The Co-operatives Act (No 14 of 2005) was implemented on 2 May 2007. This creates the foundation for a more active and supportive environment for co-operatives. The registration procedure is simpler, it re-defines government’s role as a facilitator in promoting co-operatives, it provides for different types of co-operatives in all sectors of the economy, and ensures co-operative principles are observed.

Anyone starting a co-operative must first register it with the Registrar of Co-operatives at the Department of Trade and Industry. This is based in the Companies and Intellectual Property Registration Office (CIPRO) in Pretoria.

The Registrar responds to queries from the public, provides information about co-operatives and how to register them, and promotes the establishment of co- operatives in poor rural communities. The office of the Registrar is responsible for registering and deregistering co-operatives, as well as analyzing the financial statements of co-operatives. They will also provide a sample constitution for a new co-operative and, if necessary, provide assistance in drawing up a constitution. They will also provide all the documents that are needed for the various kinds of co-operatives. The following outline summarises the steps involved in starting and registering a co-operative.