DGB – South African trademarks
Updated 8 November 2026
DGB is a South African wine and spirits producer and distributor. Its wine estates and brands include Boschendal and Bellingham.
How DGB 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.
Download report (PDF)DGB trademarks in 45 seconds
Watch the video on its own page, with transcript – https://snz.co.za/trademark-country-selection-direct/dgb-south-african-trademarks/overview-video.html
A portfolio built over time
DGB filed its first South African trademark in 1940 and has filed 822 since; its busiest year was 1992, with 43 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.
| Name | Marks | Filing years |
|---|---|---|
| DGB | 841 | 1940–2024 |
Where DGB expanded its business
Trademark classes show what a business sells. DGB's portfolio is concentrated in wines & spirits (class 33), beer & soft drinks (class 32), education & entertainment (class 41). Its most recent moves were into restaurants & hotels (2018), advertising & retail (2005), fresh produce & pet food (1993).
DGB trademarks: expansion into trademark classes, 1970–2024
Watch the video on its own page, with transcript – https://snz.co.za/trademark-country-selection-direct/dgb-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.
| Class | Marks | Share | Since |
|---|---|---|---|
| 33 Wines & spirits | 598 | 72.7% | 1941 |
| 32 Beer & soft drinks | 182 | 22.1% | 1940 |
| 41 Education & entertainment | 9 | 1.1% | 1988 |
| 31 Fresh produce & pet food | 7 | 0.9% | 1993 |
| 42 Tech & IT services | 7 | 0.9% | 1977 |
| 43 Restaurants & hotels | 6 | 0.7% | 2018 |
| 29 Meat, dairy & oils | 4 | 0.5% | 1993 |
| 5 Pharmaceuticals | 3 | 0.4% | 1982 |
The brands DGB protects most
The word marks and logo names DGB has filed most often – the same brand filed in more classes, in more versions or again over the years.
| # | Brand | Trademarks | Classes | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BELLINGHAM | 14 | 7 | 1954–2014 |
| 2 | DOUGLAS GREEN | 12 | 7 | 1976–2014 |
| 3 | ZAPPA | 7 | 2 | 1992–2021 |
| 4 | CULEMBORG | 6 | 2 | 1955–1989 |
| 5 | BRAMPTON | 5 | 5 | 1996–2015 |
| 6 | BOSCHENDAL | 4 | 3 | 1976–2007 |
| 7 | OLD ROAD WINE CO. | 4 | 3 | 2018–2018 |
| 8 | MILLSTREAM | 4 | 2 | 1963–2016 |
| 9 | OUDE HEERENGRACHT | 4 | 1 | 1972–2010 |
| 10 | CULEMBORG BEST SEATS IN THE HOUSE | 3 | 3 | 1988–1988 |
| 11 | CULEMBORG TOESKOUER VAN DIE JAAR | 3 | 3 | 1988–1988 |
| 12 | DGB | 3 | 3 | 1991–1991 |
| 13 | MR SLASHER | 3 | 3 | 1977–1977 |
| 14 | THE OLD ROAD WINERY | 3 | 3 | 2016–2018 |
| 15 | BASTILLE | 3 | 2 | 1975–1989 |
Logos filed most often (since 2020)
DGB's logos
The 23 different logos DGB 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, DGB's marks took a median of 3.6 years from filing to registration, slower than the market's 2.7 years. Most of that time is examination: 2.7 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 DGB's classes
Ranked by number of trademarks filed in DGB's main classes – any company that files there, whatever else it does (including retailers' own brands). This shows DGB's market position, not who is most like it.
In the last five years, DGB was #1 of 1,088 filers in class 33 (wines & spirits), with 51 of 2,324 trademarks; #8 of 905 filers in class 32 (beer & soft drinks), with 18 of 1,804 trademarks; #336 of 3,121 filers in class 41 (education & entertainment), with 3 of 6,243 trademarks.
DGB's share of all trademarks filed in each of its main classes, per filing year.
Top trademark filers in class 33 (wines & spirits), South Africa 1975–2024: DGB
Watch the video on its own page, with transcript – https://snz.co.za/trademark-country-selection-direct/dgb-south-african-trademarks/class-33-race-video.html
Main competitors – the companies most like DGB
Ranked by how similar their whole trademark portfolio is to DGB'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.
DGB's closest competitors in South Africa are Time Being of the Aj and F Charnaud Tru…, Charles Back Trademark Trust, Suntory and Ajpg Investments.
DGB 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/dgb-south-african-trademarks/competitors-video.html
Trademark filings per year: DGB (orange) and its five closest competitors.
| # | Company | Relationship | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Time Being of the Aj and F Charnaud Tru… | Direct competitor | 97% |
| 2 | Charles Back Trademark Trust | Direct competitor | 86% |
| 3 | Suntory | Direct competitor | 83% |
| 4 | Ajpg Investments | Direct competitor | 83% |
| 5 | KWV | Direct competitor | 82% |
| 6 | Spier | Direct competitor | 82% |
| 7 | Pernod Ricard | Direct competitor | 80% |
| 8 | Irish Distillers International | Direct competitor | 80% |
| 9 | Sazerac Brands | Direct competitor | 77% |
| 10 | Distell | Direct competitor | 76% |
Similarity of trademark activity since 2015 (classes and words used in marks). Retailers appear where their own brands compete on the shelf.
