What is the Christian Leaders Alliance South Africa Soul Center Non-Profit Company registration service? #

The Christian Leaders Alliance South Africa Soul Center Non-Profit Company registration service helps eligible Christian Leaders Alliance South Africa members register an approved Soul Center as a South African Non-Profit Company (NPC).

It is a Start My Company project provided in partnership with Christian Leaders Alliance, Christian Leaders Alliance South Africa and Soul Centers.

For an eligible application, the administrative service fee is R0. This means you do not pay Start My Company or Christian Leaders Alliance South Africa a fee for the supported registration assistance.

You are still responsible for the official registration charges required by the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC).

The service guides you through the application, explains what information and documents are needed, reviews an eligible application and prepares it for the CIPC registration process.

What is a Non-Profit Company? #

A Non-Profit Company (NPC) is a type of company recognised under South African law.

An NPC must be established for a public benefit purpose, or for an object relating to cultural or social activities or communal or group interests.

Unlike an ordinary profit-making company, an NPC does not have shareholders who are entitled to receive its profits.

For a church or ministry, an NPC can provide a formal legal structure through which the organisation operates.

The NPC becomes a legal organisation in its own right. It is separate from the individual people who establish it or serve as its directors.

This can help a church or ministry operate through a recognised legal structure when dealing with government authorities, entering into agreements, keeping formal organisational records and carrying out other activities in the organisation’s own name.

There is a separate section of this Knowledgebase called Understanding a Non-Profit Company if you would like a fuller explanation before starting an application.

Who officially registers the Non-Profit Company? #

The Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) is the South African public authority responsible for registering companies.

Start My Company, Christian Leaders Alliance, Christian Leaders Alliance South Africa and Soul Centers are not CIPC.

Our service provides administrative assistance with the supported registration process.

CIPC remains responsible for the official company-registration process and the final registration outcome.

This means that we can help you prepare and process an eligible application, but we cannot guarantee that CIPC will approve an application or complete it within a particular period.

Which type of Non-Profit Company does this service support? #

There is more than one way to structure a South African Non-Profit Company.

This service currently supports:

a Non-Profit Company without legal company members, using the Short Standard Form.

The official CIPC form for this structure is Form CoR 15.1C.

It contains a standard Memorandum of Incorporation (MOI).

A Memorandum of Incorporation is the main legal document that sets out the fundamental rules governing a company.

The CoR 15.1C form is specifically intended for a Non-Profit Company without legal company members.

This service is therefore suitable where the standard CoR 15.1C structure meets the organisation’s needs.

It is not intended to create a specially customised company structure.

If your organisation requires specially drafted company rules, a different form of Non-Profit Company, legal company members or another legal structure, you should obtain appropriate professional advice before proceeding.

What does “without legal company members” mean? #

This is an important distinction because churches and ministries commonly use the word member in a different way.

An NPC registered using CoR 15.1C does not have legal company members.

That does not mean that your Soul Center cannot have:

• church members;
• ministry members;
• congregation members;
• regular attendees;
• volunteers;
• supporters; or
• people who participate in its activities.

Those are members or participants in the ordinary church or ministry sense.

They do not automatically become legal members of the NPC.

For example, a Soul Center could have 80 church members and four NPC directors.

The 80 church members can remain members of the church community. They do not become legal company members merely because the church operates through an NPC.

The NPC itself is run by its directors under the structure provided by its Memorandum of Incorporation.

The difference between church or ministry members, legal company members and company directors is explained more fully in the Understanding a Non-Profit Company section of this Knowledgebase.

Who can use this service? #

This service is intended for eligible Christian Leaders Alliance (CLA) South Africa members and approved Soul Centers.

When you begin the application, you will be asked to confirm that:

• you are an approved Christian Leaders Alliance South Africa member;
• the application is for a Christian Leaders Alliance Soul Center;
• the organisation will be registered in South Africa;
• you want a Non-Profit Company without legal company members using the supported Short Standard Form; and
• you understand the scope of the free registration service.

Your Christian Leaders Alliance South Africa membership will be checked before the NPC registration is processed.

A Soul Center may include a church, ministry or another approved Christian Leaders Alliance ministry expression.

If you are not yet registered or approved as a Soul Center, deal with that first rather than starting an NPC application that cannot yet be processed.

What does the service cost? #

For an eligible application, the Start My Company and Christian Leaders Alliance administrative service fee is R0.

