South Africa client case studies in 2024

  • Multi-national 360 payments platform provider establishes South Africa foothold

    Background

    Our Client is an advanced payment solutions provider that creates seamless payment connections between their Clients and their Clients’ customers. Our Client focuses on developing and emerging markets in Africa, South America and Asia.

    Our Client engaged Healy Consultants Group to help establish their business in South Africa as part of a multi-country expansion plan. Healy Consultants Group i) established a new South Africa company ii) provided a legal registered address iii) provided a nominee shareholder and director iv) provided a resident Public Officer and v) opened two corporate bank accounts.

    Engagement planning

    • Our Client emailed Healy Consultants Group to understand how we could assist them with their Africa business setups.
    • Our Client Engagements Manager Henry prepared a proposal, which included fees and timelines, for our Client.
    • Upon our Client confirming their desire to proceed, Henry prepared an engagement advancement e-mail, which included a tailored invoice and list of required due diligence to proceed.
    • Healy Consultants Group prepared a detailed engagement project plan mapping out a step-by-step plan to engagement completion as well as a business plan.

    Company registration

    • Upon settlement of Healy Consultants Group’s fees, and having confirmed the corporate structure of the South Africa business, our Client Engagements Manager Apurv i) checked the availability of our Client’s preferred company name and reserved it with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) and ii) prepared the company incorporation documents and sent them to our Client to complete and sign.
    • Our Client reverted with scans of the signed incorporation documents and confirmed the corporate structure of the South Africa business. Apurv compiled and submitted the complete registration application to the CIPC.
    • Within two weeks Healy Consultants Group secured company numbers for our Client’s new South African entity.

    SARS Income Tax and e-filling registrations

    • Healy Consultants Group prepared a quality application to register our Client’s business with South African Revenue Service (SARS). This would facilitate the online submission of returns and declarations and other related services of the South Africa business.
    • Within two weeks, Healy Consultants Group obtained the tax registration number from the SARS. Our Client could now legally hire local employees in South Africa.

    Corporate bank account opening

    • Our Client confirmed the two preferred South African banks that they wanted to open corporate accounts with. Our team consequently made contact with the banks to secure their interest in our Client’s business.
    • Healy Consultants Group received interest from both banks and received bank account opening application forms from them.
    • Apurv prefilled the application forms from each bank and prepared a signing guide before emailing the same to our Client and requesting them to complete and sign each application and email return scans of the actioned documents.
    • Apurv managed to secure exemptions from one bank to accept e-signed documents for account opening. Our Client’s second preferred bank insisted on original bank forms to be couriered.
    • Upon reviewing the signed forms, Apurv requested our Client to courier the originals to South Africa for submission to the bank.
    • The corporate bank account numbers were released by both banks within one week of receiving and submitting the original signed bank account opening application forms.

    Engagement completion

    • Our Client engaged Healy Consultants Group to annually renew their South Africa company, and additionally hired us for business setup services in four other countries.
  • Multi-national commodities merchant conglomerate establishes South Africa company during COVID-19

    Background

    • Our Client is a global commodities merchant firm, with more than two decades of experience in the energy and associated industries. Being a multi-national conglomerate with its headquarters based in the USA, and with numerous subsidiaries across the globe, our Client was looking to establish an intra-company IT support office.
    • Africa was selected as the ideal geographical location for this support office thanks to its favourable time zone in relation to the majority of our Client’s other offices. South Africa was also selected as the specific location, given that it is one of Africa’s most technologically-advanced and developed countries.

    Engagement planning

    • Kunal, Healy Consultants Group’s CEO Americas & Africa, presented the South Africa business setup proposal to our Client, outlining the legal requirements and highlighting the expected timeframe for the engagement, from A to Z.
    • Our Client’s legal team then i) agreed the corporate structure, including the use of nominee resident director services and settled the first instalment of our fees and ii) after signing a non-disclosure agreement, supplied KYC documents for the parent company and foreign directors.
    • Healy Consultants Group then prepared a detailed engagement project plan mapping out a step-by-step path to engagement completion.

    Company registration

    • Shortly after our Client settled Healy Consultants Group’s fees, we drafted the company incorporation documents and sent them to the Client for finalisation.
    • Upon receiving the Client’s approval and signatures, we submitted the complete incorporation application to the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) in South Africa.
    • Within two weeks we had the Client’s company registered, a Public Officer appointed and a legal registered address provided.

