Moving Province or Setting Up in a New Area

Good news if you are relocating within South Africa: there is no province-by-province trade licensing. Your main trade registrations, DEL electrical registration, PIRB plumbing, SAQCC Gas and CIDB, are all national, and they travel with you. You do not re-register when you cross a provincial line. What does change is local: municipal by-laws, building plan approvals, and especially how solar registration works in your new area. This guide covers what travels with you, what changes, and the admin to tick off when you move.‍‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‍

National registrations travel with you

The following registrations are issued nationally and are valid across all nine provinces, so there is no re-registration when you move:

• Electrical Registered Person and Electrical Contractor, issued by the Department of Employment and Labour (DEL).
• Plumbing registration, issued by the Plumbing Industry Registration Board (PIRB).
• Gas practitioner registration, issued by SAQCC Gas (the South African Qualifications and Certification Committee for Gas).
• Contractor grading, issued by the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB).

CIDB grading in particular is national, not provincial. Your grade and class of works, for example GB for general building or CE for civil engineering, applies countrywide and sets the size of tender you may bid for. The one administrative step that matters is to update your contact and business address with each body when you relocate, so correspondence and renewals reach you.

CIDB registration when setting up

If you are a sole trader or starting a new company in a new area, you will need CIDB registration if you intend to bid for public-sector contracts; CIDB registration is mandatory for public-sector work, and private clients increasingly ask for it too. CIDB grades run from 1 to 9, based on turnover and track record, with the grade setting the maximum tender value you may bid for. The exact turnover bands for each grade have shifted, so confirm the current bands and the current fee schedule at cidb.org.za rather than relying on older figures you may see quoted online.

Entry-level Grade 1 needs no audited financials or track record, which is why it is the usual starting point. A typical Grade 1 submission includes your CIPC registration certificate, certified ID copies of all directors with certification no older than three months, a valid SARS Tax Compliance Status PIN, Central Supplier Database (CSD) registration, and the fee per class of works. Apply through the CIDB portal at www.cidb.org.za.

Municipal by-laws: what actually changes when you move

This is where provincial and metro differences become real. Each municipality runs its own by-laws, and a few areas hit you directly:

• Building plan approvals. Every municipality issues its own building permits. Your new municipality's town planning department is the starting point for any job that needs plans.
• Solar and small-scale embedded generation registration. This is mandatory for any grid-tied solar, and the framework varies a lot by area (more below).
• Business licensing. If you run a trade business from fixed premises, the local municipality may require a business licence.

Solar and SSEG registration: the big local variable

If you install solar and you are relocating, the registration route for a Small-Scale Embedded Generator (SSEG) depends on who supplies the power in your new area.

• In an Eskom supply area, register with Eskom directly via connect.eskom.co.za.
• In a municipal supply area, register with the local municipality. Some municipalities do not yet have an established SSEG registration framework, in which case follow national best practice.
• Larger systems must also register with NERSA regardless of location.

Two timing points worth knowing. Since 1 October 2025, residential SSEG systems may be signed off by a DEL-registered person, so a full professional-engineer sign-off is no longer mandatory for those systems. And Eskom's fee waiver for residential SSEG registration runs until 30 September 2026, not earlier, so there is a window to register at no cost. Be aware that municipal SSEG portals, by-law detail, and even whether a framework exists at all, vary enormously between the big metros and smaller towns. Always check the specific municipality's website before you quote a client.

Finding work in a new area

There is no national trade referral system or relocation job board for artisans, so building a local pipeline takes a few deliberate moves:

• CIDB Register of Contractors. Being listed with an active grade means public-sector procurement officers can find you at www.cidb.org.za.
• Master Builders Associations. These are provincial bodies with strong regional networks, and joining is often the fastest way into local contractor circles.
• NHBRC registration. The National Home Builders Registration Council registration is required for anyone building new homes, and clients can search the register.
• Google Business Profile and local search. Increasingly important for residential work in a new area, and the cheapest way to get found by homeowners.

Provincial differences worth knowing

Trade licences are national, but real differences exist between provinces and metros:

• Cape Town runs strict solar and SSEG by-laws with detailed frameworks and inspection requirements.
• Gauteng metros such as Tshwane and Johannesburg sometimes keep their own preferred-contractor databases beyond CIDB.
• KwaZulu-Natal, and eThekwini in particular, has distinct tariff and metering requirements for SSEG.
• Smaller municipalities often have no established SSEG process, so you fall back on national standards.
• All provinces face the Draft Construction Regulations 2024, which are expected to add new permit and notification duties for contractors once finalised.

Tax and business registration when relocating

National registrations, SARS income tax, VAT where applicable, and CIPC company registration, do not need renewal when you move province. Still, do the housekeeping: update your SARS registered address so correspondence reaches you, update CIPC with any new business address, and keep your Letter of Good Standing from COIDA (the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act fund) current, since many CIDB grades and tenders require it.

Common mistakes

• Re-registering trades you do not need to. DEL, PIRB, SAQCC Gas and CIDB are national. Just update your address.
• Assuming solar registration works the same everywhere. It depends on whether Eskom or the municipality supplies the power, and some municipalities have no framework at all.
• Missing the Eskom fee-waiver window. Free residential SSEG registration runs until 30 September 2026.
• Quoting before checking the local by-laws. Building plan approvals and SSEG rules vary by municipality. Check the new municipality's website first.

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