The registration assistance is provided as a practical Soul Center benefit for eligible Christian Leaders Alliance South Africa members.

You therefore do not pay us a separate fee for the supported registration administration.

However, this does not mean that the official company-registration process is free.

CIPC charges official fees connected with the registration process. Those charges remain payable by the applicant or organisation.

Official government fees can change. Always follow the current amount and payment instructions shown in the registration portal.

The Is the Soul Center Non-Profit Company registration service free, and what will I need to pay? article explains costs in more detail.

What does the service include? #

The service provides guided administrative assistance for the supported NPC registration.

It helps you to:

• confirm that you are eligible to use the service;
• provide the required Soul Center information;
• understand the company structure being registered;
• provide the information needed about the proposed directors;
• provide proposed company names;
• prepare the required documents;
• submit the required documents through the protected registration portal;
• review the application before submission;
• make the applicable official CIPC payment;
• provide proof of payment; and
• have the eligible application reviewed and prepared for the CIPC registration process.

The registration portal is designed specifically around the supported Soul Center NPC registration process.

How does the online application work? #

The registration portal currently takes you through seven guided steps:

1. Eligibility
2. Soul Center
3. Prepare
4. Directors
5. Names
6. Documents
7. Review

You do not need to understand every part of company registration before you begin.

Each step tells you what information is needed at that stage.

This Knowledgebase provides fuller explanations where a subject needs more detail than can reasonably be included inside the application form.

What happens in the Eligibility step? #

The first step checks whether the service is appropriate for you.

You confirm that:

• you are an approved Christian Leaders Alliance South Africa member;
• the application is for a Christian Leaders Alliance Soul Center;
• the organisation will be registered in South Africa;
• you want the supported NPC without legal company members; and
• you understand that the free service covers the supported company-registration administration rather than all future accounting, tax or compliance work.

You will also provide the email address used for your Christian Leaders Alliance registration so that your membership can be checked.

What information will I need to provide? #

The full requirements are explained in the relevant sections of this Knowledgebase, but you should expect to provide information about:

• your Christian Leaders Alliance membership;
• your Soul Center;
• the proposed Non-Profit Company;
• the organisation’s main purpose;
• the organisation’s physical and postal addresses;
• the organisation’s contact details;
• the proposed directors;
• proposed company names;
• how future directors will be appointed;
• the company’s financial year;
• identification documents;
• signed registration documents; and
• proof of the applicable official CIPC payment.

You do not need to collect every detail from memory.

The application and Knowledgebase explain the requirements as you work through the process.

How many directors will I need? #

A Non-Profit Company must have at least three directors.

The current Soul Center registration portal supports applications with three to twelve directors.

A director is a person who takes responsibility for directing and managing the company.

Being an NPC director is therefore not merely an honorary title.

Each person you propose as a director should know that they are being appointed to the company and understand that directors have genuine responsibilities.

Do not add someone as a director merely to reach the minimum number.

The Directors and Company Names section explains the director requirements in greater detail.

Can a foreign national be a director? #

The current Soul Center application can accommodate both South African and foreign proposed directors.

A South African citizen provides their South African identity number and the required certified South African identity document.

A foreign national provides the details from a valid passport and the required certified passport documentation.

There are specific document and certification requirements, particularly where a document is certified outside South Africa.

Read the Documents You Will Need and Directors and Company Names sections carefully before preparing these documents.

What documents will I need? #

The current service requires documents including:

• a certified identity document for each proposed director;
• the approved Power of Attorney;
• the approved Board Resolution; and
• proof of the applicable official CIPC payment at the final stage.

A Power of Attorney is a document giving another person authority to carry out specified actions on your behalf.

For this service, the approved Power of Attorney authorises the person handling the registration to act for the proposed directors for the particular NPC registration work described in the document.

A Board Resolution is a written record showing that the proposed directors have agreed to the registration and authorised the registration process.

The application provides the approved documents that must be used.

Do not substitute your own version unless specifically instructed to do so.

The Documents You Will Need section explains each document, how it must be prepared and the certification requirements that apply.

Where should I send sensitive documents? #

Use the protected registration portal to submit sensitive application documents.

The registration process requires personal information and identity documents. These should not normally be sent through ordinary email.

The portal accepts the supported document formats and stores application information and uploaded documents using the security arrangements built into the service.

If you need help with an upload, use the Start My Company Support Desk rather than emailing identity documents unless you have specifically been instructed to use an approved alternative method.

