A review of filing practice at the end of July 2026 points to tighter digital controls across parts of Africa’s IP and corporate-registration infrastructure. South Africa’s Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) requires scanned documents to be submitted in clear black-and-white format, while its case-management system has replaced email for certain complaints, statutory filings and service of legal documents. At ARIPO, the 2026 edition of the Banjul Protocol rules applies from 1 March: oppositions must be filed within three months of publication, that period is not extendable, and the fee for transmitting a notice of opposition is USD 100.
This is not evidence of a single continent-wide “system migration audit,” but the practical direction is clear: format, channel, payment and timing rules are increasingly enforced at the portal level rather than repaired manually after filing. Applicants and representatives should validate file specifications, portal routing, payment steps and electronic receipts before submission. One point also needs correction: the current ARIPO opposition period is three months, not six; a missed deadline or defective fee step may determine whether the opposition is treated as validly filed.
