What does trademark registration cost in South Africa? (2026)
Every fee in the life of a South African trade mark – what you pay at each stage, what CIPC itself charges, and where costs can arise that no honest firm can promise away.
The short answer: R2,990 per class, all-in – professional fees and CIPC’s government fee included. For a distinctive mark in a single class, that is often the total cost from filing to registration. Further fees arise only if the application is provisionally refused or opposed (which can potentially be avoided with a distinctive mark or a prior registrability search) – or if the examiner attaches conditions: most commonly a disclaimer of a descriptive word, or an association which is the linking of related marks when several marks or classes are filed.
Your registration then stands for 10 years.
Most firms quote a filing price and leave the rest for later – or they charge a single fee, rubber stamp the South African trade mark examiners’ (sometimes questionable) decisions and take no further care to guide, advise and potentially argue against an undue narrowing of your trade mark rights during the registration process.
This page lists every fee in the life of a South African trade mark – what you pay at each stage, what CIPC itself charges, and where costs can arise that no honest firm can promise away.
The full cost of a trade mark, stage by stage
| Stage | When | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Free online search | before anything | R0 – search the register instantly |
| AI availability report | before filing | R0 – instant report |
| Focused attorney search (up to 3 classes) | optional · 2-3 business days | R2,750 |
| Comprehensive attorney search (up to 5 classes) | optional · 6-8 business days | R5,500 |
| Filing your application (includes CIPC’s R590 government fee) | day one | R2,990 per class |
| Examination, acceptance, advertisement and registration – no conditions | ~8-12 months to examination; ~24 months in all | R0 – included |
| Condition handling – only if the examiner attaches conditions (usually a disclaimer of a descriptive word, or linking of related marks) | only when required | R1,650 first class · R600 each additional |
| Total – distinctive mark, one class, no conditions | ~24 months | R2,990 |
| Total where conditions are issued | ~24 months | ~R3,940 – 5,540 |
| Renewal | every 10 years | R2,700 (late renewal + R900) |
What the R2,990 includes
The fee is not a filing charge with extras bolted on. It covers the judgment before you file, the filing itself, and the advice and work that keeps the application and/or registration – alive afterwards.
Before and at filing
- Advice on whether the mark is worth filing at all – is it distinctive enough to register, and where is it likely to meet resistance.
- What to file: word mark or logo, in colour or black and white, and which gives you wider protection for your budget.
- Classification: your goods and services drafted into the right class, in wording that survives examination rather than inviting objections.
- Registrability advice up front, including potential disclaimers, endorsements or associations the examiner is likely to require – so they are not a surprise a year later.
- CIPC’s official government fee of R590 per class – included, not added later.
- Filing at CIPC and confirmation of your filing date.
After filing – the part nobody prices
- We become your address for service. Every notice from CIPC, and anything a third party files against your mark, comes to us. Only admitted attorneys may act as address for service on your behalf – a filing service cannot.
- Every deadline diarised. Response windows are fixed at three months and a missed one can be fatal to the application. CIPC does not chase you.
- Examination tracked, reported and guided. You hear from us at each stage – not when you happen to check – with analysis and guidance on recommended steps.
- Conflicting marks flagged when we come across new applications that could affect yours.
- On standby if something goes wrong – high level advice on examiner objections, provisional refusals, an opposition, or pre-litigation advice if someone starts using your brand.
- Managed for the full 10-year term, with renewal handled before the deadline rather than after it.
- Portal access to your portfolio: status, documents and deadlines, and the ability to assign, amend, license, transfer or sell the mark when the business needs it.
- A route abroad when you expand – we file internationally in the USA, UK and EU or through our agent network, using your South African filing date where priority still applies.
Only admitted attorneys are authorised to file applications on behalf of others and to act as address for service. That is the practical difference between an attorney filing and a filing service: someone is legally on record for your mark, and answerable for it.
Your filing date matters: registration gives you statutory national rights from that date, without having to prove years of use in the market. (South African law also protects genuine prior users with an established reputation – registration adds to rights, it does not erase someone else’s real history.)
Can I register a trade mark myself at CIPC?
Yes. CIPC charges R590 per class for a DIY application, and for some straightforward cases that works. What the R590 route leaves with you:
- Class and specification choices are final. Filing in the wrong class, or with a too-narrow specification, usually means filing again – protection covers the goods and services you list, not the whole class.
- Examiner objections arrive without a translator. When the examiner raises conditions or objections, responding well is where applications are saved or lost.
- No conflict check. CIPC does not warn you about existing similar marks before you spend the fee.
