Tongaat Hulett – South African trademarks
Updated 8 November 2026
Tongaat Hulett is a South African sugar producer. It grows and processes sugar cane and makes sugar, starch and related products.
How Tongaat Hulett 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)Tongaat Hulett trademarks in 45 seconds
Watch the video on its own page, with transcript – https://snz.co.za/trademark-country-selection-direct/tongaat-hulett-south-african-trademarks/overview-video.html
A portfolio built over time
Tongaat Hulett filed its first South African trademark in 1952 and has filed 569 since; its busiest year was 1990, with 110 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Tongaat Hulett | 389 | 1952–2022 |
| Tongaat Hulett Starch | 152 | 1965–2020 |
| Tongaat Hulett Group | 109 | 1967–2011 |
| Tongaat Hulett Developments | 93 | 1997–2020 |
| Tongaat Hullet | 3 | 2012–2012 |
Where Tongaat Hulett expanded its business
Trademark classes show what a business sells. Tongaat Hulett's portfolio is concentrated in coffee, flour & sweets (class 30), fresh produce & pet food (class 31), chemicals (class 1). Its most recent moves were into legal & security (2013), restaurants & hotels (2007), medical & beauty care (2007).
Tongaat Hulett trademarks: expansion into trademark classes, 1970–2022
Watch the video on its own page, with transcript – https://snz.co.za/trademark-country-selection-direct/tongaat-hulett-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 | 80 | 14.1% | 1965 |
| 31 Fresh produce & pet food | 77 | 13.5% | 1952 |
| 1 Chemicals | 46 | 8.1% | 1965 |
| 37 Construction & repair | 40 | 7.0% | 1979 |
| 36 Finance & insurance | 39 | 6.9% | 1995 |
| 29 Meat, dairy & oils | 35 | 6.2% | 1967 |
| 43 Restaurants & hotels | 32 | 5.6% | 2007 |
| 5 Pharmaceuticals | 32 | 5.6% | 1977 |
The brands Tongaat Hulett protects most
The word marks and logo names Tongaat Hulett has filed most often – the same brand filed in more classes, in more versions or again over the years.
| # | Brand | Trademarks | Classes | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TONGAAT HULETT | 42 | 14 | 2007–2007 |
| 2 | TONGAAT-HULETT GROUP LIMITED (THE) | 11 | 11 | 1993–1993 |
| 3 | EDGEVIEW MOUNT EDGECOMBE | 10 | 5 | 2013–2013 |
| 4 | TONGAAT HULETT DEVELOPMENTS | 10 | 5 | 2013–2013 |
| 5 | AFPROD | 9 | 9 | 1988–1990 |
| 6 | EQUISWEET | 9 | 4 | 2002–2021 |
| 7 | AMYRAL | 7 | 7 | 1988–1990 |
| 8 | DRICOSE | 7 | 7 | 1988–1990 |
| 9 | HYCLEAR | 7 | 7 | 1988–1990 |
| 10 | HYCOL | 7 | 7 | 1988–1990 |
| 11 | HYMALT | 7 | 7 | 1982–1990 |
| 12 | MONODEX | 7 | 7 | 1988–1990 |
| 13 | STYCLOR | 7 | 7 | 1982–1990 |
| 14 | STYDEX | 7 | 7 | 1988–1990 |
| 15 | STYGEL | 7 | 7 | 1982–1990 |
Logos filed most often (since 2020)
Tongaat Hulett's logos
The 3 different logos Tongaat Hulett 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, Tongaat Hulett's marks took a median of 1.6 years from filing to registration, faster than the market's 2.7 years. Most of that time is examination: 0.9 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 Tongaat Hulett's classes
Ranked by number of trademarks filed in Tongaat Hulett's main classes – any company that files there, whatever else it does (including retailers' own brands). This shows Tongaat Hulett's market position, not who is most like it.
In the last five years, Tongaat Hulett was #87 of 1,368 filers in class 30 (coffee, flour & sweets), with 5 of 3,209 trademarks; #321 of 608 filers in class 31 (fresh produce & pet food), with 1 of 1,155 trademarks; #315 of 947 filers in class 1 (chemicals), with 2 of 2,054 trademarks.
Tongaat Hulett'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: Tongaat Hulett
Watch the video on its own page, with transcript – https://snz.co.za/trademark-country-selection-direct/tongaat-hulett-south-african-trademarks/class-30-race-video.html
Main competitors – the companies most like Tongaat Hulett
Ranked by how similar their whole trademark portfolio is to Tongaat Hulett'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.
Tongaat Hulett's closest competitors in South Africa are AFGRI, Mars, Clemengold International and Agrimark Operations.
Tongaat Hulett 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/tongaat-hulett-south-african-trademarks/competitors-video.html
Trademark filings per year: Tongaat Hulett (orange) and its five closest competitors.
| # | Company | Relationship | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AFGRI | Direct competitor | 70% |
| 2 | Mars | Direct competitor | 67% |
| 3 | Clemengold International | Direct competitor | 66% |
| 4 | Agrimark Operations | Direct competitor | 65% |
| 5 | Vkb Beleggings | Direct competitor | 65% |
| 6 | Martin & Martin | Direct competitor | 62% |
| 7 | Bidfood | 64% | |
| 8 | Shoprite | Retailer's own brands | 75% |
| 9 | Woolworths | Retailer's own brands | 68% |
| 10 | Wellness Warehouse | Retailer's own brands | 63% |
Similarity of trademark activity since 2015 (classes and words used in marks). Retailers appear where their own brands compete on the shelf.
