The Companies Act No. 71 of 2008 (“the Act”) expressly recognises shareholders’ agreements. Section 15(7) of the Act states that shareholders of a company may enter into any agreement with one another in respect to any matter relating to the company. It is, therefore, possible that a shareholders’ agreement may contain a vast array of provisions, but there are certain general provisions that should be considered.

1. Duties and obligations of the shareholders: It may be that certain or all of the shareholders are not part of the day-to-day business of the company, in an employee capacity or even as a director, but may have other responsibilities towards the company and/or the other shareholders.
2. Decision-making: It is important to determine how decisions will be made on a shareholder level – this may be regarding anything from how directors will be appointed to dividends that may be declared.
3. Funding of the company: In a new start-up company, it is highly unlikely that there will be no funding from shareholders. A shareholders’ agreement may address existing shareholder funding as well as future funding by shareholders, whether there is a duty to provide funding, and also how shareholders may reclaim the funding from the company.
4. Exiting of shareholders: When the time comes where a shareholder wishes to exit, there should be no uncertainty as to the process to be followed by the parties. A shareholders’ agreement may regulate the notice that should be given to other shareholders, the pre-emptive rights, the protection of minority shareholders should the exiting shareholder sell his or her shares to a third party, and also how the shareholding will be valued.
5. Dispute resolution: It is inevitable that disputes will arise in any business relationship. A shareholders’ agreement may set out the procedure that the parties can turn to in times of dispute.

The advantage of a shareholders’ agreement is that the document constitutes a private document between the parties, which is not open for inspection by the public, as it is not filed with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (“CIPC”). Secondly, the shareholders’ agreement creates a binding and enforceable agreement between the parties.

On the other hand, the shareholders’ agreement only binds the shareholders that are parties to the agreement unless the new shareholders’ consent to be bound to the shareholders’ agreement. The shareholders’ agreement may also only be amended with the consent of the shareholders.

Section 15(7) of the Act furthermore states that a shareholders’ agreement must be consistent with the Act as well the company’s memorandum of incorporation. Any provision in a shareholders’ agreement that is inconsistent with the Act and/or the company’s memorandum of incorporation will be void.

A shareholders’ agreement can be a vital tool to plan and operate your business, but it is important that a shareholders’ agreement be tailored to the needs of your business.

This article is a general information sheet and should not be used or relied on as legal or other professional advice. No liability can be accepted for any errors or omissions nor for any loss or damage arising from reliance upon any information herein. Always contact your legal adviser for specific and detailed advice. Errors and omissions excepted (E&OE)

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Vir enige besigheid wat in Suid-Afrika sake doen, is dit ‘n uitdaging om op die hoogte te bly van alle vereiste registrasies en nakoming wat deur wetgewing en ander regulering voorgeskryf word. Hier volg ‘n opsomming van die mees algemene registrasies en nakoming wat op die meeste besighede van toepassing is.

1. Jaarlikse opgawes en jaargelde (Maatskappye): Enige maatskappy wat by die CIPC geregistreer wil bly, moet jaarliks gedurende die maatskappy se verjaardagmaand ‘n opgawe van inligting by die CIPC indien en ook die gepaardgaande jaargeld betaal. (www.cipc.co.za)

2. Inkomstebelasting: Enige onderneming wat handel dryf moet by die Suid-Afrikaanse Inkomstediens (SAID) as ‘n belastingbetaler registreer, hetsy as individu/eenmansaak, maatskappy, trust, of enige ander persoon. Jaarliks moet hierdie onderneming ‘n inkomstebelastingopgawe (IB12 of IB14) voltooi en indien. Verder moet daar elke ses maande voorlopige belasting bereken en ‘n opgawe (IRP6) ingedien word, en indien nodig, moet enige verskuldigde bedrag ook betaal word. Nie-nakoming kan aansienlike boetes tot gevolg hê. (www.sars.gov.za)

3. Belasting op Toegevoegde Waarde (BTW): Indien die jaarlikse omset van die onderneming R1 miljoen sal oorskry, moet die onderneming vir BTW registreer. ‘n Vrywillige registrasie kan gedoen word indien die omset meer as R50 000 per jaar sal wees. BTW-opgawes moet gewoonlik elke twee maande ingedien word en, indien nodig, moet enige verskuldigde bedrag ook betaal word. (www.sars.gov.za)

4. Werkloosheidsversekering: Indien ‘n onderneming werknemers in diens het, moet die onderneming as werkgewer vir werkloosheidsversekering registreer. Maandelikse opgawes vir betaling moet ingedien word. ‘n Bedrag gelykstaande aan een persent van die salarisse van werknemers is deur die werkgewer betaalbaar, en ‘n verdere een persent deur die werknemer. (www.labour.gov.za)

5. Werknemersbelasting: Indien enige van die werknemers van ‘n onderneming se vergoeding die perk in die Belastingwet oorskry, moet die onderneming as werkgewer vir LBS (lopende betaalstelsel) registreer. Die belasting moet maandeliks van sodanige werknemers se vergoeding afgetrek word en aan die SAID oorbetaal word tesame met die indiening van die nodige opgawes. Daar moet ook twee keer per jaar ‘n LBS-rekonsiliasie (IRP501) opgestel en by die SAID ingedien word. Jaarliks moet daar saam met die LBS-rekonsiliasie ook IRP5-sertifikate vir alle werknemers uitgemaak word. (www.sars.gov.za)

6. Vaardigheidsontwikkelingsheffing: Indien die totale jaarlikse salarisrekening van die onderneming R500 000 oorskry, of indien die onderneming meer as 50 werknemers het, moet die onderneming ook vir die vaardigheidsontwikkelingsheffing (SDL) registreer, en moet daar ook maandeliks opgawes ingedien en die nodige heffing betaal word. (www.labour.gov.za / www.sars.gov.za)

7. Vergoedingskommissaris: Enige onderneming wat werknemers in diens het, ongeag die vergoeding wat vir sodanige werknemers betaal word, moet as werkgewer vir ongevalleversekering by die Departement van Arbeid registreer. Die onderneming moet jaarliks ‘n opgawe by die departement indien en word dan aangeslaan teen ‘n persentasie van die totale salarisrekening van die onderneming. Werknemers wat aan diens beseer word, kan dan vergoeding van hierdie fonds eis. (www.labour.gov.za)

8. Gelyke Indiensneming: ‘n Onderneming wat meer as 50 werknemers in diens het, of wat die gestelde drempel van jaarlikse omset vir die spesifieke sektor waarin dit handel dryf, oorskry, moet elke twee jaar ‘n gelyke indiensnemingsplan opstel en by die Departement van Arbeid indien. (www.labour.gov.za)

Hierdie is ‘n algemene inligtingstuk en moet gevolglik nie as regs- of ander professionele advies benut word nie. Geen aanspreeklikheid kan aanvaar word vir enige foute of weglatings of enige skade of verlies wat volg uit die gebruik van enige inligting hierin vervat nie. Kontak altyd u regsadviseur vir spesifieke en toegepaste advies.

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