South Africa
Pty Ltd · Private company
✓27% on worldwide income - this is not an offshore✓Real banks, deep capital markets and the FSCA as the licensing gateway✓Registration online in 5-10 business days
Registering the company is the easy part. Getting the dividend out is the plan.
Nobody goes to Lagos, Nairobi or Casablanca for the corporate tax rate alone. Businesses come to trade, mine, build or serve customers who are already in the market. That is why the first questions are about exchange controls, local shareholding and the sector licence that sits on top of the company. Those are what determine whether the structure works; the registry is only one part of the process.
43
jurisdictions covered
6,000+
companies registered
70+
banking relationships
Updated · Reviewed by the Prifinance team
Where we register
Twelve markets that cover most of what clients actually want to do in Africa
Nigeria
Ltd via CAC
✓Africa’s largest population and one of its major fintech markets✓Foreign-owned companies issue at least ₦100 million of capital in practice✓The Certificate of Capital Importation is the documented route for profit repatriation
Kenya
Private limited
✓30% standard, 10% in a special economic zone, 0% in an EPZ✓A gateway to an East African common market of around 300 million people✓Registration in 1-3 weeks by power of attorney
Egypt
LLC via GAFI
✓22.5% corporate tax and a market of 110 million people✓100% foreign ownership in most activities through GAFI✓The Golden Licence consolidates approvals for strategic projects
Morocco
SARL
✓20% standard, 35% on large profits under the reformed scale✓Industrial zones at 0% for five years, then 15%✓Casablanca Finance City status at 15% for qualifying headquarters
Ghana
LLC · Companies Act
✓English common law and free zones at 0% for ten years✓The GIPC Act sets foreign-entry thresholds from $200,000 to $1 million depending on the structure✓Africa’s top gold producer, with the AfCFTA Secretariat in Accra
Tanzania
Ltd via BRELA
✓30% standard, 25% for a listed company✓A 65 - million market inside both the EAC and SADC✓Local-participation clauses remain in mining and some licensed activities
Rwanda
Ltd via RDB
✓Registered through RDB in 6 hours to 3 days✓28% standard, with KIFC tracks for funds and holdings✓Governance rankings among Africa’s strongest
Senegal
SARL · OHADA
✓OHADA company law, registration in 1-2 weeks✓The CFA franc is pegged to the euro✓GTA gas is now producing, shared with Mauritania
Zambia
Ltd via PACRA
✓No exchange controls - the kwacha is convertible✓30% standard, 10% on farming✓Half of the board must reside in Zambia
Botswana
(Pty) Ltd
✓No exchange controls since 1999✓22% standard, 5% in a special economic zone, 15% for manufacturing✓Strong credit standing and courts that enforce contracts
Mauritius (GBC - 1)
AC · GBC
✓3% effective on qualifying GBC income, 0% for an Authorised Company✓46 tax treaties - a route into India and other African markets✓A layer above operating companies rather than a replacement for them
The part that ends badly
The company is registered and the dividend cannot leave
The incorporation itself is rarely what fails. The problem often appears years later, when the central bank asks how incoming funds were recorded and the capital has no documented route back out.
✓Capital that arrives unregistered may be difficult to repatriate later. Nigeria records it through a CCI, Angola through AIPEX✓Exchange controls determine access to hard currency: Algeria and Zimbabwe are managed, Botswana and Zambia are not✓Local-shareholding or resident-director rules affect control and economics, not just who signs the forms✓Sector licences for mining, telecoms, energy and financial services often take much longer than company registration
This is why the first discussion is about how the money enters and how it leaves, not which registry is fastest.
Ask how the profit gets back out →When it does work
The cases where a local operating company is the right answer
These are ordinary commercial jurisdictions with ordinary business rules. Where the commercial reason for being there is real, the structure is simpler and much easier to defend before a regulator, tax authority or lender.
✓Your customers are in the country and will contract only with a local entity✓The asset is physically there - a mine, factory, farm or port facility✓A free zone gives a genuine incentive in return for export, employment or investment✓A Mauritius holding company sits above operating subsidiaries that actually trade
Each case has a country and legal form that fits it better than the others. That is the purpose of the legal opinion.
Get a free legal opinion →What registration covers
What we do, and what you get at the end
Company registration is the easy part. The work is choosing the right jurisdiction, satisfying the registrar and then getting the bank account opened.
