Obligation to maintain an accurate registered office and physical address

The Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) has observed an increasing number of complaints from members of the public regarding companies that have relocated their business operations but failed to update their registered office and physical address records with the CIPC.

As a result, legal notices, court documents, compliance notices, regulatory correspondence, and other official communications continue to be delivered to outdated addresses. This creates significant inconvenience and potential prejudice to the current occupants of those premises, who have no association with the company concerned.

In terms of the Companies Act, 2008 (Act No. 71 of 2008), every company is required to maintain an accurate registered office address and ensure that the information contained in the CIPC register remains current and correct.

Failure to update the registered office and physical address may:

The CIPC therefore urges all companies to review their registered details and immediately update any outdated address information.

Companies should update their address if:

The responsibility for ensuring that company information remains accurate and up to date rests with the company’s directors and prescribed officers. Companies should periodically review all information maintained on the CIPC register to ensure continued compliance with the Companies Act.