Central Supplier Database registration

What actually goes wrong

The form is not the hard part. Registrations stall on verification, and almost always for one of three reasons.

• Bank details that do not matchThe account has to be in the exact registered name of the business. A trading name, a personal account or an old name from before a company change will fail the bank verification and simply sit there.
• Tax status that will not verifyCSD pulls your tax compliance status from SARS automatically. If it comes back non compliant, buyers see that on your profile and filter you out, even though the registration itself goes through.
• Director details that disagree with CIPCIf someone resigned or was appointed and CIPC was never updated, the identity check fails against a company that no longer looks like yours.

What you get for R490

• The registration prepared and submittedYour full supplier profile on csd.gov.za, completed from the details you give us.
• A pre check before we submitWe compare your CIPC record, your bank account name and your director details first, so the verification has a chance of clearing.
• Your MAAA supplier numberConfirmed to you in writing and kept in your client portal.
• A rejection fixIf a verification fails on something we can correct, we correct it and resubmit at no extra charge.
• What to keep currentA short sheet on the annual reverification and what to update when your bank, directors or address change.

What we will need from you

Three of these are not details, they are prerequisites. Without them the registration cannot be started at all.

• A bank account in the registered name of the businessYou cannot register on the CSD without one, and the name on the account must match the CIPC record exactly.
• An email address and a cellphone number you can actually reachThe CSD requires both and uses them to verify you. A number belonging to somebody who has left the business stops the registration dead.
• Your CIPC registration numberOr your identity number if you trade in your own name, or the trust number for a trust.
• Your tax numberThe CSD pulls your compliance status from SARS by itself.
• Every director or member, with identity numbersThese are checked against the CIPC record, so a resignation CIPC never heard about will fail the check.
• Your industry classification and the commodities you supplySee below. This is the part that decides whether buyers ever find you.
• Your B-BBEE statusAn affidavit is enough for an exempted micro enterprise.
• Any accreditations you holdCIDB, a SETA, SANAS and the like can be linked to your profile.

The commodities are the whole point

Registering gets you a supplier number. Commodities are how buyers actually find you. Organs of state search the database by commodity code when they need something, so a profile registered under the wrong codes, or under two when it should carry twelve, is invisible to the people you registered to reach.

Almost nobody spends time on this part, because the form makes it look like an afterthought. We map what you actually sell to the codes buyers search on, which costs you nothing extra and is the difference between being on the database and being found on it.

Your registration completes with a supplier number and a 36 digit unique registration reference number. Quote the supplier number on every government quote and invoice.

Two registers that will stop you

The CSD screens every supplier against the Register of Tender Defaulters and the List of Restricted Suppliers. A name on either is visible to every buyer looking at your profile, and organs of state are not permitted to do business with a restricted supplier.

It applies to the people behind the business, not only the business, so a director carrying a restriction from somewhere else brings it with them. We check before you spend anything.

How it works

1. 1Order and send your detailsCIPC number, tax number, banking details and director IDs, through the short form in your portal.
2. 2We check before we submitWe look for the mismatches that cause stalled verifications and tell you about anything that needs fixing first.
3. 3Submitted and confirmedWe register you and send your MAAA supplier number once the verification clears.

Not sure this is the right one for you? Ask us first and you get a written answer within one business day.

What we need, and what the checks catch

The Central Supplier Database verifies you against three other government systems while you register. That is why registrations fail, and it is almost never the form’s fault.

• Your company registration number, checked live against CIPC. If your annual returns are outstanding or the company is in deregistration, this is where you find out.
• Your tax number, checked live against SARS. A non-compliant tax status shows on your supplier profile for every buyer to see, so fix it before you register rather than after.
• A bank account in the exact registered name of the entity, verified with the bank. A personal account, or a trading name that does not match CIPC, fails here and is the single most common reason a registration stalls.
• Director identity numbers, checked against Home Affairs.
• Your B-BBEE affidavit or certificate, and the commodities and regions you want to supply.

You come out with a MAAA supplier number. Keep the profile current: banking details, directors and tax status all have to stay accurate, because an out-of-date profile disqualifies bids without anyone telling you.

Update, 2026: online RFQ evaluation

Since 1 April 2026, requests for quotations (RFQs) on the Central Supplier Database that do not need an evaluation committee can be evaluated online. Suppliers respond to RFQs on CSD under the My RFQ menu, and an RFQ will not be awarded to a supplier whose compliance indicators show non compliant. Registration on CSD remains free (Treasury fact sheet for suppliers on RFQ online evaluation, 23 June 2026).

Frequently asked questions

Getting tender ready properly

CSD is one item on a longer list. Most buyers also want a B-BBEE affidavit, a tax compliance status that verifies, and for construction work a CIDB grading. The tender ready pack covers the set in one go at R890, which is cheaper than buying the pieces separately.