Belgotex – South African trademarks

Updated 8 November 2026

Belgotex is a South African flooring manufacturer based in Pietermaritzburg. It makes carpets, carpet tiles, vinyl and artificial grass for homes, offices and sports fields.

How Belgotex has built and protected its brands in South Africa – its trademark portfolio, where it expanded, how quickly its marks are registered, and who it competes with.

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#119largest trademark owner in South Africa (of 121,626)
467trademarks filed
7different logos published since 2020
11of 45 classes used
1961first trademark filed
83filed in the last 10 years

Belgotex trademarks in 45 seconds

Belgotex trademarks in 45 seconds

Watch the video on its own page, with transcript – https://snz.co.za/trademark-country-selection-direct/belgotex-south-african-trademarks/overview-video.html

A portfolio built over time

Belgotex filed its first South African trademark in 1961 and has filed 467 since; its busiest year was 2016, with 31 new filings. The chart shows its filings per year from 1970.

Trademarks by filing year, up to 2024; applications still pending are not included.

The names behind the portfolio

Over the years the group has filed under several names – earlier company names, holding companies and subsidiaries. We count them together.

NameMarksFiling years
Belgotex4931961–2024

Where Belgotex expanded its business

Trademark classes show what a business sells. Belgotex's portfolio is concentrated in carpets (class 27), advertising & retail (class 35), building materials (class 19). Its most recent moves were into processing materials (2012), finance & insurance (2011), construction & repair (2009).

Belgotex trademarks: expansion into trademark classes, 1970–2024

Belgotex trademarks: expansion into trademark classes, 1970–2024

Watch the video on its own page, with transcript – https://snz.co.za/trademark-country-selection-direct/belgotex-south-african-trademarks/class-expansion-video.html

Each tile is a class; it lights up when the group first files in it and darkens with more filings; the dots show how many of its closest rivals also file in that class. The chart compares the number of classes used with its rivals. The video runs from 1970; classes entered earlier are lit from the start.

ClassMarksShareSince
27 Carpets39885.2%1961
35 Advertising & retail286.0%1998
19 Building materials102.1%2007
1 Chemicals91.9%2002
41 Education & entertainment61.3%2005
17 Rubber & plastics30.6%2004
20 Furniture30.6%2004
37 Construction & repair30.6%2009

The brands Belgotex protects most

The word marks and logo names Belgotex has filed most often – the same brand filed in more classes, in more versions or again over the years.

#BrandTrademarksClassesFiled
1BELGOTEX CARPETS831998–2007
2BELGOTEX421985–2017
3BELGOTEX VINYL422010–2011
4NEXUS421998–2002
5BELGOTEX FLOORCOVERINGS332002–2002
6BELGOTEX GRASS332018–2018
7ORANGE UNDERCUSHION332006–2006
8SILVERCARE332011–2012
9A WORLD OF CHOICE222015–2015
10AIRTREAD UNDERCUSHION222004–2004
11B BELGOTEX INTERNATIONAL222011–2011
12BELGOTEX COMMERCIAL222011–2011
13BELGOTEX FLOORS222014–2014
14BELGOTEX FLOORS A WORLD OF CHOICE222014–2014
15BELGOTEX FLOORS PLANK222015–2015

Logos filed most often (since 2020)

Belgotex trademark logo
2 filings · 2 classes
Belgotex trademark logo
2 filings · 2 classes
Belgotex trademark logo
2 filings · 2 classes
Belgotex trademark logo
2 filings · 1 class
Belgotex trademark logo
1 filing · 1 class
Belgotex trademark logo
1 filing · 1 class
Belgotex trademark logo
1 filing · 1 class

Belgotex's logos

The 7 different logos Belgotex has had published since 2020 – each logo shown once, however many classes or versions it was filed in. Logos protected in more classes come first.

How quickly its trademarks are registered

Over the last five years, Belgotex's marks took a median of 2.4 years from filing to registration, faster than the market's 2.7 years. Most of that time is examination: 1.9 years from filing to acceptance (market: 1.9). Registration itself follows about half a year after acceptance.

Median years from filing to registration per registration year, split into examination (filing → acceptance) and acceptance → registration; the dashed line is the market median. A high recent value means older applications came through that year.

Who files the most in Belgotex's classes

Ranked by number of trademarks filed in Belgotex's main classes – any company that files there, whatever else it does (including retailers' own brands). This shows Belgotex's market position, not who is most like it.