The Privacy, Security and Your Information section explains how your personal information and documents are handled.

Can I stop and continue the application later? #

Yes.

The portal provides Save & Return.

If you need to stop, you can save your draft and receive a secure return link at your Christian Leaders Alliance registration email address.

The return link is security-sensitive and should be treated as private.

Follow the instructions shown in the portal when returning to your application.

If you use a return link and then need to stop again, use Save & Return again before leaving so that you receive a new secure link.

If you have difficulty returning to a saved application, use the Help, Problems and Troubleshooting section or contact the Start My Company Support Desk.

What happens before the application is sent to CIPC? #

Completing the online form does not mean that your NPC has already been registered.

There are several stages.

Christian Leaders Alliance South Africa must first confirm that you are eligible to use the service.

The application and supporting documents must also be reviewed.

If information is missing, inconsistent, unclear or incorrect, you may be asked to correct it before the registration can proceed.

Once an eligible application is complete and ready, it can be prepared for the CIPC process.

CIPC remains responsible for the official company-registration process.

How long will registration take? #

There is no guaranteed registration time.

Several things can affect the total time, including:

• Christian Leaders Alliance South Africa eligibility confirmation;
• whether your application is complete;
• whether documents are clear and correctly prepared;
• whether corrections are needed;
• reviewer availability;
• proposed company-name approval;
• payment;
• CIPC systems; and
• CIPC processing.

Some applications may move quickly when everything is complete and all systems are available. Others may take considerably longer.

Do not make an important commitment that depends on your NPC being registered by a particular date unless you have allowed for possible delays.

What can delay or prevent my application? #

Problems can arise when:

• the applicant is not eligible for the service;
• the Soul Center has not been approved;
• the organisation does not fit the supported NPC structure;
• required information is missing;
• names or identity details are entered incorrectly;
• information in different parts of the application does not match;
• identity documents are unclear;
• certification does not meet the required standard;
• a required director has not provided the necessary information or documents;
• required documents have not been signed;
• proposed company names cannot be approved;
• payment has not been completed correctly;
• proof of payment is missing;
• duplicate applications are created; or
• an external CIPC system or process is delayed.

Reading the guidance and checking your application carefully before submission can prevent many avoidable delays.

Should I submit the CIPC forms myself as well? #

No, not if you are using this registration service.

The portal may make official CIPC documents available for information so that you can understand the structure being used.

Where a document is marked for information only, do not complete, sign, upload or submit it yourself.

The registration service prepares the relevant CIPC submission for the application.

Submitting your own separate application at the same time could create duplicate applications, delays or additional costs.

Follow the instructions in the registration portal rather than sending separate registration documents to CIPC unless you have decided to stop using this service and handle the registration independently.

Does registering an NPC make my organisation tax exempt? #

No.

Registering a Non-Profit Company with CIPC does not automatically make the organisation exempt from income tax.

A Public Benefit Organisation (PBO) is a separate tax status administered by the South African Revenue Service (SARS).

An organisation that wants PBO approval must meet the applicable requirements and apply to SARS.

SARS must approve the organisation before it is regarded as an approved PBO for tax purposes.

NPC registration and PBO approval are therefore not the same thing.

Does NPC registration automatically give us section 18A approval? #

No.

Section 18A approval is also separate.

Certain qualifying organisations may apply to SARS for approval to issue qualifying tax-deductible donation receipts.

An organisation does not receive this ability merely because it has been registered as an NPC.

PBO approval and section 18A approval are also not automatically the same thing.

These subjects can involve important tax consequences, so they are explained separately in Tax, Public Benefit Organisation and Nonprofit Organisation Status.

Is an NPC the same as a registered Nonprofit Organisation? #

No.

A Non-Profit Company (NPC) is a company registered with CIPC.

A registered Nonprofit Organisation (NPO) is a separate registration administered through the South African Department of Social Development.

These are different forms of registration or status.

An organisation may therefore be an NPC without being registered as an NPO.

Likewise, registration as an NPC does not by itself make the organisation a SARS-approved PBO or give it section 18A approval.

The Tax, Public Benefit Organisation and Nonprofit Organisation Status section explains these differences in detail.

Does the free service include everything the NPC will need after registration? #

No.

The R0 service covers the supported NPC registration administration.

It is not an ongoing:

• accounting service;
• bookkeeping service;
• tax service;
• company-secretarial service;
• annual-return service;
• legal service;
• financial-advice service; or
• general compliance-management service.

