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Lesotho

Kingdom of Lesotho

Mixed Roman-Dutch and English common lawParliamentary constitutional monarchyReviewed· 2026-08-03
Capital
Maseru
Population
2,300,000
Languages
Sesotho, English
Currency
LSL

Lesotho · Business

Business in Lesotho

What the atlas records on business in Lesotho, checked against the primary sources cited below.

Business

Companies Act 18 of 2011 with one-stop registration and no minimum capital

Reviewed· 2026-08-03

The Companies Act 18 of 2011 modernised company law, removing minimum capital and permitting single-member companies. Registration is through the One Stop Business Facilitation Centre. Lesotho's commercial law otherwise remains Roman-Dutch, received via the Cape.

Key rules

  • Jurisdiction — The Registrar of Companies registers; the Commercial Division of the High Court hears disputes.
  • Deadline — Annual return: filed with the Registrar of Companies each year
  • Deadline — Trading licence: renewed annually alongside the company registration

Governing law

  • Companies Act 18 of 2011
  • Business Licensing and Registration Act 2019
  • Insolvency Proclamation 51 of 1957

In practice

The insolvency framework is the weak point: the 1957 Proclamation predates modern rescue procedures entirely, so a Lesotho company in distress has liquidation and compromise but no statutory business-rescue equivalent.

Sources

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