The Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) in South Africa has made clear that all patents and patents of addition granted from January 2026 onward will be issued electronically. These Digital Letters Patent include a QR code for verification of key details such as the patent number, patentee, grant date and inventor, while the complete specification and related documents are to be accessed separately through the CIPC IP Online portal. At the same time, CIPC has also confirmed that the Nice Classification 13th Edition applies to all trademark specifications from January 1, 2026.
Read together, the two moves show South Africa pushing both certificate digitization and classification modernization at the same time. For patent applicants and right holders, digital certificates should make verification, record-keeping and cross-border circulation easier; for trademark filers, Nice 13, read alongside WIPO’s 2026 classification guidance, points toward a greater need for precise and classifiable wording for AI-related services, virtual goods and other emerging digital offerings. That means broadly drafted specifications may now face more friction in formal examination and classification discussions.
