How to check a supplier before you sign
Taking on a supplier or subcontractor puts your own work, payments and reputation in their hands. Before you sign, a handful of checks confirm that they are registered, tax compliant and who they say they are. Most take minutes, and a serious supplier will expect you to ask.
1. Confirm the company is registered
Get the registration number and check it on the CIPC register: the name, the status and the directors. Our company check guide covers it step by step.
2. Check tax compliance with a TCS PIN
SARS replaced the old paper tax clearance certificate with the Tax Compliance Status (TCS) system. The supplier requests a TCS PIN on SARS eFiling and gives it to you, and you use the PIN on eFiling to see their compliance status yourself, as it stands when you check.
Checking it yourself matters: a status you see on eFiling cannot be edited, while a document emailed to you can.
3. For government work: the Central Supplier Database
Businesses that supply government must register on National Treasury's Central Supplier Database (CSD), which verifies details such as CIPC registration and tax compliance with the source. If a supplier claims to do government work, ask for their CSD supplier number.
4. Check the B-BBEE status
If B-BBEE matters to your own scorecard, ask for the supplier's level and the evidence for it. Larger businesses have a B-BBEE certificate from an accredited verification agency; smaller ones may use a sworn affidavit instead. Check the business name and the expiry date, because certificates and affidavits are valid for a limited period.
5. Ask for references, and call them
Ask for two or three recent customers who bought something similar, and phone them. Ask whether the supplier delivered on time, what went wrong, and whether they would use them again. Five minutes on the phone often tells you more than any certificate.
6. Agree it in writing
Put the scope, prices, delivery dates and payment terms in a written agreement or purchase order before work starts, and pay into an account in the company's name. Confirm any change of banking details by phone, never by email alone.
Find suppliers who are already checked
Every business on BizBoost has had its CIPC registration, company documents and director ID checked before it could list, and verified businesses can find suppliers, post subcontract work and connect with each other in one place. You still run the deal-specific checks above, but you start from companies that are real.
Common questions
How do I check if a company is tax compliant in South Africa?
Ask the company for a SARS Tax Compliance Status (TCS) PIN, then use it on SARS eFiling to view their compliance status yourself. This replaced the old tax clearance certificate.
What is the Central Supplier Database?
The CSD is National Treasury's register of businesses that supply government. It verifies details such as CIPC registration and tax compliance, and registered suppliers receive a CSD supplier number.
Can a small business use an affidavit for B-BBEE?
Smaller businesses may confirm their B-BBEE status with a sworn affidavit instead of a certificate from a verification agency. Whichever is used, check the business name and that it has not expired.