PATENTS

South Africa has a depository patent filing system. South African patent applications are not subjected to substantive examination. As a result, the cost of obtaining a granted patent in South Africa is relatively low, and no examination or final grant fees are payable.

South Africa is a member of the Paris Convention and the PCT. The deadline for filing PCT national phase applications is 31 months from the earliest priority date. The South African Registrar of Patents has a discretion to extend the national phase entry deadline by 3 months on request.