Lion Match Company – South African trademarks
Updated 8 November 2026
The Lion Match Company is a South African maker of matches – including the Lion brand – and other household products such as firelighters and cleaning products.
How Lion Match Company 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)Lion Match Company trademarks in 45 seconds
Watch the video on its own page, with transcript – https://snz.co.za/trademark-country-selection-direct/lion-match-company-south-african-trademarks/overview-video.html
A portfolio built over time
Lion Match Company filed its first South African trademark in 1927 and has filed 250 since; its busiest year was 2016, with 23 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Lion Match Company | 275 | 1927–2024 |
Where Lion Match Company expanded its business
Trademark classes show what a business sells. Lion Match Company's portfolio is concentrated in tobacco (class 34), cosmetics & cleaning (class 3), hand tools (class 8). Its most recent moves were into advertising & retail (2022), toys & sports goods (2016), furniture (2016).
Lion Match Company trademarks: expansion into trademark classes, 1970–2024
Watch the video on its own page, with transcript – https://snz.co.za/trademark-country-selection-direct/lion-match-company-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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 34 Tobacco | 59 | 23.6% | 1940 |
| 3 Cosmetics & cleaning | 50 | 20.0% | 1936 |
| 8 Hand tools | 28 | 11.2% | 1975 |
| 5 Pharmaceuticals | 26 | 10.4% | 2007 |
| 4 Oils & fuels | 26 | 10.4% | 1927 |
| 9 Electronics & software | 18 | 7.2% | 1976 |
| 16 Paper & print | 10 | 4.0% | 1988 |
| 11 Lighting & appliances | 7 | 2.8% | 1978 |
The brands Lion Match Company protects most
The word marks and logo names Lion Match Company has filed most often – the same brand filed in more classes, in more versions or again over the years.
| # | Brand | Trademarks | Classes | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LION | 30 | 11 | 1936–2023 |
| 2 | LA | 7 | 7 | 1988–1988 |
| 3 | SYLKO | 6 | 5 | 2016–2022 |
| 4 | CLEARLITE | 6 | 3 | 2000–2009 |
| 5 | CLEMENS | 6 | 3 | 2022–2022 |
| 6 | HYGENIX TOUCH | 6 | 2 | 2017–2018 |
| 7 | LEEU | 5 | 3 | 1950–1976 |
| 8 | LEOPARD | 5 | 3 | 1971–1980 |
| 9 | FLAME | 4 | 3 | 1956–1995 |
| 10 | CLOUDS OF SOFTNESS | 4 | 2 | 2023–2023 |
| 11 | cherubs | 3 | 3 | 2016–2016 |
| 12 | FIREBOY | 3 | 3 | 2011–2011 |
| 13 | TEENZ LOVING TOUCH LOVE YOURSELF | 3 | 3 | 2013–2013 |
| 14 | DAELITE | 3 | 2 | 1952–1994 |
| 15 | FIREFLY VUURVLIEG | 3 | 2 | 1953–1977 |
Logos filed most often (since 2020)
Lion Match Company's logos
The 14 different logos Lion Match Company 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, Lion Match Company's marks took a median of 3.3 years from filing to registration, slower than the market's 2.7 years. Most of that time is examination: 2.6 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 Lion Match Company's classes
Ranked by number of trademarks filed in Lion Match Company's main classes – any company that files there, whatever else it does (including retailers' own brands). This shows Lion Match Company's market position, not who is most like it.
In the last five years, Lion Match Company was #40 of 336 filers in class 34 (tobacco), with 3 of 961 trademarks; #108 of 1,836 filers in class 3 (cosmetics & cleaning), with 5 of 3,958 trademarks; #98 of 395 filers in class 8 (hand tools), with 2 of 691 trademarks.
Lion Match Company's share of all trademarks filed in each of its main classes, per filing year.
Top trademark filers in class 34 (tobacco), South Africa 1975–2024: Lion Match Company
Watch the video on its own page, with transcript – https://snz.co.za/trademark-country-selection-direct/lion-match-company-south-african-trademarks/class-34-race-video.html
Main competitors – the companies most like Lion Match Company
Ranked by how similar their whole trademark portfolio is to Lion Match Company'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.
Lion Match Company's closest competitors in South Africa are Reckitt, Amka, Procter & Gamble and Botle Buhle Brands.
Lion Match Company 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/lion-match-company-south-african-trademarks/competitors-video.html
Trademark filings per year: Lion Match Company (orange) and its five closest competitors.
| # | Company | Relationship | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reckitt | Direct competitor | 78% |
| 2 | Amka | Direct competitor | 76% |
| 3 | Procter & Gamble | Direct competitor | 66% |
| 4 | Botle Buhle Brands | Direct competitor | 65% |
| 5 | Doterra | Direct competitor | 65% |
| 6 | L'Oreal | Direct competitor | 64% |
| 7 | Beiersdorf | Direct competitor | 59% |
| 8 | SC Johnson | Direct competitor | 59% |
| 9 | LVMH | Direct competitor | 58% |
| 10 | Johnson & Johnson | 72% |
Similarity of trademark activity since 2015 (classes and words used in marks). Retailers appear where their own brands compete on the shelf.