    Employee registrations

    • As our Client intended to have employees based in South Africa, we were tasked with registering them for all mandatory payroll taxes. These include Pay As You Earn (PAYE), the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) and Skills Development Levy (SDL).
    • Applications for all these registrations were submitted to the Department of Labour (DoL) in South Africa.
    • This engagement was on going during the global COVID-19 pandemic and the DoL was responsible for all the financial relief efforts to citizens in the country at this time. As such, we had a very difficult time completing these registrations for our Client. Our local representatives had to make multiple follow ups and physical visits to the DoL office in South Africa. After five months’ effort, we managed to register the Client’s company for PAYE, UIF and SDL.

    Corporate bank account opening

    • Our Client already had a corporate bank account with a leading international bank in the USA. To assist Healy Consultants Group secure a corporate account for their South African subsidiary with the same international bank in South Africa, our Client contacted their bank’s relationship manager in the USA and requested that they provide an internal reference.
    • Healy Consultants Group discussed this with the international bank in South Africa, to obtain their due diligence requirements and account opening forms. Our team proceeded to compile a quality account opening application.
    • Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we were able to negotiate a special circumstance account opening – permitting account numbers to be released prior to the signed documents being received by the bank, with the mutually-agreed understanding that the same would be furnished when circumstances returned to normal.

    Engagement completion

    • Healy Consultants Group was engaged to provide public officer, legal registered office and accounting and tax support services for this client for a period of 12 months, as well as to handle company renewals for the foreseeable future.
  • South Africa healthcare consultancy renewed

    Background

    • Our Client’s company was incorporated, with Healy Consultants Group’s assistance, in March 2019 in South Africa. Epione Global Consulting Limited is a healthcare consulting firm with activities across Africa;
    • The Client wished to renew their South Africa company licence, and approached our team to assist.

    Engagement Planning

    • One month before Epione Global Consulting Limited’s accounting year end Healy Consultants Group’s Financial Controller Sharon prepared and e-mailed our Client an Engagement Advancement Proposal document, along with an invoice for our South Africa company renewal services;
    • Healy Consultants Group then prepared and e-mailed our Client a detailed Engagement Project Plan, mapping out a step-by-step strategy to engagement completion.

    Renewal to engagement completion

    • Once we had received confirmation of funds transfer received from Ms. Sharon, an ATD team member (Shaidah) was assigned to provide the renewal service, including filing our Client’s annual return;
    • Shaidah e-mailed our Client i) draft financial statements for the South Africa company and ii) a draft annual statutory return for approval;
    • Shaidah submitted an accurate and complete statutory annual tax filing to the South Africa Revenue Service (SARS) and annual return filing to Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC);
    • After completing annual return filings to CIPC and tax filing to SARS, we sent a Summary of Obligations (SOO) to our Client, indicating that we had completed the filings and services requested by them. The SOO included a copy of the filed annual return and tax filing for our Client’s acknowledgement;
    • Shaidah, and our Senior IT Specialist Venkat followed up with our Client to secure a professional reference for our firm.
  • US based construction project management company establishes a Pty. Ltd. in South Africa

    Background

    Our Client is a US headquartered company specializes in delivery and project management of construction services. A South African legal entity is required specifically to fulfil the contractual requirements established by the US Government.

    Having found Healy Consultants Group business website through Google, our Client connected with Kunal Fabiani in March 2019 to determine if our Firm could assist with this urgent requirement and complete the engagement from end to end before May end. After expert analysis and deliberations with Kunal Fabiani, Healy Consultants Group’s South Africa business setup expert, our Client decided to proceed.

    Engagement planning

    Our Client promptly provided us with the due diligence documents, agreed the corporate structure and requirements for resident Public Officer and settled our fees in full. Healy Consultants Group prepared a detailed engagement project plan mapping out a step by step plan to engagement completion as well as a comprehensive business plan.

    Company registration

    Within 3 days, Healy Consultants secured the preferred company name reservation from CIPC and emailed our client the prefilled company registration application forms to be signed and scans to be email returned to our Cape Town affiliate office.

    On receipt of the signed scanned documents from our Client, Healy Consultants Group submitted the complete quality Pty Ltd registration application with the CIPC. Within 1 week of the application submission, and earlier than expected the CIPC approved the registration of the new company and issued a digital copy of the CoR 14.3 certificate. Healy Consultants Group immediately emailed our Client a scan copy of the same.

