Find a company name that's actually free.
Most name checkers tell you yes or no. CIPC doesn't work that way — it also refuses names that are confusingly similar to one already registered. We check for both, show you exactly what you're clashing with, and help you build the four-name shortlist the application actually asks for.
BusinessNeeds is an independent, privately-owned consultancy — not CIPC, SARS, or any government body. You can access the official services directly via CIPC or BizPortal.
Check a name, build a shortlist of 4.
CIPC takes 4 names on one application, in your order of preference — and tries them in that order. Most people check one name, get told it's taken, and give up. Fill all 4 slots and you file once.
From an idea to a name that will actually pass.
Check it against the register
We read the live company register and score every registered name that comes close to yours — not just exact matches.
See what it clashes with
If something conflicts, we show you the actual company: its name, its registration number, and how alike the two are.
Build four names, in order
One reservation application takes four names and CIPC tries them in your order. Fill all four and you only file once.
Keep your shortlist
Create a free account and your names are saved and re-checked whenever you come back, so nothing has to be typed twice.
And what it doesn't.
We read the register of companies that already exist. That is the best signal available before you file, and it catches the overwhelming majority of refusals. It is not the same thing as CIPC approving your name.
Save my shortlist — free account- Companies and close corporations already registered on that name
- Registered names close enough that CIPC is likely to refuse yours
- The specific companies you're clashing with, with their registration numbers
- Names someone else has reserved but not yet registered — not public
- Registered trademarks, which CIPC also weighs
- The examiner's final decision, which only CIPC can make