Lion Match Company – relevant export countries
South Africa exported US$3.8 billion of the goods Lion Match Company's main classes cover in the last year – matches; electronic cigarettes; tobacco; oral vaporizers (class 34); cosmetics; essential oils; dentifrices; perfumery (class 3); hand tools; cutlery; razors; side arms (class 8); dietary supplements; pharmaceutical preparations; disinfectants; pharmaceuticals (class 5); candles; fuels; industrial oils and greases; lubricants (class 4). Combining where these goods are exported, imported, growing and made (and copied), and what protection costs, these are the markets where Lion Match Company's trademarks matter most.
Where South Africa exports Lion Match Company's top goods
Lion Match Company's trademarks most often cover cosmetics, dietary supplements, candles, matches and hand tools. South Africa's ten largest export markets for these goods took 63% of its exports of them in 2024.
South Africa's exports of each good to the country in 2024 (US$ million). The goods are the ones Lion Match Company'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 | 71 | US$170 m | -5% | National | US$2,388 |
| 2 | United States of America | 67 | US$122 m | -6% | National | US$3,425 |
| 3 | United Kingdom | 66 | US$35 m | -3% | National | US$1,371 |
| 4 | Japan | 63 | US$15 m | -3% | National | US$1,774 |
| 5 | Zimbabwe | 62 | US$278 m | +133% | ARIPO | US$450 |
| 6 | Botswana | 61 | US$832 m | -16% | ARIPO | US$450 |
| 7 | Switzerland | 61 | US$5.0 m | +17% | National | US$1,660 |
| 8 | Türkiye | 61 | US$8.2 m | +3% | National | US$1,258 |
| 9 | Australia | 60 | US$42 m | -7% | National | US$2,380 |
| 10 | Canada | 59 | US$8.5 m | -7% | National | US$2,192 |
Africa
| # | Market | Score | SA exports | Import growth / yr | Route | Cost, 5 classes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zimbabwe | 62 | US$278 m | +133% | ARIPO | US$450 S&Z |
| 2 | Botswana | 61 | US$832 m | -16% | ARIPO | US$450 S&Z |
| 3 | Malawi | 58 | US$44 m | +101% | ARIPO | US$450 S&Z |
| 4 | Eswatini | 57 | US$293 m | -4% | National | US$446 |
| 5 | Nigeria | 57 | US$21 m | -24% | National | US$1,015 S&Z |
| 6 | Namibia | 57 | US$245 m | +4% | ARIPO | US$450 S&Z |
| 7 | Tanzania | 56 | US$27 m | -4% | ARIPO | US$450 S&Z |
| 8 | Lesotho | 55 | US$240 m | -4% | National | US$326 |
| 9 | Egypt | 55 | US$3.2 m | +18% | National | US$2,278 |
| 10 | OAPI (17 states) | 55 | US$39 m | -11% | National | US$1,563 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
| Brand | Classes | Nigeria | OAPI (17 states) |
|---|---|---|---|
| LION | 11 | US$2,233 | US$2,671 |
| LA | 7 | US$1,421 | US$1,932 |
| SYLKO | 5 | US$1,015 | US$1,563 |
| CLEARLITE | 3 | US$609 | US$1,194 |
| CLEMENS | 3 | US$609 | US$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 Lion Match Company's five most-filed brands: word marks of other companies (not Lion Match Company'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 LION (classes 3, 4, 5, 8, 34; searched 2018-12-19 to 2026-11-08)
No confusingly similar marks of other companies found in this period.
Similar to SYLKO (classes 6, 16, 21, 28, 35; searched 2019-02-27 to 2026-11-08)
No confusingly similar marks of other companies found in this period.
Similar to CLEARLITE (classes 4, 5, 11; searched 2023-12-20 to 2026-11-08)
No confusingly similar marks of other companies found in this period.
Similar to CLEMENS (classes 3, 16, 25; searched 2019-05-29 to 2026-11-08)
No confusingly similar marks of other companies found in this period.
Similar to HYGENIX TOUCH (classes 3, 5; 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:
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$.
Lion Match Company's next five years of renewals
54 of Lion Match Company's registered marks reach their ten-year renewal date in 2027–2031. Renewed online with S&Z, that costs about US$3,364 over the five years.
Lion Match Company: frequently asked questions
What should Lion Match Company consider for its trademarks?
- Where to file next: its goods sell strongly in Zimbabwe, Botswana 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 “Lion Match Company – relevant export countries”).
- Possible gaps: its competitors also protect class 41 (education & entertainment), class 32 (beer & soft drinks) – worth checking against what the business sells or plans to sell.
- Fewer new brands: new brand names fell from 2.2 to 0.6 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.