In the last five years, Belgotex was #2 of 147 filers in class 27 (carpets), with 11 of 259 trademarks; #2058 of 5,866 filers in class 35 (advertising & retail), with 2 of 11,124 trademarks; #119 of 380 filers in class 19 (building materials), with 2 of 721 trademarks.

Belgotex's share of all trademarks filed in each of its main classes, per filing year.

Top trademark filers in class 27 (carpets), South Africa 1975–2024: Belgotex

Top trademark filers in class 27 (carpets), South Africa 1975–2024: Belgotex

Watch the video on its own page, with transcript – https://snz.co.za/trademark-country-selection-direct/belgotex-south-african-trademarks/class-27-race-video.html

Main competitors – the companies most like Belgotex

Ranked by how similar their whole trademark portfolio is to Belgotex's – the same mix of classes and the same words in their marks – not by size. Large filers in its classes that do something different rank lower here.

Belgotex trademarks vs competitors: filings per year, 2010–2024

Belgotex trademarks vs competitors: filings per year, 2010–2024

Watch the video on its own page, with transcript – https://snz.co.za/trademark-country-selection-direct/belgotex-south-african-trademarks/competitors-video.html

Trademark filings per year: Belgotex (orange) and its five closest competitors.

#CompanyRelationshipSimilarity
1Swiss Krono Tec–70%
2Legendary Retail Brands–68%
3Tapestry Home Brands–63%
4Lewis Stores–63%
5Massmart–58%
6Pepkor–50%
7Takealot Online–46%
8Edcon–42%
9Motus–29%
10Discovery–26%

Similarity of trademark activity since 2015 (classes and words used in marks). Retailers appear where their own brands compete on the shelf.

Belgotex – relevant export countries

South Africa exported US$1.7 billion of the goods Belgotex's main classes cover in the last year – rugs; carpets; linoleum; mats (class 27); asphalt; not of metal; bitumen; pitch (class 19); chemicals; fertilizers; chemical preparations (class 1); gutta-percha; asbestos; tapes (class 17); furniture; pillows; chairs (class 20). Combining where these goods are exported, imported, growing and made (and copied), and what protection costs, these are the markets where Belgotex's trademarks matter most.

Where South Africa exports Belgotex's top goods

Belgotex's trademarks most often cover rugs, asphalt, chemicals, gutta-percha and furniture. South Africa's ten largest export markets for these goods took 67% of its exports of them in 2024.

South Africa's exports of each good to the country in 2024 (US$ million). The goods are the ones Belgotex's specifications mention most in its main classes; the figures are national exports, not the company's own sales.

Adjust the weightings

These weightings decide how the countries below are ranked. Change any value and the others adjust to keep the total at 100%.

Worldwide

#MarketScoreSA exportsImport growth / yrRouteCost, 5 classes
1European Union75US$199 m-8%NationalUS$2,388
2United States of America69US$97 m-9%NationalUS$3,425
3United Kingdom65US$34 m-10%NationalUS$1,371
4Zimbabwe64US$230 m+41%ARIPOUS$450
5India61US$7.4 m-20%NationalUS$1,295
6Namibia60US$156 m+27%ARIPOUS$450
7Japan60US$5.2 m-17%NationalUS$1,774
8Zambia59US$350 m+6%NationalUS$2,610
9Australia57US$17 m-13%NationalUS$2,380
10Malawi57US$26 m+112%ARIPOUS$450

Africa

#MarketScoreSA exportsImport growth / yrRouteCost, 5 classes
1Zimbabwe64US$230 m+41%ARIPOUS$450 S&Z
2Namibia60US$156 m+27%ARIPOUS$450 S&Z
3Zambia59US$350 m+6%NationalUS$2,610
4Malawi57US$26 m+112%ARIPOUS$450 S&Z
5Nigeria56US$15 m-17%NationalUS$1,015 S&Z
6Eswatini55US$78 m-4%NationalUS$446
7OAPI (17 states)54US$8.2 m+1%NationalUS$1,563 S&Z
8Botswana54US$153 m-7%ARIPOUS$450 S&Z
9Tanzania53US$11 m-9%ARIPOUS$450 S&Z
10Mozambique53US$58 m-17%ARIPOUS$450 S&Z

SA exports = South Africa's exports of these goods to the market in the last year. Ranked with the default weightings. Score 0–100 from South Africa's exports of the goods to the market, net imports, import growth, foreign trademark filings, where the goods are made, market size and the cost of protection. Costs are total fees (official and professional) to file in 5 classes; ARIPO costs are per country, plus US$301 once per ARIPO application; S&Z = S&Z's own all-in price. Goods are taken from the classes and specifications, so the ranking is indicative.

