Company Name Reservations – Best Practices
Your company name is the first impression of your brand. Choose one that's clear, memorable and compliant to avoid delays at CIPC.
Top Pitfalls to Avoid
- Typos and misspellings – double-check every option you submit.
- Submitting only one name – send at least four distinct options.
- One-word or generic names that are likely taken or confusing.
- Restricted terms (e.g., "Holdings", "Group", "International") without justification.
- Similarity to existing trademarks or well-known brands.
Smart Tips for Company Name Reservation
- Be distinctive + descriptive: combine a unique coined word with a clear service noun (e.g., "Pandecta Engineering").
- Keep it short & pronounceable: avoid awkward spellings, excessive hyphens, random numbers or symbols.
- Industry & geography: adding an industry and (optionally) a city/region improves clarity and availability, e.g., "Pandecta Engineering Cape Town".
- Language checks: test pronunciation in English and your local market languages; avoid words that can be misread or have negative meanings.
- Legal words: avoid protected terms (e.g., "Bank", "University", "Municipal") unless you have regulator approval.
- Confusion test: say the name aloud and ask, "Could this be confused with a competitor if heard over the phone?" If yes, revise.
- Future-proof: pick a name broad enough to allow product/region expansion without rebranding.
- Digital checks: search Google, CIPC register, social handles, and verify a .co.za domain (or close variant) is available.
- Submit variations: keep the root brand and vary descriptors: "Pandecta Engineering", "Pandecta Engineering & Maintenance", "Pandecta & Sons Engineering", "Panson Engineering & Maintenance".