About us

• About IdeaNav

  IdeaNav is a platform that has helped South Africans protect their ideas and brands since 2007. We don’t sell you hours. Instead, we put tools in your hands to enable you to protect ideas without engaging IP attorneys.

  By applying high-volume, automated processes, we keep costs low.

  IdeaNav is affiliated with:

  • S&Z (the largest filer of South African patents 2022-2025); and
  • GlobalIPCo (the premier online filing system focussed on Africa),

  and supported by:

  • Patent Attorneys / Directors:

  Anthony van Zantwijk (BSc(Civ)Eng, LLB, LLM(Tax)),

  Paulo Lopes (MSc(Mech)Eng, LLB, HDip(Tax))

  • Trademark Attorneys:

  Taya Lombard (LLB)

  Tanith El Alam (BCom (LAW), LLB)​

  Our renewal system manages renewal of +13,000 patents.

  About S&Z

  • S&Z is the top filer of South African patents (2022, 2023, 2024, 2025).
  • S&Z is the exclusive agent for GlobalIPCo in South Africa.
  • S&Z patent attorneys used to work at one of South Africa’s biggest patent firms, Spoor and Fisher.

  About GlobalIPCo

  • GlobalIPCo automates patent filings in South Africa and Nigeria, trademark filings in South Africa, Nigeria and OAPI and design filings in South Africa.
  • GlobalIPCo files about 6,000 applications per year.
  • GlobalIPCo’s online provisional patent filing system is the #1 filer of South African provisional patents (2026).