Patents in South Africa

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

To file a South African provisional patent typically takes two weeks and costs R19,950 plus vat. To start the process, just call us to confirm that your idea is patentable. We vet more than five inventions each day, and all disclosures to our patent attorneys are confidential.

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.