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  • Business Registration

Quick info guide

To get a company registered in Zimbabwe, one has to choose one of  two options; to register it as a Private Business Corporation (PBC) or Private Limited Company also known as Pvt (Ltd).

PBC  is meant to cater to small businesses. To register as a PBC an enterprise should have at least a single director. A PBC is ideal for single ownership.

Pvt (Ltd) on the other hand is meant to cater for medium to large business. To register a Pvt (Ltd), an enterprise should have between 2 to 50 shareholders and registering one will come with annual regulations and commitments to different financial bodies.

To register your company you should;

1. Have 1 to 4 preferred names for your company.

2. Choose whether your company will be a PBC or Pvt (Ltd)

3. Provide full names, addresses and IDs of the directors for a PBC or shareholders in a Pvt (Ltd)

4. Sign the incorporation statements that will be submitted at the registrar's office.


Estimated registration period: 5 working days


Make your submission for Company Name Search online and get the results in minutes!

Online Name Search Application 
Log onto www.zimeservices.pfms.gov.zw
Go to the zimconnect portal
Register yourself. Your ID No is your user name eg 63123456a01
Make payment online
Proceed to submission; you will receive a reference no. (80000054321)
The CV4 will be posted to you or can be collected from the companies office.


Contact information

Harare Office

Department of Deeds Companies and Intellectual Property
Century House , East , 38,
Nelson Mandela  Avenue,
Harare 
Tel:  +263 242 777 373 or + 263 242 775545/6 
Website: www.dcip.gov.zw

Bulawayo Office 

Tregold Building 
2nd Floor Room 222 
Fort Street / Leopold Takawira 
Bulwayo 
Tel: +263 9 616012

How to register a business in Zimbabwe

Business registration makes an enterprise formal. Formalization enables enterprises to operate freely without fear of regulatory authorities and penalties. Business registration also opens up opportunities such as markets in public sector, easier access to loans, and other services. In Zimbabwe an enterprise needs to register under one of the following business forms:

o Private company – Registration done by Registrar of Companies
o Private Business Corporation – registration done by Registrar of Companies
o Cooperative – Registrar of Cooperatives

When starting an enterprise, the choice of the form of business to be adopted is important and can make a difference with regards to the:

  • Cost of a start-up and the amount of legal fees for registering the business
  • Simplicity or complexity of starting and administering the business
  • Financial risks for the owner of the business
  • Possibility of having business partners
  • Decision making process in the company
  • Taxation of business profits
  • Registration for taxation is done by Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra)
  • Council Licensing – Respective council in the area where the enterprise is operating from
  • Registration with National Social Security Association (NSSA) if the enterprise employs people (done by NSSA)

Registration procedures/required documents

angle-left Process of registering a business

Process of registering a business

The process of registering a business depends on the form of business one wishes to register:

  1.  Private Companies under the Private Companies [Chapter 24:03]

Company Registration Procedure

  1. N.B: CR21, and CR14, PBC 1 AND PBC FORMS bought from bookshops
  2. Fill and submit name search form CR21 in duplicate in a flat file. [Fee: ZWL5.00]
  3. Form CV4 is issued from the office to client confirming reserved name or rejection.
  4. If name is reserved, prepare and submit Memorandum and Articles of Association with a minimum fee of ZWL100, together with CR6 (Physical and postal address of company) and form CR14 for (Directorship).
  5. Certificate of Incorporation is issued by the Registrar. 

Note: A one-off payment of ZWL140.00 is paid on submission of the Memorandum and Articles of Association, CR14 and CR6 for the certification of registration.

Total fee for company registration is ZWL145.00

NB: All documents should be submitted in duplicate.

Private Business Business Corporation

Registration Procedure

  1. Fill and submit name search form PBC1 in duplicate.  [Fee: ZWL5.00]
  2. Form CV4 is issued from the office to client confirming reserved name or rejection.
  3. Client lodges CV4 form of approved name with form PBC2, which is a statement of Incorporation in duplicate (the form contains name of PBC, name of members, percentage contribution of each member, name of accounting officer, certified copy of accounting officer qualifications, business and operational address of PBC. [Fee: ZWL20.00]
  4. Total fee for PBC Registration: ZWL25.00

NB: All documents should be submitted in duplicate.