Trademark Registration

Register your brand name or logo as a trademark with CIPC. Once registered, you get 10 years of protection, and you can renew it. We refer you to a practicing South African attorney, who prepares and files the application with CIPC.

CostR3 888

Timeframe12-24 months

ForSouth African companies protecting a brand, name, or logo

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Who needs a trademark

A trademark is how you legally own a brand name, logo, or slogan in South Africa. Without one, a competitor can register the same name and stop you using it.

Registering a company at CIPC does not give you trademark protection. The two registers are separate. Your company name can be approved while someone else holds a registered trademark on the same word, and they can stop you using it.

Founders launching a new brand who want to own the name
Existing businesses that have built a name but never registered it
Companies licensing a logo, product name, or strapline
Franchisors protecting a name before signing franchisees

A trademark is registered per class of goods or services. If your brand applies to more than one class (e.g. clothing and an online store), each class is a separate application.

What’s included

CIPC trademark filing for one class, lodged by a practicing South African attorney
A search of the official CIPC trademark register on IPOnline, run by the attorney before filing
Preparation and submission of the application by the attorney
Follow-up through CIPC examination and publication
Registration certificate by email once CIPC approves

How it works

You complete the form. An attorney prepares and files the application with CIPC, and we track it to registration.

Step 1

Tell us the name or logo you want to register and what you use it for.

Step 2

Credit card, EFT, or cash deposit at any ATM.

Step 3

A practicing South African attorney searches the official register on IPOnline, prepares the application, and lodges it with CIPC, as the Trade Marks Act requires.

Step 4

CIPC examines the application, then publishes it in the Patent Journal for 3 months. We track it the whole way.

Step 5

If there are no objections, CIPC registers your trademark and emails the certificate to you.

CIPC trademark applications take 12 to 24 months. Most of that is CIPC examination and the 3-month publication window. You can use the TM symbol the day you file. Prefer to handle it yourself? You can lodge your own application directly with CIPC on IPOnline, paying only CIPC fees.

Start my trademark

What you’ll need

The name, word, or logo you want to register
A description of the goods or services you use it for
Director’s ID document
Logo file (if registering a logo)

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Common questions about Trademark Registration

What it is, whether you need it, and how the process works.

How long does a trademark last?

Ten years from the filing date. You can renew it every 10 years for as long as you keep using the trademark.

What can I register as a trademark?

A name, word, logo, slogan, or combination. It must be distinctive and not already registered by someone else for similar goods or services.

Can I file a trademark application myself?

Yes. Anyone can lodge their own application directly with CIPC through the IPOnline portal and pay only CIPC fees. If a third party files on your behalf, the Trade Marks Act requires that party to be an attorney practicing in South Africa. When you order through us, a practicing attorney lodges the application.

Can I search the trademark register before applying?

Yes. CIPC’s IPOnline portal lets anyone search the official trademark register directly, with free and paid options. If you order through us, the attorney runs a register search before filing in any case.

What is a trademark class?

Trademarks are registered against one of 45 classes of goods or services. Clothing is class 25. Software is class 9. Restaurants are class 43. Each class is a separate application.

Can I use TM or ® before my trademark is registered?

You can use TM as soon as you file. You can only use ® once CIPC has registered the trademark.

Why does it take 12 to 24 months?

CIPC examines every application against the existing register, then publishes it in the Patent Journal for 3 months so others can object. The time sits with CIPC, not with us.

What happens if someone objects?

Objections are rare for unique names. If one is raised, we let you know. You can withdraw, respond, or let the application lapse. Responding to an objection is a separate legal service we can refer.

Do I need to register more than one class?

Only if your brand is used across clearly different types of goods or services. If you sell clothing and run a clothing-related online store, one class often covers it. The attorney advises on classes before filing.

What is the Nice Classification?

The Nice Classification is the international system of 45 trademark classes, agreed under the Nice Agreement and used by South Africa via CIPC. Classes 1-34 cover goods (e.g. class 25 clothing, class 9 software). Classes 35-45 cover services (e.g. class 35 retail, class 41 entertainment, class 45 legal services).

Does a CIPC trademark protect me outside South Africa?

No. A South African trademark is enforceable in South Africa only. To protect a brand in other countries, you file separately in each jurisdiction or use the Madrid System (international registration through WIPO) using your South African application as the base. International protection is a separate workflow we can refer.

Can I trademark a generic word?

Generic descriptive words generally can’t be trademarked. You can’t register "Bakery" for a bakery business. Distinctive marks can be registered: invented words (like "Kodak"), arbitrary words used outside their normal meaning (like "Apple" for computers), or suggestive marks. CIPC examines distinctiveness during the application.

What happens if I don’t register my trademark?

You may have common-law rights to a brand you’ve been using consistently, but those rights are difficult to enforce. A registered trademark gives you the right to stop competitors from using a confusingly similar mark in your class, and it’s the only practical way to enforce against infringers in court or to license the brand.

How much does it cost to renew a trademark?

Renewal happens every 10 years. CIPC charges a renewal fee that’s lower than the original filing fee. We send a reminder a few months before expiry. Letting renewal lapse means losing protection, and the trademark becomes available for anyone else to register.

Related terms and definitions

Plain-language definitions of the forms, numbers, and acronyms that come up when registering and running a trademark registration.

Register a trademark

Protect your brand name or logo with CIPC for ten years.

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Last reviewed: 4 August 2026. Govchain reviews this page against current CIPC and SARS rules every quarter.