Buy a Company in Germany from South Africa

If you are based in South Africa and want a foothold in the European Union, you can buy a company in Germany from South Africa without relocating and without being an EU citizen. The fastest route is a ready-made German company, a shelf GmbH that already exists in the commercial register and is transferred to you by a notarised deed, completed remotely. Müller Konsult handles the German side for South African founders, from selecting a clean entity to banking and tax. This page is general information, not tax, immigration, or exchange-control advice; confirm your South African position with a local adviser.

To be clear from the start: this is not about buying an operating German business through a merger or acquisition, the kind of deal that makes headlines, and it is not about registering a company in South Africa. It is about acquiring a clean European entity you can put to work straight away.

Can a South African buy a company in Germany?

Yes. There is no nationality or residency requirement to own a German GmbH, so a South African resident can hold one hundred percent of the shares. You do not need a German address, a German partner, or EU citizenship to be the owner. The practical questions are not about permission but about logistics: how to complete the purchase from South Africa, how to move the money compliantly, and how to get the company banking and trading. Those are the things we manage for you, and they are the focus of this guide. The purchase itself can be completed remotely, so most clients never board a plane to take ownership.

Why South African founders buy a European company

A European base does different work for a South African business than a purely local structure can:

• EU single-market access to sell, contract, and invoice across 27 member states from inside the bloc.
• Diversification of a rand-denominated business into a hard-currency, stable-jurisdiction entity.
• Credibility with European clients, suppliers, and banks that prefer to deal with a local company.
• A gateway between South and Southern Africa and the EU for trade, services, and investment.

For exporters, consultancies, and online businesses in particular, a German company removes the friction of being seen as a distant supplier and puts you on the same footing as a domestic counterparty.

What you can buy: GmbH, UG and DACH options

The most popular choice is a German ready-made GmbH, the standard limited liability company. It is not the only option:

• GmbH — the standard limited company, minimum share capital €25,000.
• UG (haftungsbeschränkt) — the “mini-GmbH”, which can start with less capital but must build a reserve until it reaches €25,000.
• AG or SE — for larger or pan-European structures.

You are not limited to Germany either. We cover the wider DACH region, so you can also consider a Swiss shelf company or a GmbH in Austria, and the full range sits on our shelf company for sale in Europe overview. We match the entity to your business purpose rather than selling one package to everyone.

The purchase process from South Africa, step by step

The process is built so you can complete it from Johannesburg, Cape Town, or anywhere else without travelling:

1. Consultation. You tell us your goals; we propose a clean shelf company that is debt-free, litigation-free, and current on tax.
2. Due diligence. We review the company’s legal, financial, and tax position so you know exactly what you are taking over.
3. KYC and funding plan. We complete the anti-money-laundering checks and help you plan how to move the share capital from South Africa in euros, mindful of exchange control (see below).
4. Notarial share transfer. Ownership passes by notarial act, mandatory under GmbHG §15, which you can complete remotely or by power of attorney.
5. Register update. The new managing director, shareholders, and registered office are filed with the Handelsregister, with an updated shareholder list and beneficial-owner entry.
6. Banking, VAT and tax. We help you open or transfer a business account, confirm the VAT and tax numbers, and set up accounting and ongoing compliance.

Why the notary is required

German law does not allow a GmbH to change hands by a private contract. Both the transfer of the shares and the agreement to transfer them must be recorded in notarial form under GmbHG §15. That requirement protects buyers and deters fraud. For owners abroad, the notarial step can be handled remotely or through a power of attorney, so being in South Africa is not an obstacle.

Updating the register and beneficial owners

After the transfer, an updated list of shareholders (Gesellschafterliste) is filed with the commercial register, and the new beneficial owners are reported to the transparency register (Transparenzregister). These filings are what third parties rely on to see who owns and controls the company, so getting them right is how your ownership is actually secured. We handle both, and the mechanics are covered in our guide to the GmbH share transfer.

What you need to provide (KYC and AML)

German anti-money-laundering rules (the Geldwäschegesetz) apply to every company purchase, so we will ask you to:

• Identify the ultimate beneficial owners and provide passport identification.
• Give details of the incoming managing director(s) and shareholders.
• Confirm the planned business activity and company purpose.
• Supply proof of address, plus corporate documents if the buyer is a company rather than an individual.

We coordinate the checks so the file is complete before the notary appointment, which keeps the timeline tight.

Share capital and German company law

The numbers behind a German GmbH come straight from the GmbH Act (GmbHG), and they are worth knowing before you buy:

• Minimum share capital is €25,000 (GmbHG §5), each share carrying a nominal value in full euros.
• Before registration, at least a quarter of each share and a total of at least €12,500 must be paid in (GmbHG §7).
• The company exists only once it is entered in the commercial register (GmbHG §11). With a shelf company that step is already done.
• Liability is limited: the company’s assets alone discharge its obligations (GmbHG §13), protecting your personal assets.
• A managing director is required — every GmbH must have at least one Geschäftsführer (GmbHG §6).

With a ready-made GmbH the capital is already paid in and verified, so you are not arranging a fresh deposit during the purchase.

