Trade mark registration in Africa
National filings, OAPI, ARIPO and Madrid – which route reaches which country, indicative costs per mark, and why the timing question has no single answer.
There is no African trade mark. There are two regional systems, a patchwork of national offices, and a handful of countries reachable through Madrid – and the right route for a brand depends on where it will actually be sold. We file across the continent through an established agent network and manage the portfolio from one place.
The short answer
- Three routes: a national filing in each country, an OAPI filing covering seventeen states at once, or an ARIPO filing designating the member states you choose.
- South Africa is a separate national filing – it is in neither regional system and not in Madrid.
- Timings vary widely by office, from a few months to several years. We quote a realistic range per country.
- Costs are indicative until we confirm the agent’s current charges. Figures below are per mark, per class.
The three routes
| Route | Covers | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| National filing | One country per application | The only route for South Africa, Nigeria, Angola and many of the larger markets. Each office has its own procedure and pace. |
| OAPI | Seventeen states in one filing: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Togo | A single registration with effect in all member states; there is no national route in these countries. OAPI is a member of the Madrid system; ask us before relying on a Madrid designation there. |
| ARIPO | One application designating any of the 13 states in ARIPO’s trade mark treaty, the Banjul Protocol | Only 7 of the 13 have implemented it in their own law, so for the others a parallel national filing is the safer course. See the country table below. |
| Madrid designation | The African countries that are members | Efficient where available, but several African members have not updated their own law, so a Madrid designation may not be enforceable. We advise country by country. South Africa and Nigeria are not members. |
OAPI is French-speaking Africa, with three exceptions. Most of the seventeen OAPI states are French-speaking, and the power of attorney is filed with a French translation. The exceptions are Guinea-Bissau (Portuguese), Equatorial Guinea (Spanish, with French and Portuguese) and Cameroon (French and English).
ARIPO: which countries a trade mark filing actually reaches. ARIPO has 22 member states, but trade marks run under its Banjul Protocol, which only 13 have joined. Only 7 of those have written the Protocol into their own law, which is what makes an ARIPO registration enforceable in their courts.
| Status | Countries | What we advise |
|---|---|---|
| Joined and implemented (7) | Botswana, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, São Tomé and Príncipe, Zimbabwe | An ARIPO designation is a sound route. |
| Joined, not implemented (6) | Cabo Verde, Eswatini, The Gambia, Lesotho, Tanzania (mainland only, not Zanzibar), Uganda | Can be designated, but enforcement is doubtful. For key markets we recommend a parallel national filing. |
| ARIPO member, not in the Banjul Protocol (9) | Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Zambia | Cannot be reached through ARIPO for trade marks. National filing, or Madrid where the country is a member. |
Membership checked 11 September 2026 against WIPO’s list of Banjul Protocol parties and ARIPO. Membership changes, so we confirm the position for each country before filing.
Indicative costs, per mark per class
Rand figures are indicative and include our agent’s professional fees and the official fees; USD is a rounded conversion. They change with exchange rates and agents’ charges. Confirm before instructing.
| Country or system | ZAR | USD |
|---|---|---|
| South Africa (national) | R2,990 | 195 |
| OAPI (17 states) | from R22,000 | 1,200 |
| ARIPO, all 13 Banjul Protocol states designated | from R60,000 | 3,200 |
| Nigeria | from R27,000 | 1,450 |
| Kenya | from R22,000 | 1,150 |
| Angola | from R21,000 | 1,100 |
| Zambia | from R20,000 | 1,100 |
| Botswana | from R18,000 | 1,000 |
| Mauritius | from R18,000 | 900 |
| Tanzania | from R15,000 | 700 |
| Namibia | from R12,000 | 650 |
Designating fewer ARIPO states reduces the cost. Other countries on request.
How long it takes
It depends on the office. Some register within a year; several run backlogs of years, and a handful publish no reliable timeframe at all. What is consistent is that protection, once granted, generally runs from the filing date – so filing early costs nothing in priority even where the office is slow. When you instruct, we give a realistic range for each country based on our agents’ current experience rather than a published figure.
What we need from you
- The mark, as text or an image file.
- The countries, or the markets you will sell in – we suggest the route.
- The goods or services, or a link to the range.
- The applicant’s name and address. Some offices need a certified extract or a legalised power of attorney; we tell you where.
- Any earlier filing you want to claim priority from, within six months.
Africa is where the paperwork varies most. Powers of attorney may need notarisation or legalisation in some countries and a simple signature in others; some offices require use to maintain a registration and some do not. We keep the requirements per country and tell you at the start what each filing will need.
Frequently asked questions
Can one application cover the whole of Africa?
No. There is no continent-wide registration. Two regional systems cover groups of countries – OAPI for seventeen mainly francophone states, and ARIPO, whose trade mark treaty covers thirteen mainly English-speaking states, – and everywhere else is a national filing. Most African portfolios are a mix of all three.
Is South Africa covered by OAPI or ARIPO?
No. South Africa is in neither system and is not a Madrid member. It is always a separate national filing.
Does the Madrid system reach African countries?
Several African countries and OAPI as a bloc are Madrid members, and a designation can be an efficient route to them. Others – including South Africa and Nigeria – are not, and need a national filing. We advise route by route.
How long does registration take in Africa?
It varies widely between offices, from a few months to several years where an office has a backlog. We quote a realistic range for each country when you instruct, rather than a single figure for the continent.
What does it cost?
Indicatively from about R12,000 per mark per class for a single national filing, up to about R60,000 for an ARIPO application designating every member state. The table above gives indicative figures; agents’ charges and exchange rates move, so we confirm before instructing.
Related guides
- How CIPC registration works (and the DIY route)
- What trade mark registration really costs
- Recordals: assignments, licences and changes
- Trade mark renewal: dates, costs and the grace period
- Filing in South Africa from abroad
- Trade mark attorneys: who files your mark and what it costs
Written and reviewed by
Stephan Viollier – Trade Mark & IP Attorney, SAIIPL-certified, admitted in South Africa and the United States (New York)
This page explains South African trade mark practice in general terms. It is information, not legal advice on your particular mark – for that, talk to us.
