US fashion giant finally acquires South Africa’s iconic Polo brand

Ralph Lauren is reportedly taking full ownership of South Africa’s Polo brand, bringing local fashion heritage into the global luxury market while ending a long-standing legal battle over trademark rights.

While the details of the transaction, including the financial terms, have not been publicly disclosed, the two Polo brands have operated independently under separate ownership for more than a decade.

The Competition Commission of South Africa has approved the acquisition, clearing the way for Ralph Lauren to acquire all rights, titles, and interests in the South African Polo clothing brand currently owned by the local company. The deal also encompasses all Polo Marks, the company’s trademark filings, and the associated goodwill.

As part of the agreement, the LA Group, which has historically held exclusive rights to the Polo name and logo in sub-Saharan Africa, limiting Ralph Lauren’s ability to sell its own Polo-branded clothing in the region, is barred from retrenching any permanent employees involved in the manufacture, distribution, or retail of Polo-branded products linked to the assets being acquired, ensuring workforce continuity during the transition.

The Polo brand in South Africa has a long and complex legal history. Ralph Lauren Polo and the South African Polo brand have operated independently with no formal affiliation until now.

Ralph Lauren’s Polo logo, featuring the mounted polo player, was registered internationally in 1967, while a similar mark was registered in South Africa by the LA Group in 1976, setting the stage for decades of trademark disputes.

In previous legal matters, LA Group’s legal adviser, Rae James, stated that Polo SA has a “use agreement” with Ralph Lauren, claiming exclusive rights in sub-Saharan Africa.

Legal experts note that Ralph Lauren attempted to reclaim the mark in 1977, but South Africa’s older trademark laws prioritised local registration over international recognition, limiting Ralph Lauren’s ability to sell its Polo-branded clothing domestically.

The dispute escalated in 2018 when LA Brands, which owns Polo SA, and the US Polo Association (USPA), marketing clothing locally through Stable Brands, went to court.

The South African brand initially sought a high court interdict to prevent Stable Brands from infringing its Polo word and Polo Pony and Player device trademarks.

The application was later withdrawn, but Stable Brands filed a counter-application seeking the removal of all 46 of LA Group’s trademarks from the register, arguing that Polo SA’s pony facing right could easily be confused with Ralph Lauren’s Polo pony facing left.

As a result of this legal history, Ralph Lauren could not sell its Polo-branded clothing in South Africa without infringing LA Group trademarks. Many consumers were therefore unaware of the distinction between the locally sold Polo products and the internationally recognised luxury Polo Ralph Lauren line.

With regulatory approval now granted, the acquisition resolves a decades-long dispute and marks a significant milestone for South Africa’s fashion market.