These include:
✓Choice of jurisdiction and legal form against the real business activity✓Name check, incorporation and the complete corporate document set✓Registered office and registered agent for the first year✓Beneficial-ownership filings where required✓Apostille and legalisation of documents for use abroad
Additionally, where needed:
✓Bank or EMI account opening, backed by 70+ banking relationships✓Nominee or resident director where required by law✓Substance - office, staff and local presence✓Accounting, annual returns and tax registration✓Licences, permits and sector approvals
Financial services are licensed separately from the company itself. The relevant regulator and requirements depend on the jurisdiction and exact activity. Several jurisdictions now require annual filings and substance reports that did not exist five years ago. We keep those filings current.
| What | Typical time | What you receive |
|---|---|---|
| Name approval | Same day to 3 days | Reserved company name |
| Incorporation | 1 day to 8 weeks | Certificate, charter, register of members |
| Corporate documents | With incorporation | Resolutions, share certificates, POA |
| Apostille set | 3-10 business days | Legalised documents for the bank |
| Tax and social registration | 1-3 weeks | Tax number, VAT where applicable |
| Bank account | 2-8 weeks | IBAN and access to the account |
The bank is the slow stage almost everywhere and often determines whether the structure was worth building. We start the banking process in parallel, not after incorporation.
Comparison of jurisdictions
All 43, with the real rate and the real timeline
The figures below are headline corporate-tax rates in the jurisdiction of registration. Free-zone and incentive rates are conditional: they are earned through exports, employment, investment or other qualifying activity, and can be lost if those conditions stop being met.
01
Fastest
Rwanda registers through RDB in 6 hours to 3 days. Benin and Togo file in 3-10 days under OHADA law, while South Africa takes 5-10 business days.
02
Where the zone rate is the real rate
Ghana’s free zones operate at 0% for ten years, Kenya’s EPZs at 0% and SEZs at 10%, Botswana’s SEZs at 5%, and Djibouti’s zones at 0%. Each regime comes with conditions that are monitored.
03
Money that moves without permission
Botswana has had no exchange controls since 1999, Zambia’s kwacha is convertible, and Djibouti has none, with its franc pegged to the dollar since 1949. South Africa, Algeria and Zimbabwe operate differently and need to be structured around.
04
Where the answer starts with a partner
Libya caps foreign ownership at 49% in the standard joint-venture route, Algeria keeps the 51/49 rule in strategic sectors, and Zambia requires half the board to reside locally. These rules affect the deal itself, not just the paperwork.
| Jurisdiction | Legal form | Time to set up | Corporate tax | Remote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MaliMore details → | SARL · OHADA Limited Company | 1-2 weeks | 30% · holidays to 0% | Yes - by power of attorney |
| Mauritius (GBC-1)More details → | AC · GBC | 1-3 weeks | GBC 3% · AC 0% | Yes - fully online |
| SeychellesMore details → | IBC · Limited | 1-3 business days | 0% - territorial | Yes - fully online |
| AlgeriaMore details → | SARL / EURL | 4-8 weeks | 19-26% by activity | Mostly - by POA |
| AngolaMore details → | LDA (por quotas) | 2-5 weeks | 25% · zone relief | Mostly - by POA |
| BeninMore details → | SARL (OHADA) | 3-10 days | 30% · industry 25% | Yes - by POA |
| BotswanaMore details → | (Pty) Ltd | 1-3 weeks | 22% · SEZ 5% | Yes - by POA |
| CameroonMore details → | SARL (OHADA) | 1-3 weeks | ≈33% all-in | Yes - by POA |
| DjiboutiMore details → | SARL / FZ company | 1-3 weeks | 25% · zones 0% | Yes - by POA |
| EgyptMore details → | LLC via GAFI | 1-3 weeks | 22.5% | Yes - by POA |
| LibyaMore details → | JV (49%) · Branch | 6-12 weeks | 20% + 4% jehad | Partially - presence matters |
| MadagascarMore details → | SARL | 1-3 weeks | 20% · zones 0% → 10% | Yes - by POA |
| MoroccoMore details → | SARL | 1-3 weeks | 20% · large 35% | Yes - by POA |