Funding the capital from South Africa and exchange control

This is the part most South African buyers ask about, and most websites ignore. The share capital is paid in euros, and it is not a fee paid to anyone; it belongs to the company and stays available for the business once you own it. The practical question is moving that money out of South Africa correctly.

South Africa operates exchange control through the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) and its FinSurv function. Outward investment by South African residents, including funding or buying a foreign company, is subject to the foreign-investment allowance and, above certain thresholds, to approval. The rules and limits change and depend on your circumstances, so we do not state specific rand figures here. The sensible approach is to plan the transfer with your South African bank and adviser before you commit, so the funding and any required approval are arranged in advance. We coordinate the German side, including the timing of the capital and the documentation your bank may request, so the two ends line up.

Tax and the Germany–South Africa double taxation agreement

A German company is taxed in Germany. The effective corporate tax burden is roughly 30%, made up of corporation tax of 15% plus the 5.5% solidarity surcharge and municipal trade tax that averages around 14%, and the standard VAT rate is 19%. We explain this in detail on our corporate tax in Germany page.

Germany and South Africa have a double taxation agreement, which exists precisely to relieve the same income from being taxed twice across the two countries. How it applies to you depends on where you are tax resident, how profits are distributed, and the substance of the company, so this is something to confirm with a tax adviser rather than assume. South Africa’s own rules on the taxation of foreign income, and concepts such as the 183-day test, also matter for your personal position. We handle the German company’s tax registrations and filings; your South African tax treatment should be checked with a local adviser so the two sides fit together.

Planning a move into Europe from South Africa? Request a free callback with our lawyers, with no commitment. Talk to our team.

Banking for South African owners

A company can only trade once it can hold money and invoice, and European business banking for non-resident owners takes preparation. Banks vary in how they treat South-Africa-based directors and shareholders, and they will want a clear picture of the business and its beneficial owners. We do not promise a particular bank or guarantee approval; what we do is prepare your file properly and offer practical routes. Many buyers choose a shelf company with a bank account already in place, which removes the single biggest hurdle, and a nominee or local director can help satisfy a bank’s local-presence expectations. For the full picture, see our guide to opening a business bank account in Germany.

Cost: what is included and what costs extra

Many providers either hide their prices or quote a single “from” figure. We prefer to show the logic. It helps to see the price in two parts: what every purchase includes, and the optional extras you choose.

The key point: the share capital is not a fee. It belongs to the company and works in its business once you own it, so a large part of any honest price is simply capital that ends up yours. Remember to factor in the rand-to-euro exchange and any exchange-control steps when you budget. For the cost drivers in detail see our shelf company cost guide, and contact us for a transparent quote.

Can owning a company give you German residence?

Owning a German company does not by itself grant you the right to live in Germany, but it can support a residence route if that is your goal. Two paths are relevant. The EU Blue Card is salary-based, with a standard threshold of €50,700 gross a year (lower, €45,934.20, for shortage occupations and qualifying IT roles), and a company owner can hold one through a genuine salaried managing-director role. The German business visa, a self-employment residence permit under §21 of the Residence Act, looks at the economic interest of your business, its financing, and a viable plan. Feasibility depends on your profile, and we can advise on whether a route is realistic. This is not a promise of a residence grant.

Ongoing compliance and after-sale support

Buying the company is the start, not the finish. A German GmbH carries real obligations that most sellers never mention, and we stay with you for them:

• Bookkeeping and accounting to German standards.
• Annual financial statements and their filing.
• Tax returns for corporate income tax, trade tax, and VAT, plus correspondence with the tax office.
• Register and transparency-register upkeep whenever ownership or management changes.
• Amendments to the articles, company name, registered office, or business activities.

For a South African owner managing the company from a different time zone, having a local team that keeps the entity in good standing is often the difference between a structure that works and one that drifts into trouble.

Why buy through a lawyer-led provider

Search results for South African buyers are full of trade directories and news rather than real guidance, and many sites are little more than checkout pages. A GmbH is a genuine legal entity carrying genuine obligations, so who you buy it through matters. With Müller Konsult you get legal sourcing grounded in the law cited on this page, real due diligence, transparent pricing, cross-border experience with non-EU buyers, and a named, accountable adviser with a real office.

Frequently asked questions

Official sources

• German Limited Liability Companies Act (GmbHG), official English text — gesetze-im-internet.de
• German Commercial Register (Handelsregister) — handelsregister.de
• Transparency register (Transparenzregister) — transparenzregister.de
• German Federal Ministry of Finance, double taxation agreements — bundesfinanzministerium.de
• South African Reserve Bank (exchange control / FinSurv) — resbank.co.za

Ready to buy your European company?

Contact Müller Konsult for a clean, compliant German or DACH company, bought remotely from South Africa. We assess your goals, propose the right entity, and guide you through every step. Müller Konsult · Königsallee 27, 40212 Düsseldorf · +49 211 5403 8800 · info@gmbhforsale.com · Request a callback

Reviewed by Stefan Stelthove, Corporate & Commercial Lawyer, Müller Konsult. Last updated 7 June 2026. This is general information, not tax, immigration, or exchange-control advice; rules change.

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