Voluntary liquidation without court. 3–5 days.
We are an independent private legal advisory firm — not a government department or agency. We act for directors and shareholders who have decided to wind up a company: one fixed fee, statutory fees included, agreed in writing before we start. Most files are wound up by special resolution, without a High Court application.
An insolvent company is placed into voluntary liquidation by a special resolution of its shareholders, lodged at CIPC on Form CoR40.1 together with the resolution itself. Once CIPC issues confirmation, the Master of the High Court appoints a liquidator to take control of the company's assets, realise them and pay creditors in the order the law prescribes.
Governing legislation: Sections 349 and 351 of the Companies Act 61 of 1973, read with the Insolvency Act 24 of 1936 and Item 9 of Schedule 5 to the Companies Act 71 of 2008.
Last reviewed: 2026-09-17
This is the first step of your liquidation application. No payment is needed to begin, and the eligibility check is step one inside the application.
Sheriff at the door, judgment granted or a creditor's application served? Call or WhatsApp us now — these files are handled the same day.
Every liquidation matter, start to deregistration.
Most wind-ups go wrong on sequencing — creditors, employees, financed assets and personal sureties dealt with in the wrong order. We settle the position first, then run the file through to deregistration.
Voluntary winding-up
Wound up by special resolution under sections 349 and 351 of the Companies Act 71 of 2008. No High Court application and no provisional order.
Director exposure
Personal surety, guarantee and reckless-trading exposure assessed before anything is lodged, so you know where you stand.
Speed and certainty
Typically 3 to 12 business days from signed mandate to a lodged resolution and creditor notice.
Employees & creditors
Staff notices, creditor books, landlords and funders sequenced correctly so the estate is not disputed later.
Companies office & Master
Resolution lodged, liquidator nominated and accepted, statutory notices issued and the file taken to deregistration.
Liquidate & restart
Where the trade is viable, we wind up the old entity and register and structure the new one in the same mandate.
Free assessment
Six questions. We confirm whether voluntary winding-up is the right route for your company.
Fixed quote
One written fee before any work starts. Statutory fees included. No hourly billing.
We prepare & lodge
Resolution, creditor notices, employee notices and liquidator nomination handled by us.
Through to deregistration
We stay on the file, answer queries and see the entity through to deregistration.
Six ways to engage us.
Most South African firms bill R25,000 – R45,000 or more hourly for the same work. We quote one number upfront, in writing, all-in.
A written legal opinion on whether voluntary winding-up is the right route for your company, what it will cost and what your exposure as a director is. Credited in full against your fee if you proceed with us.
- Solvency and liability position reviewed on your figures
- Correct route confirmed: voluntary resolution, or an alternative
- Surety, personal guarantee and reckless-trading exposure flagged
- Document checklist specific to your company
- Fee credited in full against a liquidation mandate
Voluntary winding-up of a (Pty) Ltd, close corporation or non-profit by special resolution under sections 349 and 351 — no High Court application.
- Special resolution drafted and lodged (s349 / s351)
- Independent liquidator nominated and appointed
- Statutory creditor notices handled
- Tax notifications and deregistration preparation
- Director release documentation
- Dedicated case manager to final deregistration
Wind up the existing entity and start clean — we liquidate the old company and register and structure the new one for you.
- Everything in the voluntary liquidation mandate
- New entity registered and share structure set up
- Director and shareholder structuring advice
- Tax and statutory registrations for the new entity
- Asset and contract transition guidance
- One case manager across both matters
Companies with staff, sizeable creditor books or leased and financed assets, where the wind-down needs to be sequenced properly.
- Employee notices and statutory consultation documents
- Creditor book reconciled and notified in the correct order
- Financed and leased assets addressed with the funders
- Landlord and supplier correspondence handled
- Liquidator liaison through the first creditors' meeting
Where a personal surety, a reckless-trading allegation or a creditor-driven application is already on the table.
- Surety and personal guarantee exposure assessed
- Response to creditor demands and applications
- Reckless-trading and delinquency allegations answered
- Negotiated settlements with major creditors
- Hard price cap — you never pay above the quoted number
Holding structures and groups winding up several dormant or trading entities under one mandate.
