Bringing you the latest news and views from across Africa.
The National Consumer Commission (‘NCC’) has delivered a significant decision which can only have wide-ranging implications for suppliers in the pre-owned motor vehicle industry. In a landmark enforcement action, the NCC has imposed sanctions against We Buy Cars (‘WBC’) for various contraventions of the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 (‘CPA), reinforcing the limitation of the supplier’s ability to contract out of statutory provisions which seek to protect consumers and their rights.
The North West High Court recently decided in favor of the protection of a company’s confidential information and trade secrets involving two former senior employees. DISPRO TECH SA (PTY) LTD (the applicant), a specialist gas emission testing company in the mining sector (one of its kind in South Africa), approached the court after discovering that two of its former senior employees established a competing business shortly after leaving employment.
The Unified Patent Court (UPC) has changed European patent litigation from a set of national contests into a single high-stakes forum in many cases. For South African practitioners and clients who file through the EPO, this is significant since claim construction now affects both pan-European enforcement and pan-European revocation. During the transitional period (until 31 May 2030), conventional European patents may still be litigated nationally or opt out of the UPC. However, once you have opted in, you cannot opt out of Unitary Patents.
South Africa remains a continental leader throughout Africa in intellectual property (IP) governance. South Africa’s patent landscape reflects a dual character: it is both a regional leader in Africa and a system that is heavily dependent on foreign innovation. Although the country ranks 46th globally in patent applications, recent data indicates a decline in filings, particularly among resident applicants.
Effective immediately from 13 March 2026, amendments to the Regulations Relating to the Classification, Packing and Marking of Vinegar and Imitation Vinegar have come into force under the Agricultural Product Standards Act, 1990 (Government Notice No. R.7218, the ‘Amendments’). The Amendments introduce important changes affecting class designations, acidity declarations, marketing claims and supply‑chain transparency for vinegar products sold in South Africa.
Effective immediately from 13 March 2026, South Africa has amended the Vinegar And Imitation Vinegar Labelling Regulations, with immediate consequences for packaging, class designations, acidity statements, and front-of-pack claims.