| NigeriaMore details → | Ltd via CAC | 2-5 weeks | 30% · small 0% | Yes - by POA |
| RwandaMore details → | Ltd via RDB | 6 hours - 3 days | 28% · KIFC tracks | Yes - fully online |
| SenegalMore details → | SARL (OHADA) | 1-2 weeks | 30% | Yes - by POA |
| Sierra LeoneMore details → | Ltd (Companies Act) | 1-3 weeks | 25% · mining per licence | Yes - by POA |
| SudanMore details → | Ltd - where registries function | Case-by-case | Partial - by geography | Case-by-case only |
| TanzaniaMore details → | Ltd via BRELA | 1-3 weeks | 30% · listed 25% | Yes - by POA |
| TogoMore details → | SARL (OHADA) | 3-10 days | 27% | Yes - by POA |
| UgandaMore details → | Ltd via URSB | 1-3 weeks | 30% | Yes - by POA |
| ZambiaMore details → | Ltd via PACRA | 1-3 weeks | 30% · farming 10% | Yes - by POA |
| ZimbabweMore details → | Pvt Ltd via DCIP | 2-4 weeks | 24.72% effective | Yes - by POA |
| GhanaMore details → | LLC (Companies Act) | 2-4 weeks | 25% · zones 0% | Yes - by POA |
| Cape VerdeMore details → | Lda / SA | 1-3 weeks | 21% · CIN 2.5-5% | Yes - by POA |
| KenyaMore details → | Private limited | 1-3 weeks | 30% · SEZ 10% · EPZ 0% | Yes - by POA |
| LiberiaMore details → | Non-resident corporation | Same day - 1 week | 0% | Yes - fully |
| MauritaniaMore details → | SARL | 2-4 weeks | 25% | Mostly - by POA |
| NamibiaMore details → | (Pty) Ltd | 2-4 weeks | 31% - descending | Yes - by POA |
| South-AfricaMore details → | Pty Ltd · Private company | 5-10 business days | 27% - worldwide income | Yes - fully online |
| LesothoMore details → | Company via OBFC | 1-2 weeks | 25% · manufacturing 10% | Yes - by POA |
| Burkina FasoMore details → | SARL (OHADA) | 24-48 hours official | 27.5% · min. 0.5% | Yes - by POA |
| ChadMore details → | SARL (OHADA) | 72h at ANIE | 35% · min. 1.5% | Yes - our team files |
| ComorosMore details → | SARL (OHADA) | 72h after a complete file | 35% · min. 1.5% | Yes - via a local mandate |
| EswatiniMore details → | (Proprietary) Limited | 1-7 days official | 25% | Confirmed per case |
| TunisiaMore details → | SARL | Confirmed per case | 20% · VAT 19% | Yes - legalised POA |
| Côte d'IvoireMore details → | SARL | 24 hours | 25% · min. 0.5% | Confirmed per case |
| EthiopiaMore details → | PLC | EIC: minimum 5 days | 30% | Yes - with your authorisation |
| MozambiqueMore details → | Lda | Confirmed per case | 32% · VAT 16% | Confirmed per case |
| GabonMore details → | SARL | 72h after payment (GNI) | 30% · 35% oil & mining | Confirmed per case |
| The GambiaMore details → | Ltd | Within a day | 27% · min. 1-2% of turnover | Confirmed per case |
| MalawiMore details → | Ltd | About 10 working days (MITC) | 30% · 40% above K5bn | Confirmed per case |
| Republic of the CongoMore details → | SARL | 48h at the ACPCE | 30% · min. 1% of turnover | Confirmed per case |
Important: We compare the Gulf states, Türkiye and the South Caucasus on the Near East page. Clients often keep the holding company, the trading arm or the bank account of their African business in one of these countries. That is an extra layer. You still need a company in the African country where the trading happens.
For clients researching company registration in Mali, company registration in Benin, company registration in Cameroon, company registration in Djibouti or company registration in Madagascar, the table gives the source legal forms, timelines and headline tax rates for first-stage comparison. Nothing in this table is a recommendation on its own. The correct jurisdiction depends on where the customers are, what licence the activity requires and how profits are intended to return to the owners.
Before you register
What the registrar, central bank and sector regulator each want
The incorporation file itself is short and broadly similar across the region. The real timeline is usually determined by what comes next: capital registration, sector licensing, tax registration and banking.
01
Passport and proof of address Certified copies for every shareholder, director and beneficial owner. The legalisation or apostille must follow the requirements of the relevant jurisdiction.