    Engagement completion

    Our Client confirmed no bank account opening would be necessary in South Africa, consequently to complete the engagement, Healy Consultants Group will courier the original corporate documents to our Client’s USA HQ office. As the entity is expected to remain inactive, if and when required, Healy Consultants Group will further provide monthly accounting and tax reporting services to complete monthly and quarterly obligations with SARS.

  • British cryptocurrency expert establishes a crypto-ecosystem in South Africa

    Background

    • Our client, a serial Startup Entrepreneur with several years innovating and founding scalable MVP’s in a diversified media and digital asset portfolio wished to establish a crypto-ecosystem in South Africa;
    • Having found Healy Consultants Group through Google, our Client sent us an email inquiry to get more information on how set up a company in South Africa and secure the requisite license to operate in the country;
    • Following initial phone and skype call discussions, our Client agreed to our business setup fees, procedure and the timelines to complete the engagement;
    • Our Client then settled the first instalment of our South Africa company setup fee to commence the engagement.

    Engagement planning

    • Our Client provided Healy Consultants Group compliance Department with scan copies of over 75% of the due diligence documents as per our Firm’s KYC process requirements;
    • Healy Consultants Group then prepared the draft corporate structure and emailed the same to our Client for confirmation. Our Client also confirmed they had their own South African national who would be appointed local director and public officer (which is a statutory requirement);
    • Healy Consultants Group prepared and emailed our Client a i) detailed project plan and ii) draft business plan for the proposed company;
    • Our Client approved the corporate structure and confirmed their preferred company names for the new entity.

    Company registration

    • Healy Consultants Group reserved the first preferred company name with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) and obtained the approval within 1 day;
    • Thereafter, the Healy Consultants Group Incorporation Team prepared all the company incorporation documents and sent the same to our Client for i) signature and ii) scan email-return;
    • Upon receipt of the scan copies, Healy Consultants Group submitted the complete company incorporation application package to CIPC for processing;
    • Within 1 week of application submission, Healy Consultants Group obtained the Registration Certificate and the Memorandum of Incorporation and emailed scan copies to our Client;
    • Healy Consultants Group then prepared the i) directors’ resolution ii) share certificates iii) public officer consent and emailed to our Client for signature and courier return;
    • The Incorporation Team obtained the tax registration number from South African Revenue Service (SARS) and emailed the same to our Client.

    Corporate bank account opening

    • Upon a successful incorporation, Healy Consultants Group Banking Team liaised with multiple South African banks to introduce our Client’s business and secure initially application pre-approval;
    • Our Client confirmed their interest to proceed with a top South African bank for their corporate account. Healy Consultants Group prepared the necessary bank forms and emailed the same to our Client for i) review, ii) signatures and iii) apostille;
    • Because our Client was busy and could not get the bank forms certified, our Client advised that they would be traveling to South Africa for business conference and would thus sign the bank forms at the bank branch in Cape Town;
    • Our Banking Team contacted the South African bank and our Client’s South Africa director and arranged a bank meeting on our Client’s preferred date and time;
    • Healy Consultants Group’ affiliate office in Cape Town prepared all the certified corporate documents and provided the same to our Client during their bank visit. Our Client signed all the necessary bank forms at the bank branch and submitted the same for account opening;
    • Within 1 week of the bank visit, the Banking Team successfully secured a multi-currency corporate bank account for our Client’s new company. The bank directly emailed our Client the bank account numbers.

    Engagement completion

    • To comply with the South Africa Government legal requirements, Healy Consultants Group emailed our Client a sample South Africa company sales invoice for their convenience;
    • During our Client’s visit to South Africa, Healy Consultants Group’s affiliate office prepared all the certified corporate documents including certificate of incorporation, M&AA and passed the same to our Client. Original company documents are to be held by Healy Consultants Group as per Government regulations.
  • French Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) consultant ventures into Africa

    Background

    Our Client, based out of France, is an independent consultant, Safety and Environment engineer and founder of a company specialized in HSE (Health, Safety & Environment) consultancy for industrial and technological companies. He wished to establish a company and bank account in Africa in order to venture into the lucrative African HSE consultancy markets. Having found Healy Consultants Group business website through Google, the Client approached Healy Consultants in October 2016 to determine the best country in Africa to register his business. After expert analysis and consultation with Healy Consultants’ Africa business setup experts, our Client decided to register his company in South Africa.

