South Africa Trademark Office
- Name of Office: Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC).
- Address: Block F, the dti Campus, 77 Meintjies Street, Sunnyside, Pretoria
- Phone number: (27 12) 394 1298
Office applies current version of Nice Classification, you can find acceptable goods and services in this link.
South Africa is a member of the WIPO since 1975. However, South Africa is not a member of the Madrid Agreement or the Madrid Protocol. Therefore, South Africa is not eligible to participate in the the international trademark registration system (Madrid System).
Trademark protection is obtained by registration. It can also be obtained by extensive public recognition according to common law. Trademarks are protected under the Trade Marks Act, 1993.
Each year in South Africa 20.000 trademark applications are filed by residents, only 15.000 are filed by foreign applicants, which demonstrates the understanding of how important the trademarks are for local businesses.
You can access additional information regarding IP statistics in South Africa here.
South Africa Trademark registration: Requirements
Fill out our simple online form in just 5 minutes and a Trademark Specialist will contact you within 24 hours in order to guide you through the process.
Our professional trademark attorney in South Africa will prepare and file your trademark for registration at “Companies and Intellectual Property Commission”.
A separate application has to be filed for each class.
What is registrable as a trademark?
- words,
- names,
- acronyms,
- letters,
- numerals,
- devices,
- emblems,
- holograms,
- colours,
- colour combinations,
- three-dimensional forms,
- three-dimensional forms of goods or their packaging,
- sound marks,
- smell marks.
What will be required to file your brand in South Africa?
- Type of the applicant: individual or a company.
- Complete name of the owner.
- Full address of the owner.
- Phone number - to contact you in case if any action is required.
- Mailing address - to forward you the certificate once the trademark is registered.
- List of goods/services.
- Class or classes.
- Trademark itself.
- Power of Attorney (simply signed original).
Trademark registration in South Africa: Procedure
A straightforward trademark registration process takes 2 years. Our attorney will file your trademark within 5 business days, after receiving the required documents and details.
The application process includes:
- a formal examination,
- an examination of distinctiveness
- a search for prior trademarks.
Prior to registration, the trademark application is published in the monthly Patent Journal. Any person can oppose a trademark within a period of 3 months from the date of publication.
- In South Africa registered trademark must be in use, if any trademark is not in use for more than 5 consequent years it becomes vulnerable to cancellations.
- A trademark registration is valid for 10 years from the date of registration and can be renewed for periods of 10 years.
Сost of trademark registration in south africa
The official fee for filing a trademark is ZAR 590.00 per class.
Our prices do not include any legal defenses in case of oppositions or objections.
Our fees (7th of November, 2017):
- Trademark Search in one class: 99 USD
- Additional class: 99 USD
- Trademark Registration Request in one class: 459 USD
- Additional class: 459 USD
- Registration fees in one class: 299 USD
- Additional class: 299 USD
How To Order
- Fill out a simple online form in this link.
- A Trademark Account Manager will contact you within 24 hours.
- Prepare the necessary documents.
- The trademark will be filed within 5 business days.
- We will keep you posted on the progress and inform you when the trademark registers.
Any questions? Contact us at [email protected]
Our Services in South Africa
We offer the following services in South Africa:
- Trademark Search (wordmark only)
- Trademark Registration
- Trademark renewal
- Trademark oppositions - within 3 months from the date of publication, the period can be extended for an extra fee
- Defenses in case of oppositions or objections/office actions in South Africa
- Trademark assignment
- Change of name/Change of Address
If you are interested in any of these services, please do not hesitate to contact us.