02
A power of attorney the registry will accept Most of these countries allow remote incorporation by POA. The document must list the authorised acts precisely and follow the same legalisation chain as the rest of the file.
03
A described business activity matched to the local code Not simply “trading”. The activity should explain what is sold, to whom and from where, and map to the national classification. The wrong code can push the company into a licence category it does not need or remove access to an incentive.
04
Registration of incoming capital Do this when the money arrives, not when a dividend is due. Nigeria records incoming capital through a Certificate of Capital Importation, while Angola registers investment through AIPEX. Unregistered capital is one of the most common reasons profit cannot later be repatriated.
05
Local-shareholding and resident-director rules Zambia requires half of the board to reside locally. Algeria keeps 51/49 in strategic sectors, while Libya caps the standard joint venture at 49% foreign ownership.
06
The sector licence as a separate project Mining, telecoms, energy, banking and insurance are licensed in addition to the company. Tanzania, for example, retains local-participation rules within its mining framework.
07
A registered office and a real local address Someone should receive correspondence and respond to it. Tax and licensing notices are served there, and missed notices can quickly damage a company’s compliance record.
08
Tax registration and increasingly e-invoicing Corporate tax, VAT and payroll registrations are separate from the incorporation itself. Kenya’s tax authority also uses the e-invoicing system for compliance checks.
09
A bank that will take the file, chosen first Source of funds must be documented, not merely stated, and correspondent banking needs to work for the currencies the company uses.
10
Local accounting, audit and annual filings These are filed locally and usually in the working language of the jurisdiction - Portuguese in Angola, French throughout much of the OHADA area.
Note: If one point deserves special attention, it is capital registration. Most other problems can eventually be repaired at a cost. Money that entered without proper registration usually cannot.
On the ground
Sixteen offices, our own people
Prague
Czech Republic
Vlkova 532/8, Žižkov
Berlin
Germany
Rankestraße 26
Singapore
Singapore
3 Church Street, #29-68 Samsung Hub
Bangkok
Thailand
Unit P01, Penthouse, VASU1, 1 Sukhumvit 25 Alley
Foshan
China
A-Tower, Yuneng Digital Plaza, 46 Lishui Avenue South
Bishkek
Kyrgyzstan
32 Razzakov Street
How it works
Five stages from the first call to a working account
STEP 01
The opinion
We establish where you live, where you operate, where the company will bank and what it will do. From that come the jurisdiction, legal form and written reasoning. Free.
STEP 02
Documents and name
Certified passports, proof of address, activity description and a name the registrar will accept. Translations and legalisation where required.
STEP 03
Incorporation
Filed by Prifinance or our local partner. You receive the certificate, constitutional documents and corporate registers.
STEP 04
Legalisation and the bank
Apostille where required by the bank, followed by the account application. Banking starts in parallel with incorporation rather than afterwards.
STEP 05
Keeping it alive
Registered agent, annual return, accounting and substance filings. The part many founders forget until the company has a compliance problem.
Why Prifinance
Why this is worth paying a lawyer for
Anyone can file incorporation documents. The value lies in what is registered on the way in and what can legally be moved out later.
01
The route out is designed before the company exists
Capital registration, dividend approvals and documents the central bank may later request are arranged while the money is entering.
02
6,000+ companies, so awkward cases are familiar
A registrar rejecting the activity wording, legalisation failing at an embassy or a shareholder being unable to travel are normal working situations for the team.
03
We say no when the structure will not work
If the activity is restricted, the ownership rule changes the economics or the chosen entity cannot receive the required licence, you hear it before paying.
04
The sector licence runs in parallel, not afterwards
Mining, energy, telecoms and financial services are licensed by specialist ministries or regulators on their own timetable. Starting only after incorporation can cost months.
05
The company keeps running afterwards
Resident directors and company secretaries where required, local accounting and audit, annual returns and tax filings are handled by the same team.
Your team
The people who will run your file
Dmitri Mihhailov
General Partner
Leads Prifinance's corporate practice and oversees client engagements, with senior expertise in international company structuring and bank-account setup.
Eugeniu Bevziuc
Corporate services advisor
Corporate services and compliance: documents, legalisation, annual filings and the bank's questions.
Alex Danila
Company formation specialist
Your day-to-day contact - coordinates incorporation, documents and the bank introduction, from the first call through to launch.
