Starting a Business · South Sudan
Starting a business in South Sudan: foreigner's guide (2026)
South Sudan shaded by its starting a business status
Incorporating a company in South Sudan is governed by the Companies Act 2012 and is procedurally heavy, slow, and complicated by instability and weak institutions — the World Bank's final Doing Business assessment ranked South Sudan 185th of 190 economies and recorded 12 procedures to start a business. There is no statutory minimum paid-in capital under the Companies Act, but foreign investors face an unevenly applied local-ownership expectation (commonly cited as ~31% South Sudanese participation for medium/large firms) and, per advisers citing the Investment Promotion Act, a substantial minimum foreign-investment threshold. The legal text on mandatory local ownership is ambiguous and applied inconsistently, so foreigners cannot reliably expect 100% control in practice.
Key points
Company formation runs under the Companies Act 2012 through the Business Registry at the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs; an online portal (brs.eservices.gov.ss) exists. An LLC can be formed with a single shareholder and a single director of any nationality.
The World Bank's last Doing Business data recorded 12 procedures to start a business in Juba — far above the Sub-Saharan African average of ~7.4 — reflecting a complex, bureaucratic process. Core steps are name reservation, preparing constitutional/incorporation documents, and submission to the Business Registry for a Certificate of Incorporation.
The Investment Promotion Act 2009 states foreign investors may own or control business organizations in any sector as domestic businesses do. However, a local-ownership expectation — commonly cited as 31% South Sudanese ownership for medium/large companies, with small businesses reserved for nationals — is widely applied informally; US government reporting notes it 'does informally exist' even where not explicit in legislation. Foreigners should not assume reliable 100% ownership.
The Companies Act 2012 imposes no minimum paid-in capital and provides that shares are of no par value (Art. 102); the World Bank's standardized LLC likewise had no minimum paid-in capital. Separately, advisory practice citing the Investment Promotion Act references a substantial minimum foreign-investment threshold (commonly stated as ~US$100,000), though this is not confirmed as a uniform statutory company-formation requirement.
The World Bank recorded roughly 13 days to complete the start-up procedures in Juba; in practice document readiness and administrative delays mean foreigners should plan for one to several weeks or more.
South Sudan ranked 185th of 190 economies in the World Bank's final Ease of Doing Business index (unchanged 2018–2019), and broader conditions — conflict, weak institutions, and an unpredictable regulatory environment — make business setup among the hardest globally despite no formal capital floor.
South Sudan - other topics
Last verified 5/24/2026 · Orientation, not legal advice - verify against the primary sources linked above. Explore the full world map →