DGB – relevant export countries
South Africa exported US$9.1 billion of the goods DGB's main classes cover in the last year – alcoholic beverages; beer; wine; alcoholic preparations (class 33); beer; syrups; alcoholic beverages; fruit juices (class 32); fresh fruits and vegetables; grapes (class 31); meat; fish; jams (class 29); pharmaceutical preparations; dietary supplements; nutritional supplements (class 5). Combining where these goods are exported, imported, growing and made (and copied), and what protection costs, these are the markets where DGB's trademarks matter most.
Where South Africa exports DGB's top goods
DGB's trademarks most often cover alcoholic beverages, beer, fresh fruits and vegetables, meat and pharmaceutical preparations. South Africa's ten largest export markets for these goods took 59% of its exports of them in 2024.
South Africa's exports of each good to the country in 2024 (US$ million). The goods are the ones DGB'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
| # | Market | Score | SA exports | Import growth / yr | Route | Cost, 5 classes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | European Union | 82 | US$2.7 billion | +3% | National | US$2,388 |
| 2 | China | 72 | US$472 m | -4% | National | US$1,224 |
| 3 | United Kingdom | 71 | US$931 m | +1% | National | US$1,371 |
| 4 | United States of America | 70 | US$435 m | -0% | National | US$3,425 |
| 5 | Japan | 62 | US$61 m | -4% | National | US$1,774 |
| 6 | Switzerland | 62 | US$59 m | +18% | National | US$1,660 |
| 7 | Russian Federation | 61 | US$259 m | +2% | National | US$1,915 |
| 8 | Hong Kong SAR | 57 | US$89 m | +2% | National | US$1,715 |
| 9 | Philippines | 56 | US$43 m | +2% | National | US$1,526 |
| 10 | Nigeria | 55 | US$74 m | -9% | National | US$1,015 |
Africa
| # | Market | Score | SA exports | Import growth / yr | Route | Cost, 5 classes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nigeria | 55 | US$74 m | -9% | National | US$1,015 S&Z |
| 2 | OAPI (17 states) | 54 | US$99 m | +7% | National | US$1,563 S&Z |
| 3 | Malawi | 52 | US$28 m | +12% | ARIPO | US$450 S&Z |
| 4 | Lesotho | 51 | US$150 m | +2% | National | US$326 |
| 5 | Algeria | 51 | US$4.6 m | +26% | National | US$1,445 |
| 6 | Zimbabwe | 51 | US$163 m | +10% | ARIPO | US$450 S&Z |
| 7 | Eswatini | 50 | US$123 m | -6% | National | US$446 |
| 8 | Botswana | 50 | US$312 m | -3% | ARIPO | US$450 S&Z |
| 9 | Uganda | 47 | US$15 m | -1% | ARIPO | US$450 S&Z |
| 10 | Mauritius | 46 | US$87 m | +3% | National | US$1,154 |
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
| Brand | Classes | Nigeria | OAPI (17 states) |
|---|---|---|---|
| BELLINGHAM | 7 | US$1,421 | US$1,932 |
| DOUGLAS GREEN | 7 | US$1,421 | US$1,932 |
| ZAPPA | 2 | US$406 | US$1,009 |
| CULEMBORG | 2 | US$406 | US$1,009 |
| BRAMPTON | 5 | US$1,015 | US$1,563 |
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 DGB's five most-filed brands: word marks of other companies (not DGB'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 BELLINGHAM (classes 5, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 42; searched 2018-03-28 to 2026-11-07)
No confusingly similar marks of other companies found in this period.
Similar to DOUGLAS GREEN (classes 5, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 42; searched 2022-12-21 to 2026-11-07)
No confusingly similar marks of other companies found in this period.
Similar to ZAPPA (classes 32, 33; no close matches in the search)
No confusingly similar marks of other companies found.
Similar to CULEMBORG (classes 32, 33; searched 2019-02-27 to 2026-11-07)
No confusingly similar marks of other companies found in this period.
Similar to BRAMPTON (classes 29, 31, 32, 33, 42; searched 2020-06-24 to 2026-11-07)
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:
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-certificate | US$240 |
| Each additional class of the same mark, filed at the same time | US$225 |
| Renewal online, per class (every 10 years from filing) | R1,027 ≈ US$62.29 |
Renewal in rand; US$ at R16.49 per US$.
DGB's next five years of renewals
234 of DGB's registered marks reach their ten-year renewal date in 2027–2031. Renewed online with S&Z, that costs about US$14,576 over the five years.
DGB: frequently asked questions
What should DGB consider for its trademarks?
- Where to file next: its goods sell strongly in Nigeria, OAPI (17 states) 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 “DGB – relevant export countries”).
- Possible gaps: its competitors also protect class 36 (finance & insurance), class 9 (electronics & software) – worth checking against what the business sells or plans to sell.
- Brand coverage: Zappa, Culemborg 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 20.0 to 8.8 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.