Written by Werner van Rooyen
We have received an overwhelming response from Small, Medium, and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) owners seeking assistance with registering on the Central Supplier Database (CSD). To begin the registration process, visit the website: https://secure.csd.gov.za/.
Once on the site, you will find that the registration is quite straightforward. However, it’s important to note that you must first register as a natural person before registering your business. You will need an active email address for the registration process and a mobile phone, as you will receive one-time PIN messages from the CSD site. After registering as an individual, you will need to activate your account by clicking on the activation link sent to your email. Once your account is activated, you can start registering your business on the CSD. Here’s some essential information you should have ready for a smooth registration:
- Company name (you can register as a company, legal entity, individual, or partnership)
- Company or legal entity registration number
- Income Tax reference number
- VAT number
- Bank details for business transactions
- Physical and postal address (especially if they differ)
- A description of your business commodities
An interesting aspect of the CSD website is its integration with other government departments, such as SARS (South African Revenue Services) and CIPC (Companies and Intellectual Property Commission), as well as South African commercial banks. This means that:
- When you enter your Income Tax reference number, it displays your tax status and Tax Clearance Certificate information.
- It retrieves your directors’ information from CIPC.
- It verifies that your bank account is legitimate.
Overall, the registration process is quite simple and not very time-consuming. To learn more about this and other tender conditions, consider attending our “Become a Tender Expert” two-day workshops and webinars. You can register online at www.howtotender.co.za/workshops/. If you need further information, please contact us at info@howtotender.co.za.
Remember: We offer various manuals and guides to assist you in completing your tender documents.
- The Tender Manual is a comprehensive, step-by-step guide on responding to South African tenders, including examples of completed SBD forms.
- The Local Content Instruction Manual covers the completion of Standard Bidding Document (SBD) 6.2 and Annexures C, D & E.
- The SBD Manual provides examples of completed Standard Bidding Documents.
- A Joint Venture (JV) agreement template is available.
- Tender 101 serves as a beginner’s guide to tenders.
- Tender Examples include:
- Cleaning Services
- Once-off supply (with NO Functionality requirements)
- Once-off supply (WITH Functionality requirements)
- NEC3 term contract