Registering a trademark through the African Regional Industrial Property Organization, also known as ARIPO, grants protection in the member states that are also party to the Banjul Protocol, namely:
Botswana, Cape Verde, the Gambia, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Sao Tome and Principe, Eswatini, Uganda, Tanzania (mainland) and Zimbabwe.
A registered trademark through ARIPO will be valid for 10 years from the date of application and may be renewed for periods of 10 years.
If you register a combined trademark (which includes both word elements and figurative elements) through ARIPO, the exclusive right to use the trademark is limited to the exact configuration in which it was filed and registered. If you wish to use the word element of your trademark separately from the logo (or vice versa), it is recommended to register another trademark including only the word or figurative elements you wish to use and protect separately.