- No one to keep an eye on your trade mark and to remind you of renewal deadlines or advise you of other problems. For example if you allow others to use and file confusingly similar marks, you may lose your exclusive rights over time – changes in trade marks, like ownership changes, need to be recorded within a certain time period.
- Remember that your trade mark is one of the few assets you own that gains value the longer you trade – it is what makes customers come back and what brings new ones in on the strength of a name they already trust. Over time it often becomes the most valuable thing the business owns – and intangible assets – brands, IP and goodwill – are now about 90% of what listed companies are worth. So treat it as such.
An honest rule of thumb: DIY suits a distinctive name, one obvious class, and an owner comfortable reading official correspondence and keeping deadlines in the short term and with a 10 year window. Everything else costs less with help than without it.
Common scenarios, priced
| Scenario | Filing cost |
|---|---|
| One name (word mark), one class | R2,990 |
| Name + logo combo (two applications, one class each) | R5,980 |
| One name in three classes | R8,970 |
| Filing marks in more than three classes | from 20% off professional fees, rising to 50% on larger orders |
Filing several marks or classes together earns a volume discount on professional fees, rising from 20% on the fourth application to 50% on larger orders. It applies to professional fees only – CIPC’s government fee of R590 per class is never discounted – and the word mark and its logo both count toward it, so filing a family together costs less than filing them one at a time. We quote the exact figure before any work begins. Word and logo are separate applications because they are separate rights – the name protects what your brand is called, the logo protects what it looks like. If the budget only allows one: register the word mark first; it protects the name in any font or styling.
Costs that can arise later – and when
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- If the examiner attaches conditions (most commonly a disclaimer of a descriptive or commonly used word, or the linking of related marks where several marks or classes are filed): from R900 for a simple disclaimer or endorsement entry (R350 each additional class), to R1,650 first class + R600 each additional where a response or argued acceptance is needed. We quote before doing the work.
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- Opposition by a third party (uncommon): quoted case by case – this is contested legal work.
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- Renewal every 10 years: R2,700 per mark, R900 surcharge if late. A registered trade mark can be renewed indefinitely – it is the only intellectual property right that never has to expire.
There are no annual maintenance fees in South Africa between renewals.
What does a trade mark search cost – and do you need one?
The free online search checks identical and close matches against the full register in seconds, and the free AI report reads the results for you. Before investing in a brand, a professional search goes further:
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- Focused Search – R2,750. Key and highly-similar terms, up to 3 classes, attorney’s short opinion. 2-3 business days.
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- Comprehensive Search – R5,500. Full registrability review across up to 5 classes (R850 per class beyond that), including phonetic and conceptual variants. 6-8 business days – sooner when we can.
Spend on a search scales with what a forced rebrand would cost you, not with the filing fee.
Trademark costs for filings from outside South Africa
South Africa is not part of the Madrid international system – foreign businesses file here through a local agent. We act for overseas firms and agents at fixed rates in USD, EUR and GBP, with volume terms for IP firms with regular South African filings. Contact us for the schedule.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to trademark a name in South Africa?
R2,990 per class, all-in. For a distinctive mark in one class that is usually the total through to registration, over about 24 months. If the examiner attaches conditions – typically a disclaimer of a descriptive word, or the linking of related marks – handling costs R1,650 for the first class and R600 for each additional class.
What is the CIPC trademark registration fee?
CIPC’s official government fee is R590 per class per application. It is included in our R2,990 – we never bill it separately.
How much does it cost to trademark a name and logo?
They are two applications: R5,980 for one class each. The word mark is the stronger first investment if you choose one.
What does a trade mark search cost?
Online searching is free. Attorney searches: R2,750 focused (up to 3 classes) or R5,500 comprehensive (up to 5 classes).
📄 See an example search report – an actual report, with the client’s details removed.
Are there hidden costs?
No – the table above is the complete price list. The only conditional costs are examiner conditions or objections (from R900, or R1,650 where a response is needed) and third-party oppositions – both are quoted before any work is done, and in many single-class cases neither arises.
What does renewal cost?
R2,700 every 10 years per mark. Late renewals carry a R900 surcharge; a lapsed mark needs restoration instead, which costs more – diarise the date or let us manage it.
How long does registration take?
The examiner’s report typically arrives in 8-12 months; a smooth application registers in around 24 months. Your rights date back to the day you filed.
Sources
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- Trade Mark Regulations (PDF) – the official fees and time limits
Official fees are set by regulation and can change; our professional fees are reviewed periodically. The figures on this page are current at the date shown.
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.
Check your name first – it’s free
Terms used above are defined in the trade mark glossary – start with class and specification, which is what you are actually paying for.