Trade data: CEPII BACI (version 202601, trade flows 2022–2024), Licence Etalab 2.0; aggregated and combined with other data by S&Z.

Protecting its top brands in Nigeria and OAPI with S&Z

BrandClassesNigeriaOAPI (17 states)
BELGOTEX CARPETS3US$609US$1,194
BELGOTEX2US$406US$1,009
BELGOTEX VINYL2US$406US$1,009
NEXUS2US$406US$1,009
BELGOTEX FLOORCOVERINGS3US$609US$1,194

S&Z all-in prices per brand in its number of classes, filing to registration.

TM Country Selection  Rank the countries for your own goods and get the quotes.

Word marks you may have considered opposing

For Belgotex's five most-filed brands: word marks of other companies (not Belgotex's own group) that our similar word mark search, SimTM, found in the brand's own classes, and that we consider confusingly similar – from the earliest match found to today.

Similar to BELGOTEX CARPETS (classes 27, 35, 42; searched 2018-08-29 to 2026-11-08)

No confusingly similar marks of other companies found in this period.

Similar to BELGOTEX (classes 27, 35; searched 2019-07-31 to 2026-11-08)

No confusingly similar marks of other companies found in this period.

Similar to BELGOTEX VINYL (classes 27, 35; searched 2018-10-31 to 2026-11-08)

No confusingly similar marks of other companies found in this period.

Similar to NEXUS (classes 27, 35; searched 2019-09-25 to 2026-11-08)

No confusingly similar marks of other companies found in this period.

Similar to BELGOTEX FLOORCOVERINGS (classes 1, 27, 35; searched 2019-07-31 to 2026-11-08)

No confusingly similar marks of other companies found in this period.

Similarity of the words only. Whether a mark could have been opposed depends on the goods and services, the reputation of the brand and the facts – S&Z can advise. New marks like these are what SimTM watch reports as they are published.

How S&Z can help you

S&Z does not just file trademarks. We are a technology-first firm that manages trademarks – analysing your data, monitoring competitors and making sure your trademark assets remain protected.

We manage your trademarks – not just file them

Analysing your data, monitoring competitors and making sure your trademark assets remain protected:

Renewal managementEvery renewal date in your portfolio tracked and paid online.
Competitor watchGet real-time competitor analysis.
Similar-mark watchNew word marks that come close to yours, found as they are published using SimTM.
Expansion into AfricaLowest-cost trademark expansion into Africa - Nigeria, OAPI.

Filing and renewal at fixed, all-inclusive prices

S&Z prices – South African trademarks

Filing, first class – incl. official fee, examination report, routine office action, acceptance, publication, registration and e-certificateUS$240
Each additional class of the same mark, filed at the same timeUS$225
Renewal online, per class (every 10 years from filing)R1,027
≈ US$62.29

Renewal in rand; US$ at R16.49 per US$.

Belgotex's next five years of renewals

86 of Belgotex's registered marks reach their ten-year renewal date in 2027–2031. Renewed online with S&Z, that costs about US$5,356 over the five years.