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Watch: how an African operating company is structured, and where the profit leaves from
Good to know
Four things about tax that change the answer
The corporate tax rate is rarely the main reason to choose one of these countries, and it rarely determines how much the owner ultimately keeps.
Withholding matters as much as the corporate rate
What reaches the shareholder is what remains after corporate tax and then any withholding on distribution, reduced where a treaty applies. Mauritius maintains 46 tax treaties for exactly this reason.
Zone relief is conditional and audited
Ghana’s zones at 0% for ten years, Kenya’s EPZs at 0%, Madagascar’s five-year free-zone exemption and Botswana’s SEZs at 5% all depend on specific qualifying activity.
Incentives are negotiated, not simply selected
Mali’s Investment Code can reduce corporate tax to 0% for qualifying projects, Cameroon’s incentive legislation can provide relief for up to ten years, and Libya’s PIB holidays can run to five years. These are applications with obligations attached.
Your own country still taxes you
CFC rules and home-country dividend taxation apply to an African subsidiary just as they do anywhere else. A holding jurisdiction changes the arithmetic only where there is real presence and a valid tax-residence position.
Important: Two headline rates and a free-zone brochure tell you very little. What the owner ultimately keeps depends on withholding tax, treaty access, invoicing currency and whether the incentive conditions are still being met several years later.
Client notes
Google4.7★★★★★
Founders who wanted it done right.
Google4.7★★★★★
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Google
“I had their assistance in company registration and I would recommend them. They were answering all my clarification during the process and offering all their supportThank you Daniel and Irinia”
Google
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Google
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Google
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Google
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FAQ
What people ask before choosing a country
Which country registers fastest?+
Rwanda, through RDB, in 6 hours to 3 days. Benin and Togo file in 3-10 days under OHADA law, while company registration in South Africa takes 5-10 business days.
Can I set the company up without travelling?+
In most jurisdictions, yes, by power of attorney. Algeria, Angola and Mauritania are mostly remote but not always; Libya expects a local presence, while Sudan is handled case by case.
Can I own 100% of the company?+
In most countries, yes, including Angola and Egypt. Algeria retains the 51/49 rule in strategic sectors, while Libya caps foreign ownership at 49% in the standard joint-venture route. Ownership and licensing need to be analysed separately.
How do I actually get the profit out?+
By registering the money on the way in and following the central bank’s route on the way out. Nigeria records incoming capital through a Certificate of Capital Importation, Angola through AIPEX and Morocco through the Office des Changes. The process is procedural, but not automatic.
Which countries have no exchange controls?+
Botswana has had none since 1999, Zambia’s kwacha is convertible and Djibouti has none, with its franc pegged to the dollar since 1949. South Africa, Algeria and Zimbabwe have more restrictive systems.
How do I manage currency risk?+
Partly through the currency in which the company invoices. The CFA franc across OHADA countries and Cape Verde’s escudo are tied to the euro; Namibia’s dollar and Lesotho’s loti move one-to-one with the rand; Djibouti’s franc is pegged to the dollar. Elsewhere, currency movements remain a real operating cost.
Do I need a local director or local partner?+
It depends on the country and frequently the sector. Zambia requires half of the board to reside locally, while Tanzania maintains local-participation rules in mining and some licensed activities. Where the requirement is genuine, it needs to be structured as a real legal arrangement.
How long does a sector licence take?+
Usually longer than the company itself. Mining, telecoms, energy and financial services sit under separate regulators. In South Africa, the FSCA is the gateway for regulated financial services. The licensing process should therefore begin in parallel with incorporation.
Should I hold the operating company through Mauritius?+
Often, where there is a concrete reason: 46 treaties, an effective 3% on qualifying GBC income, 0% for an Authorised Company and documentation familiar to lenders and co-investors. Mauritius is a layer above the operating business, not a substitute for it.
Can you set up a company in Sudan or Libya?+
Sudan is handled only in narrow cases, and for most commercial plans the recommendation is to wait. Registries operate differently depending on geography. Libya can be structured through a 49% joint venture or a branch, with a 6-12 week timeframe.
Free consultation
Tell us what you are going to do there
Tell us the activity, the country or region, where the customers are located, who is investing and where the profit ultimately needs to end up. You receive a written recommendation covering the jurisdiction, legal form, required licences, total cost and reasoning - free of charge.
Written assessment within 2-5 business days