    Engagement planning

    Healy Consultants prepared and emailed the Client an engagement advancement proposal for setting up a South Africa private limited company. Upon receipt of scan copies of the signed engagement letter and the required due diligence documents from Mr. Voisey a detailed engagement plan, a virtual office agreement and detailed business plan to facilitate bank account opening. The engagement plan included a detailed step-by-step engagement overview to ensure that there would be no surprises for our Client during the engagement. Our Client then settled Healy Consultants engagement fees in three instalments and confirmed his required corporate structure for the South African company, with himself acting as sole shareholder and Healy Consultants acting as the nominee resident director, public officer and South Africa resident company secretary.

    Company incorporation

    Healy Consultants conducted a name search with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission of South Africa (CIPC) and received an approval our Client for preferred company name ‘Epione Global Consulting Pty Ltd’. Healy Consultants then obtained the necessary company incorporation documents from the CIPC, prepared the memorandum of incorporation and a power of attorney and emailed the same to our Client for signature. Upon receipt of scans of the signed aforementioned documents, Healy Consultants submitted a complete quality company incorporation application to CIPC for consideration. Within 10 business days, Healy Consultants obtained full set of approved incorporation documents from the CIPC including a certificate of incorporation, and immediately forwarded the same to our Client. Within one day Healy Consultants prepared the Share Certificates, Directors Resolution and Inaugural Minutes and emailed the same to our Client for signature.

    Corporate bank signatory change

    With the company successfully incorporated and tax number received, Healy Consultants approached multiple South African banks to assist our Client secure a corporate bank account for the newly registered entity. Healy Consultants and our Client settled for a top South African bank as the preferred banking institution, thereafter Healy Consultants banking team obtained and prepared the corporate bank account opening form and emailed the same to the Client for signature. Further, the bank advised that the bank forms had to be notarized and apostilled being our Client was based outside of South Africa. Upon receipt of the signed, notarized and attested forms, Healy Consultants banking team submitted a quality corporate bank account application for consideration. Within 3 weeks thereafter, the multi-currency corporate bank account was approved without our Client having to travel to South Africa.

    Engagement completion

    Upon receipt of all the original company incorporation documents from CIP and internet banking correspondence from the South African bank, Healy Consultants couriered the complete company kit to our Client’s preferred address in France.

  • UK based property investment and development company establishes a Pty. Ltd. in South Africa

    Background

    Our Client specializes in both the commercial and residential development sectors owning and managing their own developments. They operate across the residential, commercial and hospitality sectors with offices in Birmingham and London. Our client also has offices in Dubai and Hong Kong and were looking to expand its South African client base.

    Having found Healy Consultants Group business website through Google, our Client rang us in May 2018 to determine if our Firm could assist the engagement and complete the engagement from end to end before September. After expert analysis and deliberations with Kunal Fabiani, Healy Consultants Group’s South Africa business setup expert, our Client decided to proceed.

    Engagement planning

    Healy Consultants Group prepared and emailed our Client an engagement advancement proposal including a formal invoice, engagement letter, due diligence checklist and a list of our existing and past clients for professional refence. Our Client promptly provided us with the due diligence documents and settled our fees in full. Thereafter, Healy Consultants Group prepared a detailed engagement project plan mapping out a step by step plan to engagement completion as well as a quality business plan to assist with corporate bank account opening.

    Company registration

    Our client had already reserved their preferred company name with another service provider, consequently this reservation had to be transferred to Healy Consultants South African corporate secretary before the company registration application could be submitted.

    In the meantime, Healy Consultants Group prepared the CIPC corporate registration forms and emailed the same to our Client for signature in the UK and courier return to Cape Town. Upon receipt of the original signed documents from our Client, Healy Consultants Group submitted the complete quality Pty Ltd registration application with the CIPC.

    Within 2 weeks of the application submission, the CIPC approved the registration of the new company and issued a digital copy of the CoR 14.3 certificate. Healy Consultants Group immediately emailed our Client a scan copy of the same.

    Corporate bank account opening

    With the company registration now complete, Healy Consultants Group approached a leading international bank in South Africa as preferred by our Client, to secure in writing their interest for our Client’s business activity and emailed the initial set of due diligence documents to the bank.

