark attorney earns their fee. We build websites, not legal opinions, so treat this section as a map of the official tools rather than advice on your specific name.
Check 3: check the .co.za domain
The .co.za space is run by the ZA Registry Consortium (ZARC), under the .ZA Domain Name Authority (ZADNA), the statutory regulator. To see whether the domain is free, use any registrar’s search. Ours is the JWD domain checker, which also tells you the yearly price and lets you register it in your own name if it is available.
If the domain is taken, ZARC’s official WHOIS lookup (zarc.web.za/whois) shows registration details for .co.za names. Our separate guide on how to check domain name availability in South Africa covers what to do when your first choice is gone, and how to choose a domain name covers .co.za versus .com.
The order that saves money
Do the free checks first and pay for nothing until all three look clear:
| Step | Where | Cost | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Web search | Google and social media | Free | Whether someone already trades under the name |
| 2. Trade mark search | CIPC IP Online basic search | Free | Whether someone owns the name as a brand in your class |
| 3. Company name search | CIPC eServices or BizPortal | Not published | Whether a company has registered or reserved it |
| 4. Domain search | Any registrar, or our domain checker | Free to search | Whether the .co.za or .com is available |
| 5. Reserve the company name | CIPC eServices, BizPortal and other CIPC channels | R50 per application | Holds the name for your company registration |
| 6. Register the domain | Any registrar | R200 a year for .co.za with us | Secures the web address in your name |
Why reserve last? A reservation costs money and runs out, and it does nothing for your trade mark or your domain. It is the step that only makes sense once the others are clear.
Reserving a company name with CIPC
When you are ready, here is how reservation works according to CIPC:
- Cost: “Each name reservation application costs R50”, and it is not refundable.
- How many names: you can propose “between 1 and 4 names” per application, in order of preference. CIPC tests each one and shows a cross next to any that fail.
- When it counts: a name is only reserved once CIPC confirms it in writing on a CoR9.4.
- How long it lasts: six months. CIPC says it can be extended for R30 at a time, for 60 business days, but only in the month before it expires. Once expired, it cannot be extended.
- How long it takes: CIPC’s service standard for name reservation is one working day, provided there are enough funds on your customer code.
- Where: CIPC lists its eServices site, BizPortal, the CIPC mobile app, self service terminals and banks (as part of company registration).
You do not have to reserve a name to start a company. BizPortal lists company registration at R125 without a name and R175 including a name. If you register without one, CIPC says the registration number becomes the company name with “(South Africa)” at the end, and you can add a reserved name later.
Want someone to handle the CIPC registration for you?
We build websites, so we do not register companies ourselves. When our clients want help with the CIPC side, we recommend Joe at COIDA Advisory, who assists businesses with registering companies with CIPC. In the interest of transparency, COIDA Advisory is also a JWD client. Once your company and name are sorted, we can take care of the domain, email and website.
What about sole proprietors and “trading as” names?
This is where many people get stuck. The Consumer Protection Act includes rules for registering business names, but a CIPC notice from 2012 said those provisions had not yet taken effect and that “Until the provisions come into force, there is no prohibition on the creation and use of business names.” We could not find an official notice bringing them into force since then, and CIPC’s current eServices list has no business name registration service. Because legal positions can change, confirm with CIPC or your accountant before relying on this.
What this means in practice: if you trade as a sole proprietor, nothing on the company register reserves your trading name for you. The trade mark search and the domain matter even more, because they are the checks that tell you whether someone else already owns the name you want to build on.
Once the name is clear
A clear name is the start, not the finish. Register the domain before you print business cards, set up a business email address on your own domain, and then build the website people will find when they search for you. If you would like help with that last part, our website packages start at R2,500, or you can request a quote and tell us what you are planning.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I check if a company name is available in South Africa?
Search the CIPC register on eservices.cipc.co.za, where the guest enterprise search looks up existing companies by name, and the name search (with a CIPC customer code) also covers reserved names. Then run a free trade mark search on CIPC’s IP Online portal and check the .co.za domain.
Does registering my company name with CIPC protect my brand?
No. CIPC states that registering a business, company or domain name “does not give you any proprietary rights” and that “Only a trade mark can provide that kind of protection.” To own a name as a brand you need a registered trade mark, applied for per class of goods or services.
How much does it cost to reserve a business name with CIPC?
R50 per name reservation application, which can include up to four proposed names. The fee is not refundable. A reservation lasts six months and, according to CIPC, can be extended for R30 at a time within the month before it expires.
Is the CIPC trade mark search free?
Yes, the basic trade mark search on CIPC’s IP Online portal is free and does not need an account. CIPC also offers a paid special search at R190 per class, and a trade mark application costs R590 per class.
Can I use a business name if the .co.za domain is already taken?
You may still be able to use the name, but customers will look for you online, and a competitor or stranger owning the obvious domain causes confusion. Check the domain alongside the company and trade mark searches, and consider a variation that is clear on all three before you commit.
