Momentum Metropolitan – South African trademarks
Updated 8 November 2026
Momentum Metropolitan is a JSE-listed South African financial services group. It provides life insurance, investments, health and short-term insurance under the Momentum and Metropolitan brands.
How Momentum Metropolitan 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)Momentum Metropolitan trademarks in 45 seconds
Watch the video on its own page, with transcript – https://snz.co.za/trademark-country-selection-direct/momentum-metropolitan-south-african-trademarks/overview-video.html
A portfolio built over time
Momentum Metropolitan filed its first South African trademark in 1974 and has filed 768 since; its busiest year was 2007, with 70 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Momentum Metropolitan | 603 | 1974–2023 |
| Metropolitan Life | 371 | 1987–2012 |
| Momentum Metropolitan Strategic Investments | 19 | 1980–2003 |
| Metropolitan Health Corporate | 14 | 1999–2002 |
Where Momentum Metropolitan expanded its business
Trademark classes show what a business sells. Momentum Metropolitan's portfolio is concentrated in finance & insurance (class 36), advertising & retail (class 35), electronics & software (class 9). Its most recent moves were into toys & sports goods (2015), legal & security (2015), paints (2013).
Momentum Metropolitan trademarks: expansion into trademark classes, 1970–2023
Watch the video on its own page, with transcript – https://snz.co.za/trademark-country-selection-direct/momentum-metropolitan-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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 36 Finance & insurance | 389 | 50.7% | 1974 |
| 35 Advertising & retail | 238 | 31.0% | 1978 |
| 9 Electronics & software | 47 | 6.1% | 1986 |
| 16 Paper & print | 24 | 3.1% | 1974 |
| 41 Education & entertainment | 17 | 2.2% | 1978 |
| 44 Medical & beauty care | 17 | 2.2% | 2002 |
| 42 Tech & IT services | 15 | 2.0% | 1974 |
| 37 Construction & repair | 6 | 0.8% | 1974 |
The brands Momentum Metropolitan protects most
The word marks and logo names Momentum Metropolitan has filed most often – the same brand filed in more classes, in more versions or again over the years.
| # | Brand | Trademarks | Classes | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | METROPOLITAN | 11 | 5 | 1982–1998 |
| 2 | MMI | 10 | 5 | 2010–2011 |
| 3 | LINK OF CLAREMONT (THE) | 7 | 7 | 1978–1978 |
| 4 | LINK (THE) | 7 | 7 | 1978–1978 |
| 5 | TOGETHER WE CAN METROPOLITAN | 6 | 6 | 2009–2009 |
| 6 | KIDSRETURNS | 6 | 3 | 2018–2018 |
| 7 | M-TRADER | 6 | 2 | 2016–2016 |
| 8 | GOAL MED | 5 | 5 | 2007–2007 |
| 9 | KIMI | 5 | 5 | 2022–2022 |
| 10 | METROPOLITAN ADVISORY & RETAIL | 5 | 5 | 2001–2001 |
| 11 | MOMENTUM MAKING MONEY MATTER | 5 | 5 | 2015–2015 |
| 12 | SAGE | 5 | 5 | 1986–1986 |
| 13 | TOGETHER WE CAN DO MORE SAAM BEREIK ONS MEER | 5 | 5 | 1986–1986 |
| 14 | METROPOLITAN ADVISORY & RETAIL SERVICES | 5 | 4 | 2001–2001 |
| 15 | MOMENTUM | 5 | 4 | 2013–2015 |
Logos filed most often (since 2020)
Momentum Metropolitan's logos
The 10 different logos Momentum Metropolitan 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, Momentum Metropolitan's marks took a median of 3.2 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 Momentum Metropolitan's classes
Ranked by number of trademarks filed in Momentum Metropolitan's main classes – any company that files there, whatever else it does (including retailers' own brands). This shows Momentum Metropolitan's market position, not who is most like it.
In the last five years, Momentum Metropolitan was #8 of 1,944 filers in class 36 (finance & insurance), with 33 of 4,422 trademarks; #15 of 5,866 filers in class 35 (advertising & retail), with 28 of 11,124 trademarks; #423 of 4,926 filers in class 9 (electronics & software), with 4 of 10,252 trademarks.
Momentum Metropolitan's share of all trademarks filed in each of its main classes, per filing year.
Top trademark filers in class 36 (finance & insurance), South Africa 1975–2024: Momentum Metropolitan
Watch the video on its own page, with transcript – https://snz.co.za/trademark-country-selection-direct/momentum-metropolitan-south-african-trademarks/class-36-race-video.html
Main competitors – the companies most like Momentum Metropolitan
Ranked by how similar their whole trademark portfolio is to Momentum Metropolitan'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.
Momentum Metropolitan's closest competitors in South Africa are Discovery, Old Mutual, Sanlam and Clientele Life Assurance.
