Premier FMCG – South African trademarks
Updated 8 November 2026
Premier FMCG is a South African food and personal care manufacturer. Its brands include Blue Ribbon and Iwisa, Snowflake, Lil-lets and Manhattan sweets.
How Premier FMCG 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)Premier FMCG trademarks in 45 seconds
Watch the video on its own page, with transcript – https://snz.co.za/trademark-country-selection-direct/premier-fmcg-south-african-trademarks/overview-video.html
A portfolio built over time
Premier FMCG filed its first South African trademark in 1917 and has filed 1,174 since; its busiest year was 2008, with 122 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Premier FMCG | 1,167 | 1935–2025 |
| Mister Sweet | 191 | 1980–2017 |
| Premier Foods | 178 | 1980–2015 |
| Lil Lets South Africa | 152 | 1956–2013 |
| Premier Foods Industries | 37 | 1960–1991 |
| Premier Foods Group | 29 | 1917–2011 |
| Lil Lets | 2 | 2011–2011 |
| Lil Lets UK | 1 | 2001–2001 |
Where Premier FMCG expanded its business
Trademark classes show what a business sells. Premier FMCG's portfolio is concentrated in coffee, flour & sweets (class 30), pharmaceuticals (class 5), meat, dairy & oils (class 29). Its most recent moves were into legal & security (2016), lighting & appliances (2013), medical & beauty care (2012).
Premier FMCG trademarks: expansion into trademark classes, 1970–2025
Watch the video on its own page, with transcript – https://snz.co.za/trademark-country-selection-direct/premier-fmcg-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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 Coffee, flour & sweets | 685 | 58.3% | 1917 |
| 5 Pharmaceuticals | 144 | 12.3% | 1939 |
| 29 Meat, dairy & oils | 80 | 6.8% | 1917 |
| 35 Advertising & retail | 47 | 4.0% | 1980 |
| 31 Fresh produce & pet food | 40 | 3.4% | 1935 |
| 42 Tech & IT services | 32 | 2.7% | 1980 |
| 32 Beer & soft drinks | 29 | 2.5% | 1960 |
| 3 Cosmetics & cleaning | 29 | 2.5% | 1960 |
The brands Premier FMCG protects most
The word marks and logo names Premier FMCG has filed most often – the same brand filed in more classes, in more versions or again over the years.
| # | Brand | Trademarks | Classes | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LIL-LETS | 41 | 7 | 1999–2016 |
| 2 | PREMIER FOODS | 28 | 7 | 1995–2008 |
| 3 | BLUE RIBBON | 27 | 8 | 1967–2024 |
| 4 | LIL-LETS ULTRAFRESH | 17 | 2 | 2008–2011 |
| 5 | B B | 16 | 8 | 1939–2020 |
| 6 | PREMIER GROWING TOGETHER | 14 | 7 | 2014–2014 |
| 7 | JABULA | 13 | 7 | 1960–1972 |
| 8 | PREMIER | 9 | 8 | 1967–2014 |
| 9 | SNOWFLAKE PLAY TIME | 8 | 7 | 2005–2005 |
| 10 | M MAIZECOR | 8 | 4 | 1973–1985 |
| 11 | UNIMILL | 8 | 4 | 1993–1993 |
| 12 | NYALA | 8 | 3 | 1987–2020 |
| 13 | LIL-LETS DRYLOCK | 8 | 1 | 2008–2008 |
| 14 | LIL-LETS SILKCOMFORT | 8 | 1 | 2008–2008 |
| 15 | SNOWFLAKE PLAYTIME | 7 | 7 | 2005–2005 |
Logos filed most often (since 2020)
Premier FMCG's logos
The 19 different logos Premier FMCG 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, Premier FMCG's marks took a median of 3.7 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 Premier FMCG's classes
Ranked by number of trademarks filed in Premier FMCG's main classes – any company that files there, whatever else it does (including retailers' own brands). This shows Premier FMCG's market position, not who is most like it.
In the last five years, Premier FMCG was #18 of 1,368 filers in class 30 (coffee, flour & sweets), with 17 of 3,209 trademarks; #1199 of 2,050 filers in class 5 (pharmaceuticals), with 1 of 6,111 trademarks; #234 of 919 filers in class 29 (meat, dairy & oils), with 2 of 2,013 trademarks.
Premier FMCG'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: Premier FMCG
Watch the video on its own page, with transcript – https://snz.co.za/trademark-country-selection-direct/premier-fmcg-south-african-trademarks/class-30-race-video.html
Main competitors – the companies most like Premier FMCG
Ranked by how similar their whole trademark portfolio is to Premier FMCG'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.
Premier FMCG's closest competitors in South Africa are Tiger Brands, RCL Foods, Active Business Trust and AVI.
Premier FMCG 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/premier-fmcg-south-african-trademarks/competitors-video.html
Trademark filings per year: Premier FMCG (orange) and its five closest competitors.
| # | Company | Relationship | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tiger Brands | Direct competitor | 96% |
| 2 | RCL Foods | Direct competitor | 85% |
| 3 | Active Business Trust | Direct competitor | 79% |
| 4 | AVI | Direct competitor | 77% |
| 5 | Trade Kings | Direct competitor | 76% |
| 6 | Richester Foods | Direct competitor | 74% |
| 7 | Z and Z Foods | Direct competitor | 73% |
| 8 | Mondelez | Direct competitor | 73% |
| 9 | Pioneer Foods | Direct competitor | 72% |
| 10 | International Foodstuffs | Direct competitor | 70% |
Similarity of trademark activity since 2015 (classes and words used in marks). Retailers appear where their own brands compete on the shelf.
