The South African patent system grants patents to new and industrially applicable inventions. As is the case in many other countries, a patent provides legal protection for an invention—either a product or process or in another way, or at any other time before the priority date of the invention.
For example, the invention has not been described in publicly available documents—such as patents and published applications of others—before its priority date. A patent application must be filed in the name of an individual inventor or a corporation. However, only a patent attorney can file and assist with drafting the specification; see Patent lawyer: South Africa. The content of this document is essential to getting your invention patented.