How To Get Share Certificate In South Africa

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What is Shares Certificate?

A share certificate is a written document signed on behalf of a corporation that serves as legal proof of ownership of the number of shares indicated.

How do I get a share certificate?

The easiest way to get a stock certificate is via a broker, but be prepared to pay for it. The simplest way to get a stock certificate today is to ask your broker. If you bought your shares through a brokerage firm, it will have an account with your name and the number of shares you purchased.

What is a share certificate?

A share certificate is a document, issued by the Directors of a company, to certify the ownership of shares in that company. In other words, a share certificate is the proof of a person’s share of ownership in a company.

In South Africa, a share certificate must be prepared in accordance with the Companies Act of 2008. It must contain:

  • A unique share certificate number (certificates issued must be sequential).
  • The name of the company issuing the shares.
  • The registration number of the company.
  • The full name, ID number and address of the shareholder to whom the shares are issued.
  • The number and type of shares issued.
  • The signatures of the Director/s and the Company Secretary (if the company has one) or witness.

You can find a share certificate template in a Word DOC format at Free Word Templates. There are also many share certificate design specialists offering their services online; such as CIPC Online Company Compliance.

When do you need a share certificate

You need a share certificate in the following instances:

  • To open a bank account for a new company;
  • If a shareholder sells his/her shares then the original share certificate needs to be returned; or
  • In court in the case of disputes to prove a shareholder’s ownership in a company.

Request a CIPC Certificate

The Companies Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) is responsible for the registration of businesses, cooperatives and intellectual property rights in South Africa.

The following certificates can be requested from CIPC (at a fee of R30):

  • Disclosures;
  • B-BBEE certificates;
  • MOI (incorporation) documents; and
  • Approved names

To request a certificate from CIPC, you must:

  1. Register as a customer on CIPC’s website to create a customer code.
  2. Deposit payment (R30) into CIPS’s bank account using your customer code as a reference.
  3. Request the certificate by logging in to CIPC’s eServices system and choosing “Disclosure and Certificates”.