Freddy Hirsch – South African trademarks

Updated 8 November 2026

Freddy Hirsch is a South African supplier of spices, seasonings, casings and ingredients for the meat processing industry.

How Freddy Hirsch 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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#205largest trademark owner in South Africa (of 121,626)
300trademarks filed
3different logos published since 2020
22of 45 classes used
1962first trademark filed
117filed in the last 10 years

Freddy Hirsch trademarks in 45 seconds

Freddy Hirsch trademarks in 45 seconds

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

A portfolio built over time

Freddy Hirsch filed its first South African trademark in 1962 and has filed 300 since; its busiest year was 2011, with 45 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
Freddy Hirsch3061962–2025

Where Freddy Hirsch expanded its business

Trademark classes show what a business sells. Freddy Hirsch's portfolio is concentrated in coffee, flour & sweets (class 30), meat, dairy & oils (class 29), advertising & retail (class 35). Its most recent moves were into legal & security (2023), restaurants & hotels (2023), furniture (2019).

Freddy Hirsch trademarks: expansion into trademark classes, 1970–2025

Freddy Hirsch trademarks: expansion into trademark classes, 1970–2025

Watch the video on its own page, with transcript – https://snz.co.za/trademark-country-selection-direct/freddy-hirsch-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
30 Coffee, flour & sweets10334.3%1962
29 Meat, dairy & oils9933.0%1978
35 Advertising & retail124.0%1999
7 Machines124.0%1981
1 Chemicals93.0%2001
11 Lighting & appliances82.7%1988
42 Tech & IT services72.3%1988
18 Leather & bags62.0%1962

The brands Freddy Hirsch protects most

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

#BrandTrademarksClassesFiled
1FREDDY HIRSCH33161999–2019
2FREDDYPRO11102018–2019
3FREDDY992018–2018
4HICO981962–2019
5HIRSCHPRO552011–2019
6BOK FOR A BRAAI442012–2012
7BRAAI-VALRY442012–2012
8DRIVEN BY INNOVATION442011–2011
9HYTEX441978–1978
10FOSHO422015–2018
11FREDDY HIRSCH NATURALLY ENRICHED422003–2003
12WHAT'S COOKING?422011–2019
13A FAMILY OF FLAVOUR332010–2019
14BUTCHER KING331996–1996
15CONPRO331978–1978

Logos filed most often (since 2020)

Freddy Hirsch trademark logo
13 filings · 13 classes
Freddy Hirsch trademark logo
2 filings · 2 classes
Freddy Hirsch trademark logo
2 filings · 2 classes

Freddy Hirsch's logos

The 3 different logos Freddy Hirsch 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, Freddy Hirsch's marks took a median of 4.9 years from filing to registration, slower than the market's 2.7 years. Most of that time is examination: 3.5 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 Freddy Hirsch's classes

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

In the last five years, Freddy Hirsch was #204 of 1,368 filers in class 30 (coffee, flour & sweets), with 3 of 3,209 trademarks; #129 of 919 filers in class 29 (meat, dairy & oils), with 3 of 2,013 trademarks; #4463 of 5,866 filers in class 35 (advertising & retail), with 1 of 11,124 trademarks.

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

Top trademark filers in class 30 (coffee, flour & sweets), South Africa 1975–2024: Freddy Hirsch

Top trademark filers in class 30 (coffee, flour & sweets), South Africa 1975–2024: Freddy Hirsch

Watch the video on its own page, with transcript – https://snz.co.za/trademark-country-selection-direct/freddy-hirsch-south-african-trademarks/class-30-race-video.html

Main competitors – the companies most like Freddy Hirsch

Ranked by how similar their whole trademark portfolio is to Freddy Hirsch'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.

Freddy Hirsch trademarks vs competitors: filings per year, 2010–2024

Freddy Hirsch 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/freddy-hirsch-south-african-trademarks/competitors-video.html

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

#CompanyRelationshipSimilarity
1Shoprite–98%
2Pick n Pay–80%
3Libstar–80%
4Woolworths–80%
5Crown Food Group–77%
6Deli Spices–77%
7Wimpy (Pleasure Foods)–75%
8Spur–75%
9Clover–75%
10Antonio Jorge Reis Calisto–73%

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

Freddy Hirsch – relevant export countries

South Africa exported US$8.8 billion of the goods Freddy Hirsch's main classes cover in the last year – coffee; spices; bread; sauces (class 30); meat; fish; poultry and game; extracts (class 29); machines; valves; electric food processors; machine coupling and transmission components (class 7); additives; compositions; chemical substances; alginates (class 1); heating; machines; cooking; drying (class 11). Combining where these goods are exported, imported, growing and made (and copied), and what protection costs, these are the markets where Freddy Hirsch's trademarks matter most.

