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ARTICLE · 26 NOVEMBER 2018

Compelling Case For Patenting In South Africa

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South Africa (SA) is widely recognised as the gateway to the rest of Africa, a continent which contains 30% of the world's mineral reserves, and 1 billion people.

South AfricaIntellectual Property
Ursula Baravalle
Ursula Baravalle
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South Africa (SA) is widely recognised as the gateway to the rest of Africa, a continent which contains 30% of the world's mineral reserves, and 1 billion people. It is therefore an attractive launch pad for many international companies when it comes to the protection and enforcement of intellectual property of services or products owned by them that they wish to share with Africa. Even more attractive is SA's patent system which is simple, quick and affordable.

When it comes to patents, the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) is custodian of all applications that are filed in SA. SA's highly cost-effective depository patent process makes it one of the cheapest in the world, somewhat 20 to 30 times cheaper than other patent regimes. Annual renewal fees in SA are also very low, especially when compared to those payable in foreign jurisdictions.

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