Patents in South Africa

It is simple and affordable to file patent in South Africa.

You can file a South African provisional patent through GlobalIPCo for $49 and through Iptica for $99. See our provisional patent drafting and filing guide.

Below are a few common “ideas” that fail our patent vetting process:

• A new use for an existing product. E.g. using a coke bottle as an oil container.
• Websites, Software and cellphone apps.
• TV scripts or ideas for reality shows.
• Business methods, such as opening a KFC at a taxi rank that does not have a fast food outlet
• A game. E.g. a board game that raises awareness of diabetes.
• Recipes, such as a new combination of pizza toppings and spices.
• A product that exists elsewhere, but is not available in South Africa.
• Making an existing product out of a new material. E.g. making a window frame out of plastic.
• A product with a new advantage but without a new feature. E.g. a “lighter tent” made from thinner material.
• An obvious combination of known elements. E.g. combining a printer and fax in a single product. It is only where you overcame unexpected problems that those developments may be patentable. Another example is combining a no. 4 spanner, a phillips screw driver and 0.7mm hex key in a box.
• Taking an existing product and making it more aesthetically appealing. This may be design registrable.