Tongaat Hulett – relevant export countries
South Africa exported US$9.5 billion of the goods Tongaat Hulett's main classes cover in the last year – coffee; bread; spices; honey (class 30); seeds; fresh fruits and vegetables; natural plants and flowers; malt (class 31); chemicals; fertilizers; forestry; adhesives (class 1); meat; fish; jams (class 29); dietary supplements; pharmaceuticals; disinfectants; veterinary preparations (class 5). Combining where these goods are exported, imported, growing and made (and copied), and what protection costs, these are the markets where Tongaat Hulett's trademarks matter most.
Where South Africa exports Tongaat Hulett's top goods
Tongaat Hulett's trademarks most often cover coffee, chemicals, seeds, dietary supplements and meat. South Africa's ten largest export markets for these goods took 53% of its exports of them in 2024.
South Africa's exports of each good to the country in 2024 (US$ million). The goods are the ones Tongaat Hulett'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 | +1% | National | US$2,388 |
| 2 | China | 71 | US$514 m | -4% | National | US$1,224 |
| 3 | United Kingdom | 70 | US$797 m | -0% | National | US$1,371 |
| 4 | United States of America | 69 | US$438 m | -1% | National | US$3,425 |
| 5 | Japan | 62 | US$66 m | -7% | National | US$1,774 |
| 6 | Switzerland | 60 | US$54 m | +17% | National | US$1,660 |
| 7 | Philippines | 56 | US$51 m | +2% | National | US$1,526 |
| 8 | Hong Kong SAR | 56 | US$88 m | -2% | National | US$1,715 |
| 9 | Malawi | 55 | US$50 m | +61% | ARIPO | US$450 |
| 10 | Nigeria | 55 | US$78 m | -15% | National | US$1,015 |
Africa
| # | Market | Score | SA exports | Import growth / yr | Route | Cost, 5 classes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Malawi | 55 | US$50 m | +61% | ARIPO | US$450 S&Z |
| 2 | Nigeria | 55 | US$78 m | -15% | National | US$1,015 S&Z |
| 3 | Zimbabwe | 55 | US$327 m | +31% | ARIPO | US$450 S&Z |
| 4 | OAPI (17 states) | 54 | US$106 m | +6% | National | US$1,563 S&Z |
| 5 | Algeria | 52 | US$4.9 m | +24% | National | US$1,445 |
| 6 | Mozambique | 52 | US$269 m | -11% | ARIPO | US$450 S&Z |
| 7 | Lesotho | 51 | US$145 m | +4% | National | US$326 |
| 8 | Botswana | 49 | US$316 m | -5% | ARIPO | US$450 S&Z |
| 9 | Dem. Rep. of the Congo | 47 | US$87 m | -0% | National | US$2,100 |
| 10 | Zambia | 46 | US$453 m | +3% | National | US$2,610 |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| TONGAAT HULETT | 14 | US$2,842 | US$3,225 |
| TONGAAT-HULETT GROUP LIMITED (THE) | 11 | US$2,233 | US$2,671 |
| EDGEVIEW MOUNT EDGECOMBE | 5 | US$1,015 | US$1,563 |
| TONGAAT HULETT DEVELOPMENTS | 5 | US$1,015 | US$1,563 |
| AFPROD | 9 | US$1,827 | US$2,302 |
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 Tongaat Hulett's five most-filed brands: word marks of other companies (not Tongaat Hulett'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 TONGAAT HULETT (classes 1, 30, 31, 36, 37; searched 2018-07-25 to 2026-11-07)
No confusingly similar marks of other companies found in this period.
Similar to TONGAAT-HULETT GROUP LIMITED (THE) (classes 1, 30, 31; searched 2019-03-27 to 2026-11-07)
No confusingly similar marks of other companies found in this period.
Similar to EDGEVIEW MOUNT EDGECOMBE (classes 36, 37, 43, 44, 45; searched 2018-03-28 to 2026-11-07)
No confusingly similar marks of other companies found in this period.
Similar to TONGAAT HULETT DEVELOPMENTS (classes 36, 37, 43, 44, 45; searched 2018-07-25 to 2026-11-07)
No confusingly similar marks of other companies found in this period.
Similar to AFPROD (classes 1, 30, 31; searched 2020-09-30 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$.
Tongaat Hulett's next five years of renewals
297 of Tongaat Hulett's registered marks reach their ten-year renewal date in 2027–2031. Renewed online with S&Z, that costs about US$18,500 over the five years.
Tongaat Hulett: frequently asked questions
What should Tongaat Hulett consider for its trademarks?
- Where to file next: its goods sell strongly in Malawi, Nigeria and Zimbabwe – 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 “Tongaat Hulett – relevant export countries”).
- Possible gaps: its competitors also protect class 12 (vehicles), class 38 (telecoms) – worth checking against what the business sells or plans to sell.
- Fewer new brands: new brand names fell from 1.8 to 0.4 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.