How to submit a director change in South Africa
Appointing or terminating a director in South Africa is a straightforward process when done correctly. This guide covers every step, from using InfoDocs to meeting legal and documentation requirements.
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
For detailed step-by-step guides on how to resign or appoint directors using InfoDocs, click here.
Step 1: Log in and select your company, then go to the Directors tab and click Appoint Director or select the director you would like to resign and click Terminate Director.
Step 2: Capture the details of the change and click Next.
Step 3: Confirm the director details and click Save.
Step 4: Confirm the company details and click Next and select the supporting documents and click Upload.
Step 5: Success! The transaction has been submitted to CIPC and we will notify you once the OTPs have been sent by CIPC.
Once verified, the confirmation document (COR39) will be sent to you automatically.
Terminating a director in South Africa:
Director resignation of the director (aka ordinary resolution).
Letter of resignation of the director.
Full Statutory Registers of the company the director is resigning from.
Verified/Certified ID/Passports of directors.
Appointing a director in South Africa:
Director appointment of the director (aka special resolution).
Consent to act as director of the director.
Full Statutory Registers of the company the director is being appointed to.
Verified/Certified ID/Passports of directors.
Director amendments are regulated by the Companies Act 71 of 2008 section 66(7), 68(2), 70(1)(b)(i), section 70(6).
Section 66(7) states that a person becomes a director of a company when that person
(a) has been appointed or elected in accordance with this Part, or holds an office, title, designation or similar status entitling that person to be an ex offıcio director of the company, subject to subsection (5)(a); and
(b) has delivered to the company a written consent to serve as its director.
Section 68(2) states that unless the company’s Memorandum of Incorporation provides otherwise, in any election of directors
(a) the election is to be conducted as a series of votes, each of which is on the candidacy of a single individual to fill a single vacancy, with the series of votes continuing until all vacancies on the board at that time have been filled; and
(b) in each vote to fill a vacancy—
(i) each voting right entitled to be exercised may be exercised once; and
(ii) the vacancy is filled only if a majority of the voting rights exercised support the candidate.
Section 70(1)(b)(i) states that the person ceases to be a director and a vacancy arises in the company if they resign.
Section 70(6) states that every company must file a notice within 10 business days after a person ceases to be a director.
Any foreign director needs to be verified on CIPC before they can be appointed or terminated as a director of a company.
The process requires capturing personal information and contact details, providing OTPs and uploading a certified ID/passport. Following which, the CIPC will approve or reject the application (usually within 1-3 hours). For the full details, read our article on how to verify a foreigner on CIPC.
For questions or comments, let us know at help.infodocs.co.za. We would love to hear from you!
For more in-depth articles please refer to the following:
How to appoint a director
How to resign a director
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
How to Resign or Appoint a Director Using InfoDocs
For detailed step-by-step guides on how to resign or appoint directors using InfoDocs, click here.
Step 1: Log in and select your company, then go to the Directors tab and click Appoint Director or select the director you would like to resign and click Terminate Director.
Step 2: Capture the details of the change and click Next.
Step 3: Confirm the director details and click Save.
Step 4: Confirm the company details and click Next and select the supporting documents and click Upload.
Step 5: Success! The transaction has been submitted to CIPC and we will notify you once the OTPs have been sent by CIPC.
Once verified, the confirmation document (COR39) will be sent to you automatically.
What are the required supporting documents for director changes in South Africa?
Terminating a director in South Africa:
Director resignation of the director (aka ordinary resolution).
Letter of resignation of the director.
Full Statutory Registers of the company the director is resigning from.
Verified/Certified ID/Passports of directors.
Appointing a director in South Africa:
Director appointment of the director (aka special resolution).
Consent to act as director of the director.
Full Statutory Registers of the company the director is being appointed to.
Verified/Certified ID/Passports of directors.
What are the legal requirements for director changes in South Africa?
Director amendments are regulated by the Companies Act 71 of 2008 section 66(7), 68(2), 70(1)(b)(i), section 70(6).
Section 66(7) states that a person becomes a director of a company when that person
(a) has been appointed or elected in accordance with this Part, or holds an office, title, designation or similar status entitling that person to be an ex offıcio director of the company, subject to subsection (5)(a); and
(b) has delivered to the company a written consent to serve as its director.
Section 68(2) states that unless the company’s Memorandum of Incorporation provides otherwise, in any election of directors
(a) the election is to be conducted as a series of votes, each of which is on the candidacy of a single individual to fill a single vacancy, with the series of votes continuing until all vacancies on the board at that time have been filled; and
(b) in each vote to fill a vacancy—
(i) each voting right entitled to be exercised may be exercised once; and
(ii) the vacancy is filled only if a majority of the voting rights exercised support the candidate.
Section 70(1)(b)(i) states that the person ceases to be a director and a vacancy arises in the company if they resign.
Section 70(6) states that every company must file a notice within 10 business days after a person ceases to be a director.
Foreigner assurance for director changes
Any foreign director needs to be verified on CIPC before they can be appointed or terminated as a director of a company.
The process requires capturing personal information and contact details, providing OTPs and uploading a certified ID/passport. Following which, the CIPC will approve or reject the application (usually within 1-3 hours). For the full details, read our article on how to verify a foreigner on CIPC.
For questions or comments, let us know at help.infodocs.co.za. We would love to hear from you!
For more in-depth articles please refer to the following:
How to appoint a director
How to resign a director
Updated on: 17/04/2025
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