Trademark Registration in South Africa
South African trade mark registration at the CIPC Trade Marks Registry. South Africa is a single-class filing system: one TM1 application and one filing fee per class, with no multi-class applications, so correct Nice classification matters. A free preliminary search is available and a formal special search (TM2) costs R190 per class. CIPC substantively examines for registrability and prior conflicts, so this is not a formalities-only registry; accepted applications are advertised in the Patent Journal, after which an opposition window runs. Registration lasts 10 years from the date of application and is renewable indefinitely for further 10-year periods. A foreign applicant with no residence or principal place of business in South Africa must appoint a South African address for service.
2–5 business days
ZAR
What we will need from you
Upload these once. They are stored encrypted and reused across every service you buy from us.
Representation of the mark (wordmark or logo file)
Applicant identity and address
Goods and services, correctly classified, with one class per application
South Africa does not permit multi-class applications — a separate TM1 and a separate filing fee are needed for each class.
South African address for service for a foreign applicant, in practice a South African trade-mark practitioner
Required where the applicant has no residence or principal place of business in South Africa. Taken from CIPC trade-mark guidance rather than a quoted regulation, so confirmed at quote.
Power of attorney / authorisation of agent
Required where an agent files. Whether a foreign applicant's power of attorney needs notarisation is not settled in our research and is confirmed at quote.
Cost breakdown
Our fee and the government’s are always separate lines. Government fees are passed through at exactly what the authority charges — we add nothing to them.
| TM1 — application for registration of a trade mark, per classR590 per class is consistently reported and matches the officially confirmed Form P1 patent fee, but the numeric line on the CIPC Trade Marks Forms & Fees page did not render for us, so no amount is asserted here. No SME or startup fee concession was identified — the per-class fee is flat. | Confirmed before payment |
| TM5 — renewal of a registered trade mark, per classonly if it appliesR260 per class is reported by secondary sources only; the numeric line did not render on the CIPC page. Confirm on the CIPC Trade Marks Forms & Fees schedule at cipc.co.za/?page_id=2947. | Confirmed before payment |
| TM2 — special search, per classonly if it appliesVERIFIED — quoted from the CIPC trade-marks page: 'The cost for a special search is R190.00'. A free preliminary trade-mark search is available before a formal application. | ZAR 190Indicative — from cipc.co.za, not confirmed on a government portal. We confirm the exact amount before you pay. |
| Comriq professional fee | Fixed fee within 1 business day |
How it runs
You will see these exact stages update in your client portal as we progress.
Clearance Search
Availability checked on the CIPC register — free preliminary search, or a formal TM2 special search at R190 per class.
Application Filed
One TM1 filed per class with the Registrar of Trade Marks; application number issued.
Examined & Advertised
CIPC examines for registrability and prior conflicts; an accepted application is advertised in the Patent Journal and the opposition window runs.
Registered
Registration certificate issued, protecting the mark for 10 years from the date of application, renewable indefinitely.
Indicative guidance — confirmed before payment
Requirements and statutory fees are set by CIPC — Trade Marks Registry (Registrar of Trade Marks), Trade Marks Act 194 of 1993 and change without notice. This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. Your engagement letter and quote are the binding documents.