Where South Africa exports Freddy Hirsch's top goods

Freddy Hirsch's trademarks most often cover meat, coffee, additives, machines and heating. South Africa's ten largest export markets for these goods took 64% 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 Freddy Hirsch'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 Union82US$1.7 billion+0%NationalUS$2,388
2United States of America72US$551 m+2%NationalUS$3,425
3United Kingdom66US$145 m+1%NationalUS$1,371
4Türkiye63US$299 m+7%NationalUS$1,258
5India61US$38 m+6%NationalUS$1,295
6Canada61US$59 m+0%NationalUS$2,192
7Australia60US$179 m-3%NationalUS$2,380
8Russian Federation59US$33 m+3%NationalUS$1,915
9Mexico58US$28 m+7%NationalUS$3,050
10Indonesia57US$40 m+2%NationalUS$2,630

Africa

#MarketScoreSA exportsImport growth / yrRouteCost, 5 classes
1Namibia57US$613 m+15%ARIPOUS$450 S&Z
2Zimbabwe57US$605 m+14%ARIPOUS$450 S&Z
3OAPI (17 states)56US$200 m+10%NationalUS$1,563 S&Z
4Nigeria55US$56 m-6%NationalUS$1,015 S&Z
5Mozambique55US$489 m+10%ARIPOUS$450 S&Z
6Lesotho54US$193 m+18%NationalUS$326
7Morocco54US$15 m+19%NationalUS$1,408
8Tanzania54US$105 m+1%ARIPOUS$450 S&Z
9Malawi53US$75 m+23%ARIPOUS$450 S&Z
10Botswana53US$623 m-4%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)
FREDDY HIRSCH16US$3,248US$3,595
FREDDYPRO10US$2,030US$2,487
FREDDY9US$1,827US$2,302
HICO8US$1,624US$2,117
HIRSCHPRO5US$1,015US$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 Freddy Hirsch's five most-filed brands: word marks of other companies (not Freddy Hirsch'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 FREDDY HIRSCH (classes 1, 7, 29, 30, 35; searched 2018-01-31 to 2026-11-08)

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

Similar to FREDDYPRO (classes 1, 7, 29, 30, 35; searched 2018-03-28 to 2026-11-08)

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

Similar to FREDDY (classes 1, 7, 29, 30, 35; searched 2018-01-31 to 2026-11-08)

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

Similar to HICO (classes 7, 8, 11, 18, 25, 29, 30, 42; no close matches in the search)

No confusingly similar marks of other companies found.

Similar to HIRSCHPRO (classes 7, 11, 38, 41, 42; searched 2018-01-31 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$.

Freddy Hirsch's next five years of renewals

111 of Freddy Hirsch's registered marks reach their ten-year renewal date in 2027–2031. Renewed online with S&Z, that costs about US$6,914 over the five years.

Freddy Hirsch: frequently asked questions

What should Freddy Hirsch consider for its trademarks?
  • Where to file next: its goods sell strongly in Namibia, Zimbabwe and OAPI (17 states) – 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 “Freddy Hirsch – relevant export countries”).
  • Possible gaps: its competitors also protect class 16 (paper & print), class 32 (beer & soft drinks) – worth checking against what the business sells or plans to sell.
  • Fewer new brands: new brand names fell from 6.6 to 1.2 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 Freddy Hirsch's goods?
For the five goods Freddy Hirsch's trademarks cover most, South Africa's largest export markets in 2024 were Germany, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia. The ten markets in the chart take 64% of these exports, and 62% of that goes to other African countries. The largest of these markets per good: meat (US$402 million): Mozambique, Namibia, Botswana; coffee (US$43 million): Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique; additives (US$233 million): Zambia, Namibia, Dem. Rep. of the Congo; machines (US$5.4 billion): Germany, Zambia, Zimbabwe; heating (US$85 million): Namibia, Botswana, Zambia. Exports to Botswana and Namibia 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 Freddy Hirsch's brands have been protected the longest?
Several of Freddy Hirsch's brands have been protected for generations and are still being filed today: HICO (first filed 1962, most recently 2019); FREDDY HIRSCH (first filed 1999, most recently 2019); A FAMILY OF FLAVOUR (first filed 2010, most recently 2019); HIRSCHPRO (first filed 2011, most recently 2019); WHAT'S COOKING? (first filed 2011, most recently 2019). 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 Freddy Hirsch launch each year?
Counting only brand names it had never filed before, Freddy Hirsch filed about 1.2 new brand names a year over the last five complete years, fewer than the 6.6 a year in the five years before; its busiest year in the last decade was 2016, with 19. Its closest competitors averaged 12.6 new brand names a year over the same period (Shoprite 19.8, Pick n Pay 12.2, Libstar 7.4, Woolworths 22.2, Crown Food Group 1.6). New brand names are a good indicator of product launches and innovation.
How broadly does Freddy Hirsch protect each brand?
Freddy Hirsch has filed 117 different brand names. 12% of them are protected in a single class, while 5 cover five classes or more – the widest is FREDDY HIRSCH, in 16 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 Freddy Hirsch usually file trademarks?
Over the last ten years, Freddy Hirsch filed most often in November (55% of its filings), May (11%) and October (8%); the busiest quarter was Q4 (63%). 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 Freddy Hirsch's competitors protect that Freddy Hirsch does not?
Several of Freddy Hirsch's closest competitors have filed since 2015 in classes Freddy Hirsch has never used: class 16 (paper & print, 5 of its top five competitors); class 32 (beer & soft drinks, 5 of its top five competitors); class 21 (kitchenware, 4 of its top five competitors); class 33 (wines & spirits, 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.
Why did some of Freddy Hirsch's trademarks take more than five years to register?
Of Freddy Hirsch's trademarks registered in the last two years, 59% had waited more than four years since filing. Almost all of that time is examination: the South African registry has been working through a backlog, so many applications filed in 2020–2022 are only now being accepted. Once a mark is accepted, it is advertised and normally registered within about six months. Prompt responses to the registry's examination reports (office actions) avoid adding further delay.
How long do Freddy Hirsch'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 Freddy Hirsch'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 Freddy Hirsch 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 Freddy Hirsch'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 Freddy Hirsch 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.