If you've built a brand name, logo, or slogan, a trademark is what stops someone else from registering it and stopping you from using it. Here's what the process actually involves — including the timeline most people aren't warned about upfront.
A registered trademark gives you legal ownership of a brand name, logo, or slogan in South Africa, for the specific category (or "class") of goods or services it's registered under. If your brand covers more than one class — say, clothing and an online store — each class needs its own application.
Be prepared for this to take time: the full process typically runs 12 to 24 months from filing to registration, mostly due to CIPC's examination backlog and the mandatory 3-month publication window. You can use the ™ symbol as soon as you file, even before registration completes.
Once registered, a trademark is valid for 10 years, and can be renewed indefinitely in further 10-year periods.
No — you can trade under a name without a registered trademark, but you're at risk of someone else registering it first and forcing you to stop using it, or of using a name that infringes on someone else's existing trademark.
Yes — the ™ symbol can be used from the moment you file, though the ® symbol should only be used once registration is fully complete.
An opposition can delay or block registration and typically requires legal input to resolve — this is one of the main reasons the process can extend toward the 24-month end of the timeline.
Start your trademark application with us, or chat on WhatsApp and we'll walk you through the process and timeline.