Step 02 · Invest & Establish
Your entry into
South Africa starts here
Our dedicated investment facilitation team connects you to local partners, helps you navigate approvals, and coordinates across government departments — so you can focus on your business, not the paperwork.
What InvestSA Does For You
Three questions every investor asks - answered
Dedicated Investment Advisory
From your first enquiry, you are assigned a dedicated official/team who serve as your single point of contact across all government departments. Reach us through any InvestSA One Stop Shop, our national office, or by submitting a case online via the Fusion Centre.
Connect, navigate and unblock - on your behalf
Your officer connects you to local partners and off-takers, coordinates company registration (CIPC), tax (SARS), work visas (Home Affairs), environmental approvals, licences and permits - across 20+ government departments and agencies.
A structured 60–90 day resolution commitment
Regulatory bottlenecks are logged, assigned, tracked and escalated through the dtic Fusion Centre within a structured 60–90 day turnaround. You receive email updates at every status change and a unique case number to track progress.
The dtic Fusion Centre
Your regulatory bottlenecks resolved in 60–90 days
The Fusion Centre is a new investment facilitation platform that captures, tracks, and resolves your regulatory challenges across 20+ government departments within a structured 60–90 day turnaround. Submit online, receive a unique case number, and track your case by email - completely free of charge.
60–90 Day Resolution
Cases are assigned, routed, monitored and escalated if not resolved within the committed timeframe.
Fully Digital
Submit your bottleneck online. No hard copies, no walk-ins required. One secure portal for all case management.
Email Case Updates
Receive notifications whenever your case status changes, so you are always informed without chasing.
20+ Departments
Coordinated across national, provincial and local government — including Home Affairs, SARS, CIPC and Eskom.
Digital Government Service · Now Live
Apply for your Business Visa Recommendation online
The dtic's Visa Recommendation System (VRS) is a fully digital platform for submitting Business Visa recommendations - first, extension, and permanent. No hard copies. No email. One secure portal.
All three visa types - first application, extension and permanent residence recommendation handled on one platform.
Fully digital, no hard copies - submit your application and supporting documents entirely online.
Real-time tracking - monitor your application progress and receive automated status notifications.
One Stop Shop Network
Multiple InvestSA One Stop Shops across South Africa
InvestSA One Stop Shops simplify the administrative procedures for issuing business approvals, permits and licences - removing the bottlenecks investors face when establishing and running a business. Each OSS coordinates national and provincial government agencies.
The Investment Journey
Register your company
Register with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC). InvestSA facilitates CIPC registration through the One Stop Shop - typically completed within 1–5 business days.
CIPCRegister for tax
Register with SARS for income tax, VAT (if turnover exceeds R1 million), PAYE and customs.
SARSApply for work visas
Foreign executives and skilled employees require a Business or Critical Skills Visa. InvestSA facilitates the dtic's Visa Recommendation through the VRS - fully digital, all three types.
Home Affairs · VRSObtain licences & permits
Sector-specific licences (e.g. energy, mining, food, pharmaceuticals) are coordinated through the OSS. Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) are facilitated with DFFE where required.
Sector-specificRegister with the Department of Labour
Register with the Department of Employment and Labour to contribute to the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) and the Compensation Fund. Registration can run concurrently with other steps.
Labour · UIFAccess incentives & financing
Apply for applicable investment incentives. the dtic will advise on eligibility.
the dtic Incentives
Your Next Step · Step 03
Established in South Africa? Now it's time to grow.
Our aftercare and retention programme provides dedicated support to expand your footprint, access incentives, and connect to regional markets through AfCFTA - 54 markets, preferential terms.
Evaluate
Establish
Scale