Bringing you the latest news and views from across Africa.
Influencer marketing is a popular way of getting your product in front of your target audience. Watching a social media influencer’s shopping haul or scrolling past a post gushing over a specific brand, one can’t help but wonder: does this influencer genuinely love this product or is this a paid partnership?
Over and above the general provisions of the ARB Code, there are also specialised sections that govern advertising standards within specific industries (such as alcohol, food, healthcare, and others) each of which imposes additional requirements tailored to the sensitivities and regulatory concerns of that sector.
The Gauteng Division of the High Court recently handed down a significant judgment in Northbound Processing (Pty) Ltd v South African Diamond and Precious Metals Regulator & Others (Case No. 2025-072038, 30 June 2025, DJ Smit AJ). While the case primarily concerned interim relief compelling the release of a refining licence, it has attracted wider attention because of an ethical issue in Northbound’s heads of argument: the citation of non-existent cases generated by an AI legal research tool.
South Africa is on the cusp of a significant transformation in its intellectual property (IP) law, with upcoming Patents and Designs Amendment Bills poised to reshape how intellectual property is protected and regulated in the country.
On 1 September 2025, The Fair Competition Commission (“FCC”) in Tanzania announced the launch of a mandatory trademark recordation system for Tanzania Mainland. All trademarks associated with imported goods, regardless of where they are registered, must be formally recorded with the Chief Inspector of Merchandise Marks in the prescribed manner.
