Pick your business type
Find your kind of business in one table, see how much setup work each type carries, and what everyone needs regardless of type.
About this page
Written by AI (Claude, Anthropic). An AI checked it against the sources below on 13 September 2026. No person has checked it yet. Rules change: check the official source before you act. Not legal, tax or financial advice.
AI-checked An AI compared the facts on this page with the sources. An AI can miss mistakes.
On this page (3 sections)
Find your kind of business
Pick the one that fits. If two fit, read both.
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Vehicle dealer
You buy and sell vehicles.
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Food business
You make, cook, package or sell food or drinks.
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Beauty and personal care
You do hair, nails, beauty treatments, massage, tattoos or piercings.
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Retail and online shop
You sell products in a shop, at markets or online.
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Services and trades
You fix, build, install, clean or deliver.
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Professional and creative work
You sell your skill or your time, for example design, coding or tutoring.
The core files in Core: applies to everyone apply to everyone. This folder adds the rules that apply only to your kind of business.
Find yourself in the table, then open that file.
| If you... | Open |
|---|---|
| Buy and sell vehicles | Vehicle dealer |
| Make, cook, package or sell food or drinks | Food business |
| Do hair, nails, beauty, massage, tattoos or piercings | Beauty and personal care |
| Sell physical products, in a shop, at markets, or online | Retail and online shop |
| Fix, build, install, clean or deliver | Services and trades |
| Sell your skill or your time: design, consulting, coding, tutoring, writing, photography | Professional and creative work |
If two files apply to you, read both. A food truck is a food business and a vehicle owner. An online clothing brand is retail and online.
How much regulation each type carries
This is a rough guide to how much setup work to expect before you can legally trade.
| Business type | Setup effort | Main reason |
|---|---|---|
| Professional and creative | Lowest | Usually no licence at all |
| Services and trades | Low to medium | Some trades need professional registration |
| Retail and online | Medium | Consumer law, and product rules for some goods |
| Beauty and personal care | Medium to high | Health inspection and municipal licence |
| Food | High | Certificate of Acceptability, training, inspections |
| Vehicle dealing | High | Three separate registration layers |
If you are choosing between business ideas and money is tight, the Business type column of this table is worth reading as a cost comparison. A food business can take two to six months before it may legally open. A consulting business can invoice tomorrow.
What everyone needs, regardless of type
From Core: applies to everyone:
- A separate bank account for business money
- SARS registration and filing, even at zero income
- POPIA information officer registration, free, at inforegulator.org.za(external link) Official
- Honest advertising and Consumer Protection Act compliance
- Records kept for five years
What nobody needs on day one
- A registered company, unless a customer demands it
- VAT registration, unless turnover passes R2.3 million or the maths favours it
- A paid B-BBEE certificate, since the affidavit is free under R10 million turnover
- A business plan, unless you are asking someone for money
- A website, before you have customers
Sources for this page
5 sources
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SARS — What is the new threshold for VAT registration? Opens the official website Official source
What this source supports: compulsory VAT registration threshold rose from R1 million to R2.3 million on 1 April 2026.
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B-BBEE Commission — Frequently Asked Questions Opens the official website Official source
What this source supports: EME threshold below R10 million, automatic Level 4, Level 2 at 51% black ownership, Level 1 at 100%, sworn affidavit or CIPC certificate as sufficient proof.
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Information Regulator of South Africa Opens the official website Official source
What this source supports: Register your information officer here. Free.
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ASC Food Safety Opens a website that is not official Not an official source
What this source supports: the nine-document list and realistic timelines. This is a commercial training provider, so treat the timelines as a guide and confirm with your municipality.
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Acts and regulations
- Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 Consumer rights, implied warranty of quality (s55, s56), plain language, cancellation (s16, s17)