Registration creates a legal company, and that company has responsibilities after it is incorporated.

These can include requirements involving CIPC, SARS and other authorities.

The After Your Non-Profit Company Is Registered section explains the important post-registration responsibilities.

Do not assume that registration is the final administrative step your organisation will ever need to complete.

What does the registration service not provide? #

The service and this Knowledgebase provide administrative assistance and general information.

They do not provide legal, business, tax, accounting, financial or other professional advice.

The service is also not designed to determine which legal structure is best for an organisation with unusual or complex circumstances.

You should seek help from an appropriately qualified South African professional if your organisation needs professional advice about matters such as:

• choosing between different legal structures;
• specially drafted constitutional or company provisions;
• unusual governance arrangements;
• contracts;
• tax planning;
• accounting treatment;
• significant financial obligations;
• governance disputes;
• legal disputes;
• employment matters; or
• another matter requiring professional judgement.

Why does choosing the correct structure matter? #

Registering an NPC creates a real legal organisation.

It should therefore not be treated as merely completing an online form.

The information used for the registration affects how the company is constituted and how it operates.

If the standard CoR 15.1C structure is not suitable for your organisation, it is better to identify that before the company is registered.

That is one reason the application checks your eligibility and the intended company structure at the beginning.

If you are unsure whether this type of NPC is suitable for your organisation, do not guess. Obtain appropriate professional advice.

What responsibilities will we have after registration? #

Registration is the beginning of the NPC’s formal life, not the end of its responsibilities.

After incorporation, there are further company and tax administration requirements.

These can include matters such as:

• beneficial ownership information;
• maintaining company information and records;
• annual returns;
• South African Revenue Service administration;
• keeping the organisation’s registered details current;
• tax obligations;
• financial records; and
• other legal or regulatory requirements that apply to the organisation.

Some requirements have deadlines shortly after incorporation.

For this reason, do not receive the registration certificate and assume that nothing further needs to be done.

Read the After Your Non-Profit Company Is Registered section as soon as the NPC has been registered.

What should I do before starting? #

Before you begin the application, make sure that you understand the service you are requesting.

You should be able to confirm that:

• you are an approved Christian Leaders Alliance South Africa member;
• the application is for an approved Soul Center;
• the organisation will be registered in South Africa;
• you want to register a South African Non-Profit Company;
• the supported NPC without legal company members is appropriate for your organisation;
• you understand that the Start My Company and Christian Leaders Alliance administrative service fee is R0;
• you understand that official CIPC charges remain payable;
• you understand that the service covers the supported registration process rather than all future administration and compliance; and
• you understand that the NPC will have ongoing responsibilities after registration.

If you can confirm these points, continue through the other Start Here articles before beginning the application.

Where can I get help? #

If you are unsure about the registration portal or the administrative process, use the Start My Company Support Desk.

When asking for help, explain:

• which part of the application you are working on;
• what you are trying to do;
• what has happened; and
• any error message you can see.

If you have an application reference, include it when appropriate.

Do not place sensitive identity-document information into an ordinary support message unnecessarily.

If your question requires legal, tax, accounting, financial or other professional advice rather than administrative help, you may need assistance from an appropriately qualified South African professional.

What happens next? #

Before starting the application itself, continue through the remaining Start Here articles.

They will explain:

• Who can use the Soul Center Non-Profit Company registration service?
• What does the Soul Center Non-Profit Company registration service include — and what does it not include?
• Is the Soul Center Non-Profit Company registration service free, and what will I need to pay?
• What do I need before I start my Non-Profit Company application?
• How does the Soul Center Non-Profit Company registration process work from start to finish?

These articles are designed to make sure that you understand the service and can prepare properly before entering detailed information.

Once you are ready, you can start the secure seven-step registration application.

Important note #

The Christian Leaders Alliance South Africa Soul Center registration service and this Knowledgebase provide administrative guidance and general information only.

They do not provide legal, business, tax, accounting, financial or other professional advice.

Legislation, regulations, official forms, government fees, online systems, government procedures, filing requirements and processing times can change.

The current requirements of CIPC, SARS or another relevant authority always take precedence where an official requirement differs from information provided here.

Applicants remain responsible for the truth, completeness and accuracy of the information supplied and for the organisation’s legal, tax, financial and regulatory responsibilities after registration.

Registration assistance does not guarantee approval by the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission.

Last checked against official information: 21 August 2026