This gives entrepreneurs flexibility when building brands — the legal entity can remain stable while individual products, services or consumer brands evolve independently of the company's registered name.
Source: Companies Act 71 of 2008; CIPC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a company name automatically a brand?
No — a company name and a brand are related concepts but can be entirely different.
Can one company own several brands?
Yes.
Should a popular brand be protected as a trademark?
Where appropriate, trademark registration can help protect the brand identifier separately from the company name.