Premier FMCG – relevant export countries
South Africa exported US$8.9 billion of the goods Premier FMCG's main classes cover in the last year – confectionery; honey; rice; coffee (class 30); dietary supplements; disinfectants; plasters; sanitary preparations (class 5); meat; jams; fish; jellies (class 29); seeds; fresh fruits and vegetables; natural plants and flowers; malt (class 31); beer; fruit juices; syrups; mineral and aerated waters (class 32). Combining where these goods are exported, imported, growing and made (and copied), and what protection costs, these are the markets where Premier FMCG's trademarks matter most.
Where South Africa exports Premier FMCG's top goods
Premier FMCG's trademarks most often cover confectionery, meat, beer, seeds and dietary supplements. South Africa's ten largest export markets for these goods took 63% of its exports of them in 2024.
South Africa's exports of each good to the country in 2024 (US$ million). The goods are the ones Premier FMCG'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$2.6 billion | +3% | National | US$2,388 |
| 2 | China | 71 | US$473 m | -4% | National | US$1,224 |
| 3 | United Kingdom | 71 | US$781 m | +2% | National | US$1,371 |
| 4 | United States of America | 70 | US$420 m | +0% | National | US$3,425 |
| 5 | Japan | 62 | US$71 m | -4% | National | US$1,774 |
| 6 | Russian Federation | 61 | US$256 m | -1% | National | US$1,915 |
| 7 | Canada | 60 | US$197 m | +0% | National | US$2,192 |
| 8 | Hong Kong SAR | 57 | US$88 m | +2% | National | US$1,715 |
| 9 | Philippines | 57 | US$53 m | +7% | National | US$1,526 |
| 10 | Nigeria | 55 | US$71 m | -8% | National | US$1,015 |
Africa
| # | Market | Score | SA exports | Import growth / yr | Route | Cost, 5 classes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nigeria | 55 | US$71 m | -8% | National | US$1,015 S&Z |
| 2 | OAPI (17 states) | 55 | US$100 m | +9% | National | US$1,563 S&Z |
| 3 | Mozambique | 54 | US$272 m | +19% | ARIPO | US$450 S&Z |
| 4 | Zimbabwe | 54 | US$223 m | +37% | ARIPO | US$450 S&Z |
| 5 | Malawi | 53 | US$40 m | +16% | ARIPO | US$450 S&Z |
| 6 | Lesotho | 52 | US$151 m | +4% | National | US$326 |
| 7 | Algeria | 51 | US$4.7 m | +25% | National | US$1,445 |
| 8 | Eswatini | 50 | US$162 m | -2% | National | US$446 |
| 9 | Egypt | 50 | US$17 m | -0% | National | US$2,278 |
| 10 | Botswana | 49 | US$350 m | -2% | ARIPO | US$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
| Brand | Classes | Nigeria | OAPI (17 states) |
|---|---|---|---|
| LIL-LETS | 7 | US$1,421 | US$1,932 |
| PREMIER FOODS | 7 | US$1,421 | US$1,932 |
| BLUE RIBBON | 8 | US$1,624 | US$2,117 |
| LIL-LETS ULTRAFRESH | 2 | US$406 | US$1,009 |
| B B | 8 | US$1,624 | US$2,117 |
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 Premier FMCG's five most-filed brands: word marks of other companies (not Premier FMCG'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 LIL-LETS (classes 5, 10, 16, 25, 35, 38, 41; searched 2018-05-30 to 2026-11-07)
No confusingly similar marks of other companies found in this period.
Similar to PREMIER FOODS (classes 29, 30, 31, 35, 41, 42, 43; searched 2018-01-31 to 2026-11-07)
No confusingly similar marks of other companies found in this period.
Similar to BLUE RIBBON (classes 21, 25, 29, 30, 31, 35, 42, 43; searched 2018-01-31 to 2026-11-07)
| Mark | Published | Class | Applicant |
|---|---|---|---|
| GOLDEN RIBBON | 2025-12-17 | 29 | AQ HOLDINGS (PTY) LTD |
| SHIMANSKY BLUE RIBBON SALE | 2021-03-31 | 35 | Private individual |
Similar to LIL-LETS ULTRAFRESH (classes 3, 5; searched 2018-05-30 to 2026-11-07)
No confusingly similar marks of other companies found in this period.
Similar to PREMIER GROWING TOGETHER (classes 3, 5, 29, 30, 31, 35, 43; 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$.
Premier FMCG's next five years of renewals
512 of Premier FMCG's registered marks reach their ten-year renewal date in 2027–2031. Renewed online with S&Z, that costs about US$31,892 over the five years.
Premier FMCG: frequently asked questions
What should Premier FMCG consider for its trademarks?
- Where to file next: its goods sell strongly in Nigeria, OAPI (17 states) and Mozambique – 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 “Premier FMCG – relevant export countries”).
- Possible gaps: its competitors also protect class 39 (transport & travel), class 7 (machines) – worth checking against what the business sells or plans to sell.
- Brand coverage: Lil-Lets Ultrafresh is protected in only one or two classes – check whether related goods or services (for example merchandise or online services) need cover too.
- 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 16.2 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.