Momentum Metropolitan 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/momentum-metropolitan-south-african-trademarks/competitors-video.html
Trademark filings per year: Momentum Metropolitan (orange) and its five closest competitors.
| # | Company | Relationship | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Discovery | Direct competitor | 100% |
| 2 | Old Mutual | Direct competitor | 88% |
| 3 | Sanlam | Direct competitor | 83% |
| 4 | Clientele Life Assurance | Direct competitor | 77% |
| 5 | Absa | 95% | |
| 6 | FirstRand | 86% | |
| 7 | Naledi Mongoato | 81% | |
| 8 | Standard Bank | 81% | |
| 9 | Nedbank | 78% | |
| 10 | Investec Bank | 76% |
Similarity of trademark activity since 2015 (classes and words used in marks). Retailers appear where their own brands compete on the shelf.
Momentum Metropolitan – relevant export countries
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, 2 classes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | European Union | 73 | US$20 m | +2% | National | US$1,594 |
| 2 | United States of America | 73 | US$7.1 m | +6% | National | US$1,400 |
| 3 | United Kingdom | 66 | US$6.8 m | -3% | National | US$833 |
| 4 | Hong Kong SAR | 61 | US$1.6 m | +14% | National | US$807 |
| 5 | Singapore | 60 | US$815 k | +34% | National | US$888 |
| 6 | India | 59 | US$102 k | -4% | National | US$563 |
| 7 | Canada | 57 | US$682 k | -5% | National | US$1,338 |
| 8 | Namibia | 56 | US$46 m | +14% | ARIPO | US$290 |
| 9 | Australia | 56 | US$1.9 m | -4% | National | US$1,300 |
| 10 | China | 55 | US$267 k | +2% | National | US$505 |
Africa
| # | Market | Score | SA exports | Import growth / yr | Route | Cost, 2 classes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Namibia | 56 | US$46 m | +14% | ARIPO | US$290 S&Z |
| 2 | Mozambique | 52 | US$30 m | +21% | ARIPO | US$290 S&Z |
| 3 | Zimbabwe | 50 | US$25 m | +11% | ARIPO | US$290 S&Z |
| 4 | Botswana | 48 | US$40 m | -24% | ARIPO | US$290 S&Z |
| 5 | Nigeria | 47 | US$1.5 m | -15% | National | US$406 S&Z |
| 6 | Eswatini | 47 | US$20 m | -1% | ARIPO | US$290 S&Z |
| 7 | Malawi | 46 | US$8.1 m | +28% | ARIPO | US$290 S&Z |
| 8 | Uganda | 44 | US$2.5 m | +23% | ARIPO | US$290 S&Z |
| 9 | OAPI (17 states) | 44 | US$3.8 m | +2% | National | US$1,009 S&Z |
| 10 | Lesotho | 43 | US$13 m | +6% | ARIPO | US$290 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 2 classes; ARIPO costs are per country, plus US$269 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| METROPOLITAN | 5 | US$1,015 | US$1,563 |
| MMI | 5 | US$1,015 | US$1,563 |
| LINK OF CLAREMONT (THE) | 7 | US$1,421 | US$1,932 |
| LINK (THE) | 7 | US$1,421 | US$1,932 |
| TOGETHER WE CAN METROPOLITAN | 6 | US$1,218 | US$1,748 |
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 Momentum Metropolitan's five most-filed brands: word marks of other companies (not Momentum Metropolitan'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 METROPOLITAN (classes 16, 35, 36, 37, 42; searched 2024-07-31 to 2026-11-07)
No confusingly similar marks of other companies found in this period.
Similar to MMI (classes 9, 16, 35, 36, 41; searched 2018-02-28 to 2026-11-07)
No confusingly similar marks of other companies found in this period.
Similar to LINK OF CLAREMONT (THE) (classes 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 41, 42; searched 2018-08-29 to 2026-11-07)
No confusingly similar marks of other companies found in this period.
Similar to LINK (THE) (classes 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 41, 42; searched 2018-08-29 to 2026-11-07)
| Mark | Published | Class | Applicant |
|---|---|---|---|
| LINK | 2022-02-23 | 37 | OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY |
| LINK | 2019-11-27 | 35 | NEW CLICKS SOUTH AFRICA PROPRIETARY Ltd |
Similar to TOGETHER WE CAN METROPOLITAN (classes 16, 18, 20, 25, 35, 36; searched 2018-03-28 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$.
Momentum Metropolitan's next five years of renewals
196 of Momentum Metropolitan's registered marks reach their ten-year renewal date in 2027–2031. Renewed online with S&Z, that costs about US$12,209 over the five years.
Momentum Metropolitan: frequently asked questions
What should Momentum Metropolitan consider for its trademarks?
- Possible gaps: its competitors also protect class 43 (restaurants & hotels) – worth checking against what the business sells or plans to sell.
- Similar marks: we found 2 word marks of other companies that we consider confusingly similar to its top brands (see “Word marks you may have considered opposing”) – a watch service flags new ones while they can still be opposed.
- Fewer new brands: new brand names fell from 9.0 to 6.2 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.