There is no general business licence that covers every activity. A regulatory map should identify the entity, activity, product, premises and person to which each approval attaches.

Potential workstreams include:

• prudential and conduct approvals for banking, insurance, investments, payments, credit and other financial services;

• communications and broadcasting licensing;

• mining rights, environmental authorisations and water-use licences;

• electricity, petroleum and energy approvals;

• health-facility, medicine, medical-device, food and controlled-product requirements;

• transport, aviation, tourism, gambling, private-security, education or professional permissions;

• municipal zoning, building-plan, occupancy, fire, signage and trading permissions;

• National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications controls and South African Bureau of Standards standards; and

• International Trade Administration Commission import or export permits and trade remedies.

Separate general obligations from sector conditions. CIPC, SARS, UIF, the Compensation Fund and the Information Regulator apply across many businesses. A banking or telecommunications regulator, by contrast, may assess ownership, controllers, capital, local management, systems and responsible officers before allowing the regulated activity.

Prepare a matrix showing the legal basis, authority, applicant, prerequisites, supporting material, site or product linkage, conditions, renewals and reporting. Align it with the property, recruitment, procurement and launch plans. If approval depends on a fit-and-proper director, technical manager, B-BBEE status or approved premises, that dependency should appear in the critical path.

Do not advertise or contract for regulated services before confirming what pre-approval rules apply. In an acquisition, establish whether licences transfer, require consent or must be reissued to the buyer.