Trademark „Bafana Bafana“ is worth 3,4 million euro

11-03-30

Who doesn’t remember the FIFA World Cup 2010 when the name „Bafana Bafana“ has been known all over the world. The name whose translation means „the guys“ was registered in 1993 by a tradesman from Johannesburg, Wayne Smidt, owner of Stanton Woodrush (Pty) Ltd. already during the Confed-Cup 2009 and the following FIFA World Cup 2010 in South Africa the company has been very successful in the commercialization of this brand name.

Unfortunately South Africa’s football association called Safa missed the opportunity to protect the trademark rights for the name „Bafana Bafana“ right in time. Two attempts to achieve the trademark rights by legal proceedings in 1997 and 2003 also failed. After years of dispute between both parties Safa and Wayne Smidt, the holder of the trademark rights now seems to be willing to sell „Bafana Bafana“ for about 3,4 million euro (33 million rand) to the South African football association.

Considering the achieved revenues from trademarketing already during the previous two years, it appears that a full protection of trademark rights in due time can be a lucrative business.

(Thomas Schiefer, managing director of innomark, comments at irregular intervals on several naming topics which are up to discussion.)