Increasingly, South Africans are opting to do their NPO registration online, where you can fill and submit the required form easily and later check the status of your non-profit organisation.
The Department of Social Development (DSD) made the process of registering an NPO easier by establishing a website dedicated to this purpose.
NPO registration online
To start your NPO registration online, simply visit http://www.npo.gov.za and under the heading “Top Tasks,” click on “Register an NPO.” Alternatively, you can go directly to the web application interface.
Here, you will find the online form where you need to provide your organisation’s details, including name, type, financial period, contact person and details, and physical and/or postal address.
Once you fill in the details, click “Next” on the bottom right corner of the page to proceed. You will now need to provide details of the office bearers your NPO will have. There must be at least three office bearers and their details include name and surname, ID/passport number, and contact/address.
Click “Next” once you have supplied all the information. Follow the prompts in the subsequent sections until you complete your application for registration.
You’re also likely to receive email confirmation with further details, including processing times (usually two months), reference number and how to receive your registration certificate once the application is approved.
Registration form PDF download
In case you wish to do your application via DSD offices in your province, you can download the PDF NPO registration form here. You can then print it out, fill it and post it to the address indicated on it on page 1.
According to the requirements, you must send the form together with two copies of the NPO’s founding documents. For a Trust, the founding documents are the deeds of trust and letter of authorisation from the courts.
For Voluntary Associations, attach the association’s constitution. For a Section 21 company (Not for Profit Company or NPC), the requirements are the certificate of incorporation as well as the memorandum and articles of association.
“Once [the NPO] is registered, you must submit the organisation’s annual report nine months after its financial year-end. The annual report should consist of a narrative report and a financial report,” the government states on its website.
Check your status
To check the registration status of your NPO, visit http://www.npo.gov.za and under the heading “Top Tasks,” look for “Check the Status of an Organisation.” Fill in the NPO name or APP number in the space provided and click “Find.”