- Up to five entities wound up under one mandate
- Inter-company loan accounts and balances addressed
- Single point of contact and one consolidated status report
- Sequenced filings so the group unwinds in the right order
- Priority handling where creditors are already moving
All-in fixed fees, with no hidden fees. Our professional work, the drafted resolution and notices, liquidator nomination, statutory lodgement fees and all dealings with the authorities until deregistration are included. Liquidator's remuneration drawn from the estate, and any court costs where a creditor forces a compulsory application, fall outside the fee.
How long it actually takes.
We separate our preparation time, which we control, from the authority's decision time, which we do not. Ranges are based on comparable files.
Readiness & options report
Voluntary winding-up
Employees or contested files
We cannot guarantee a government decision date. What we do guarantee is a complete file, lodged on time, with every query answered until a decision is issued.
Insolvency & restructuring team
Led by a named advisor on every file
Dynamic Legal Services (Pty) Ltd
Offices in Pretoria (Faerie Glen) and Sandton (Sandown) — serving all nine provinces
087 153 6207 · support@dlegal.co.za
Why clients hand us the file.
- We act for directors and shareholders of (Pty) Ltd companies, close corporations and non-profit entities.
- Voluntary winding-up is a paper process under the Companies Act, not litigation. We keep it that way wherever the numbers allow.
- Personal surety and reckless-trading exposure is assessed before anything is lodged, so there are no surprises afterwards.
- Group and holding structures are wound up under one mandate, sequenced so inter-company balances are dealt with correctly.
- We act in all nine provinces, with offices in Pretoria and Sandton.
- We are an independent private law advisory firm and are not affiliated with, endorsed by or acting for any government department or agency.
What must be in place before we lodge.
We are a fixed-fee legal advisory firm, not a debt-relief scheme or a turnaround funder. Our files move quickly because the basics are settled before we lodge. If you are not there yet, we will tell you plainly rather than take a fee.
- A registered company, close corporation or non-profit entity — with registration documents available
- Director and shareholder ID documents, and the votes needed to pass a special resolution
- A creditor list with balances, and the latest financial or management accounts
- Employee position known: how many staff, and whether salaries are current
- Funding in place for the fixed fee, payable before lodgement — we do not bill hourly or in arrears
Not sure liquidation is the right route? Start with the R3,500 readiness and options report. You get a written legal position on the company and your exposure as a director, and the fee is credited in full against your mandate when you proceed.
Your application starts here.
Step 1 is the free eligibility check. Step 2 is your details. Step 3 is documents, which you can send later. Nothing to pay to open the file.
Start your liquidation application.
Six quick questions. We tell you whether voluntary winding-up fits your company, what your exposure as a director looks like, and how quickly it can be done. Nothing to pay to start.
Step 1 of your application
What do you need?
- One fixed fee, agreed in writing before any work starts
- Statutory lodgement fees are included — no hidden fees
- Deliverables: the drafted special resolution, creditor and employee notices, liquidator nomination, lodgement and all queries answered through to deregistration
- Excluded: the liquidator's remuneration drawn from the estate, and court costs where a creditor forces a compulsory application
- After you submit, an advisor calls you within one business day — same day where a creditor has already served
Questions
Straight answers before you apply.
How long does a voluntary liquidation take?
Most solvent-shareholder resolutions are lodged and registered within 3 to 5 business days once the signed resolution and supporting documents are in. The wind-up itself then runs through the appointed liquidator to final distribution and deregistration.
What does liquidation cost?
R19,500 as one flat fee, agreed in writing before we start, with the statutory lodgement fees included. There is no hourly billing and no payment plan on this service.
Do we have to go to court?
No. Most files are wound up by special resolution of the shareholders under sections 349 and 351 of the Companies Act, which is an administrative process. A High Court application is only needed where a creditor forces the wind-up.
What happens to directors, employees and sureties?
Directors are released from the company's trading obligations once it is wound up, but personal sureties and signed personal guarantees survive liquidation. Employees' claims rank as preferent claims and we set the sequence out for you before you sign.
Decided to close, or creditors already moving?
Book a confidential consultation. We respond within one business day.
Last reviewed: 2026-09-17
Written and reviewed by Dynamic Legal Services (Pty) Ltd, registration 2016/074955/07. Registered with the Department of Water and Sanitation, EAPASA applicant. Offices in Faerie Glen, Pretoria and Sandown, Sandton. Telephone 087 153 6207, support@dlegal.co.za. General information on South African regulatory practice, not advice on a specific matter — the first consultation is free.