    The bank in South Africa reverted requesting proof of our Client’s existing relationship with them globally and a formal reference letter from a their current relationship manager. Since our Client had recently established his presence in Hong Kong, Our client communicated with their RM to secure this requirement. In the meantime, as back up options, we recommended our Client consider opening a corporate account with a strong local bank in South Africa.

    After 2 weeks of delay from the international bank in Hong Kong, our client was unable to secure a reference letter and consequently instructed Healy Consultants Group to proceed to with an application with the local bank in South Africa. Within 3 days, junior Client Engagement Manager, Henry Beck, assisted our Client complete and submit an application for the local bank’s review.

    Within 10 business days, the bank confirmed interest in on-boarding our Client and requested final forms to be signed, notarized by a Public Notary in the UK and couriered back to Cape Town.

    Within 3 days upon receipt of the signed and notarized bank forms, the bank approved the multi-currency corporate bank account and emailed Healy Consultants Group the bank account numbers. Within the following week, the local bank’s on-boarding officer scheduled a call with the bank signatory to conduct a brief KYC interview and to supply internet banking login details. Over the following days our client was to inject the minimum deposit to activate the account.

    Engagement completion

    To complete the engagement, Healy Consultants Group will courier the original corporate documents to our Client’s HQ office in UK. If required, Healy Consultants Group will further provide monthly and quarterly accounting and tax services to support our Client until they hire their own local accountants.

  • American IT & BPO services company establishes a subsidiary in South Africa

    Background

    Our client, an American Game Development Studio and BPO Service Provider based out of Singapore wished to establish a presence in South Africa to provide BPO services to local and international clients;

    Having found Healy Consultants Group through Google, our Client sent us an email inquiry to obtain more information on the process and timelines to establish a South African company and bank account;

    After multiple phone and online call discussions with our Client’s representatives, our Client confirmed they were interested to proceed with the company setup with the help of Healy Consultants Group;

    Engagement planning

    Our Client then proceeded to complete and sign our engagement letter and settle the first instalment of our South Africa company incorporation fee with Healy Consultants Group to commence the engagement;

    Healy Consultants Group prepared the draft corporate structure of the proposed South Africa company and emailed the same to our Client for review and approval;

    Our Client then provided Healy Consultants Group with scan copies of all the due diligence documents as per our Firm’s KYC process requirements;

    Healy Consultants Group then prepared a detailed project plan outlining the step by step process of company incorporation, tax registration and bank account opening;

    Company registration

    Our incorporation team reserved our Client’s preferred company name with Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC);

    Thereafter the team prepared all the company incorporation documents and emailed the same to our Client for signatures and scan email return;

    Following receipt of the signed documents, Healy Consultants Group then submitted a quality company incorporation application to the CIPC for processing;

    Within 4 days of application submission, Healy Consultants Group issued our Client with the i) incorporation certificate ii) the memorandum of association and ii) tax number;

    Post-company incorporation

    Healy Consultants Group then prepared and emailed our Client the post-incorporation documents including director consent, public officer appointment letter and share certificates for signatures;

    Our Accounting and Tax Team then processed to submit applications for social insurance, payroll (PAYE), VAT and workman compensation registration;

    Our Client then proceeded to settle the last instalment of the outstanding Healy Consultants Group fees;

    To comply with the South Africa Government legal requirements, Healy Consultants Group emailed our Client a sample South Africa company sales invoice for their convenience;

    Healy Consultants Group Banking Team then approached Nedbank to submit a bank account opening pre-application for review and consideration by the bank’s compliance department;

    Within 1 week, Healy Consultants Group emailed our Client the ZAR account opening forms for signatures, apostille in the signatory’s country of residence and courier back to Nedbank;

    Following receipt of the original signed forms, Nedbank proceeded to open the bank account and emailed the account numbers directly to the Client within 2 weeks;

    The bank then directly liaised with the Client to set up and activate internet banking and to open a USD bank account thereafter;

    Healy Consultants Group also advised our Client on the monthly and annual accounting and tax filing requirements for their new company in accordance with the South Africa tax laws and regulations;

    Healy Consultants Group then collated all corporate documents for the South Africa company including certificates of incorporation, M&AAs, tax certificates and emailed scan copies to our Client.

Contact us

For additional information on our business registration services in South Africa, please contact our in-house country expert, Mr. Kunal Fabiani, directly:
client relationship officer - Kunal