“The Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Ebrahim Patel has announced that all businesses that will be allowed to provide essential services are required to seek approval from the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) in order for them to trade during the period of the lockdown in terms of the regulations published today by the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Ms Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma in Regulation Gazette No. 11062.”
Such businesses are required to apply to the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) Bizportal website at www.bizportal.gov.za and obtain a certificate from the Commission that allows them to continue trading. The Bizportal website will contain a menu icon listed as “Essential Service Businesses” through which an application can be made to the CIPC,” Department of Trade and Industry.
Step to Step Guide
All applications are to be done online via the Bizportal website – www.bizportal.gov.za.

Click on the ‘Services’ tab on the top right of the website, then you will see all the tabs below, simply click on the red ‘Covid-19 Essential Services’ button to go through to the application page.

Once you have clicked on the ‘Covid-19 Essential Services’ button yyou will be taken through to the link below that lists all the essential services (double check you fall within one of the listed services). If you are scroll down to the bottom and click on the New Application to apply for your Essential Services Certificate.

Thereafter you simply fill in your enterprises number and details and the form will automatically populate. Applicant will need to fill in your contact details and number of employees working during this lockdown period.
The certificate will then be emailed or can be downloaded off the website. This certificate will allow your company to operate during the lockdown period. Ensure your company as well as your customers have their ‘Essential Services Certificate’.

Fraudulent Certificates will face criminal prosecution.
“It should be stressed and noted that if you make a false application to the CIPC, and are indeed not an essential service as per the government regulations, such will be taken as a fraudulent application and will render yourself as applicant liable to criminal prosecution and sanction,” Department of Trade and Industry.