Can a foreign company register on South Africa's CSD and bid for tenders?

Last checked: 27 October 2026, against National Treasury and Central Supplier Database pages.

Yes, a foreign company can register on South Africa's Central Supplier Database (CSD): the registration form has a "Foreign Supplier" option (CSD registration), and National Treasury publishes a user guide for international suppliers (user guide). Treasury tells government buyers to make CSD registration a bid condition (Instruction 9), but lets them conclude transactions with foreign suppliers that have no local registered entity without it (Instruction 4A). Check each tender's bid documents for who may bid. This is general information, not legal advice; confirm with the procuring entity or National Treasury.

Key facts

• The CSD registration form offers "South African Supplier" and "Foreign Supplier" options (CSD).
• Treasury's international supplier guide lists "Foreign company" as a supplier type (user guide).
• Only South African tax information can be captured on the CSD, according to the same guide (user guide).
• Foreign suppliers with neither South African tax obligations nor a history of doing business there complete a questionnaire on the standard bid form SBD 1 (Instruction 9).

Can a foreign company register on the CSD?

Yes. The CSD "Register user" page lets you choose "Foreign Supplier" and accepts a foreign identification number or a foreign passport number for the person creating the user account (CSD registration). Treasury's CSD fact sheet lists "Foreign Companies" among the categories of suppliers that should register (fact sheet).

Registration is a self-service process in two stages: you first create a CSD user, then add the supplier's details and submit them (how to register). The CSD describes self-registration as "an expression of interest from the supplier to conduct business with the South African government", and says submitted details "will be assessed for inclusion" (CSD).

What does a foreign supplier need?

Treasury's CSD guide for international suppliers says suppliers "will be required to have a valid e-mail address, cellphone number and bank account to register on the CSD" (international supplier guide). An international cellphone number must start with "+" and use the format shown on the CSD registration page.

To add a foreign company, the guide has you choose the supplier type "Foreign company", then enter its identification number, legal name, country of origin and industry classification (international supplier guide). The current CSD page also lists contacts, addresses, directors or members and the commodities you supply, "depending on the supplier type" (how to register).

For banking, the guide has a separate step to add a non South African bank account: account holder, account number, bank name, bank address, country and zip code. It notes that manual verification "is typically applicable to foreign bank account information for foreign suppliers" (international supplier guide). The current CSD page lists bank account information "if relevant to ensure future payments" (how to register).

For tax, the guide says "Only South African registered tax information can be captured". A supplier without a valid South African tax clearance certificate unticks that option and sees the message "Contact SARS to obtain a valid tax clearance certificate before award" (international supplier guide). A later Treasury instruction notes that SARS "has discontinued the issuance of tax clearance certificates" and that buyers verify tax compliance status through a SARS tax compliance status PIN or the CSD (Instruction 9). How Treasury treats foreign bidders with no South African tax obligations is covered in the next section.

For B-BBEE, the guide says "It is unlikely that an international supplier will have a B-BBEE certification" and offers an option to declare none (international supplier guide).

The international supplier guide is dated 2016, so screens may differ today. For the current steps, follow the CSD "How to register" page.

Can a foreign company bid without a South African entity or bank account?

Expect to need a CSD number unless the buyer says otherwise. Instruction 4A of 2016/2017 says suppliers awarded business with the State must be registered on the CSD before the award, but transactions with "foreign suppliers with no local registered entity may be concluded even if the supplier is not registered on the CSD" (Instruction 4A).

The exception is worded as something the buyer "may" do. The same instruction tells organs of state to state in their requests for bids that prospective suppliers must register on the CSD before submitting bids for open tenders (Instruction 4A), and Instruction 9 tells them to request bidders, "as a bid condition", to register on the CSD and include their supplier number in the bid (Instruction 9). If a bid asks for a CSD number and you have no South African entity, ask the buyer before the closing date whether the exception applies to you, or register.

On bank accounts, the 2016 guide asks for one to register, but Instruction 4A says bank account information is verified "for ease of transacting" and "not as a mandatory requirement for sourcing and procurement processes" (Instruction 4A). The Treasury sources we checked do not say how a buyer pays a supplier with only a foreign account; ask the procuring entity.

On tax, Instruction 9 of 2017/2018 says foreign suppliers "with neither South African tax obligations nor history of doing business in South Africa must complete the questionnaire on the SBD1". If the award is recommended to a foreign bidder, the buyer sends that form to SARS, which issues a letter confirming whether the entity has tax obligations in South Africa (Instruction 9). The SBD 1 questionnaire asks about residence, a branch, a permanent establishment, income and tax liability in South Africa; if every answer is no, it says a SARS tax compliance PIN is not a requirement (SBD 1).

Both instructions apply to departments, constitutional institutions and public entities listed in Schedules 2 and 3 to the Public Finance Management Act (Instruction 4A; Instruction 9). Neither instruction lists municipalities among the institutions it applies to; for a municipal tender, ask the municipality.

Which tenders accept foreign bidders?

Treasury's standard bid form SBD 1 asks every bidder "Are you a foreign based supplier for the goods/services offered?" and includes a questionnaire for foreign suppliers (SBD 1). So the standard form provides for foreign bidders. Check each tender's bid documents for who may bid. Treasury pages we checked list no tenders open to foreign bidders.

Two conditions to look for in the bid documents. First, Treasury says "Certain industries, sectors and sub-sectors are designated for local production with minimum local content thresholds" (designated sectors). Second, SBD 1 asks whether you are "the accredited representative in South Africa" for the goods or services offered (SBD 1).

You can browse South African public tenders on our tenders page. Source: National Treasury eTenders.

What does the CSD number do and not do?

Your registration is complete once the supplier record "is assigned a Supplier number and a 36-digit Unique Registration Reference Number" (how to register). Buyers can use this number, which Instruction 9 calls the Master Registration Number (Supplier Number) or MAAA number, to verify a bidder's tax compliance status (Instruction 9), and SBD 1 has a field for it (SBD 1).

A CSD number is not a contract or an invitation to bid. The CSD calls self-registration "an expression of interest" (CSD). Organs of state use the CSD to verify key supplier information such as business registration, tax compliance status and tender defaulting and restriction status (Instruction 4A). You still have to find tenders and meet each bid's conditions.

Where to get an official answer?

For CSD questions, National Treasury's Office of the Chief Procurement Officer lists the email CSD@treasury.gov.za and an SCM helpdesk on (012) 406 9222 (OCPO contacts). For a specific tender, SBD 1 names who takes bidding procedure enquiries and technical enquiries (SBD 1).

Instruction 4A also says organs of state "must provide CSD registration support to prospective suppliers who are unable to self-register or require assistance with registration" (Instruction 4A).

Before you sell into South Africa, our export checklist covers the wider steps, and how to check a South African company helps when the buyer is a private firm. This article is general information, not legal advice.