Belgotex: frequently asked questions

What should Belgotex consider for its trademarks?
  • Where to file next: its goods sell strongly in Zimbabwe, Namibia and Malawi – markets where South African exports of the same goods are large or growing, and where S&Z files at its own all-in prices (see “Belgotex – relevant export countries”).
  • Possible gaps: its competitors also protect class 9 (electronics & software), class 11 (lighting & appliances) – worth checking against what the business sells or plans to sell.
  • Brand coverage: Belgotex, Belgotex Vinyl, Nexus are protected in only one or two classes – check whether related goods or services (for example merchandise or online services) need cover too.
  • Fewer new brands: new brand names fell from 15.0 to 2.0 a year – worth reviewing whether planned launches are being protected early enough.
  • Renewals and use: keep track of the ten-year renewal dates and of marks that are no longer used – unused marks can be challenged after five years, and some may no longer be worth renewing.
Which are the top export countries for Belgotex's goods?
For the five goods Belgotex's trademarks cover most, South Africa's largest export markets in 2024 were Germany, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana and Zambia. The ten markets in the chart take 67% of these exports, and 65% of that goes to other African countries. The largest of these markets per good: rugs (US$27 million): Namibia, Botswana, United States; asphalt (US$58 million): Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Zambia; chemicals (US$467 million): Germany, Zimbabwe, United States; gutta-percha (US$18 million): Namibia, Zambia, Botswana; furniture (US$191 million): Namibia, Botswana, Zambia. Exports to Namibia, Botswana, Eswatini and Lesotho move freely within the Southern African Customs Union, but a South African trademark does not protect a brand there – each country needs its own registration (or an ARIPO designation). These are national export figures for the goods, not the company's own sales. Trade data: CEPII BACI (version 202601, trade flows 2022–2024), Licence Etalab 2.0; aggregated and combined with other data by S&Z.
Which of Belgotex's brands have been protected the longest?
Several of Belgotex's brands have been protected for generations and are still being filed today: BELGOTEX (first filed 1985, most recently 2017); B (first filed 2005, most recently 2021); BELGOTEX GRASS (first filed 2018, most recently 2018). Brands that are refiled over decades – in new classes, new logos or updated packaging – keep their protection current as the business changes.
How many new brands does Belgotex launch each year?
Counting only brand names it had never filed before, Belgotex filed about 2.0 new brand names a year over the last five complete years, fewer than the 15.0 a year in the five years before; its busiest year in the last decade was 2016, with 31. Its closest competitors averaged 2.1 new brand names a year over the same period (Swiss Krono Tec 0.2, Legendary Retail Brands 0.0, Tapestry Home Brands 0.2, Lewis Stores 0.4, Massmart 9.8). New brand names are a good indicator of product launches and innovation.
How broadly does Belgotex protect each brand?
Belgotex has filed 397 different brand names. 91% of them are protected in a single class, while 0 cover five classes or more – the widest is SILVERCARE, in 3 classes. A brand used beyond its core product (merchandise, services, related goods) needs protection in each of those classes: in South Africa each class is a separate application.
When in the year does Belgotex usually file trademarks?
Over the last ten years, Belgotex filed most often in July (17% of its filings), October (15%) and August (13%); the busiest quarter was Q3 (35%). Filing well before a launch matters: rights in South Africa date from the filing date, and examination can take more than a year.
Which classes do Belgotex's competitors protect that Belgotex does not?
Several of Belgotex's closest competitors have filed since 2015 in classes Belgotex has never used: class 9 (electronics & software, 4 of its top five competitors); class 11 (lighting & appliances, 4 of its top five competitors); class 16 (paper & print, 4 of its top five competitors); class 24 (textiles, 4 of its top five competitors). These are not necessarily gaps – they may reflect different products – but they are worth reviewing against the goods and services the business actually offers or plans.
How long do Belgotex's South African trademarks last, and when must they be renewed?
A South African trademark registration lasts ten years from the filing date and can be renewed for further ten-year periods indefinitely. Renewal can be paid in the months before the due date, and a six-month grace period applies after it, with a late-payment fee; a mark that is not renewed is removed from the register. A registered mark can also be challenged if it has not been used for five years or more, so use matters as much as renewal.
Do Belgotex's South African trademarks protect its brands elsewhere in Africa?
No – trademarks are territorial, and a South African registration covers South Africa only. South Africa is not a member of the Madrid system, so international registration is not available to South African applicants. Protection elsewhere in Africa comes from national filings (for example Nigeria), a single OAPI registration covering 17 West and Central African states, or a regional ARIPO application designating member states such as Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. S&Z files in all of these, including Nigeria together with South Africa (SANi).
What can Belgotex do if someone files a mark similar to one of its brands?
When a new application is advertised for opposition, the owner of an earlier, similar mark can oppose it – in South Africa within three months of the advertisement (this period can be extended). After registration, a conflicting mark can still be challenged through rectification of the register, and use of a confusingly similar mark can be stopped through an infringement action. The key is seeing new applications in time, which is what a similar-mark watch does.
What is SimTM?
SimTM is the similar-trademark technology behind GlobalIPCo's South African trademark watching services, which S&Z uses. It identifies newly published trademarks that sound or look similar to a registered mark, at four levels of sensitivity that progressively widen the marks flagged – from the most relevant to marks of more general interest. It is fast enough to check every trademark journal as it is published, so owners can be alerted to similar marks while they can still be opposed within the three-month opposition period. The word marks listed under “Word marks you may have considered opposing” were found with SimTM's two closest levels and then reviewed, so only marks we consider confusingly similar to Belgotex's brands are shown.
How accurate is the information on this page?
The figures, charts and videos on this page are based on trademark and trade data obtained by S&Z, and are only as accurate as that data. Records can be incomplete, delayed or contain errors, and linking marks to Belgotex and its group companies involves judgement. S&Z therefore does not guarantee that all the information is 100% accurate or complete. It is a general overview, not legal advice: please contact S&Z before relying on it for a filing, renewal, opposition or other decision.