Ralph Lauren buys South African Polo brand, ending 48-year trademark war

For nearly half a century, a silent war raged in the shopping malls of Johannesburg and Cape Town, often deceiving the eyes of visiting Kenyans.

It was a battle of ponies, played out not on a field, but in courtrooms.

That battle is now over.

The American luxury giant Ralph Lauren has successfully secured the rights to its own name in South Africa, closing a chapter of trademark legalities that effectively locked the genuine US brand out of the continent’s most developed economy since the mid-1970s.

The 1976 trademark trap

The roots of this dispute stretch back to 1976.

Before Ralph Lauren solidified its status as a global fashion empire, a South African entity registered the 'Polo' trademark locally.

They adopted a logo featuring a mounted polo player that was nearly identical to the American version.

Because trademark laws are territorial, this registration gave the South African firm full legal ownership of the brand within their jurisdiction.

When Ralph Lauren eventually attempted to expand into the region, the door was legally bolted shut.

For 48 years, the American corporation was banned from selling its core 'Polo' clothing line in South Africa, forcing them to market goods only under the specific 'Ralph Lauren' label without the iconic pony logo.

A multi-billion shilling acquisition

Money eventually solved what decades of litigation could not.

The South African Competition Commission has formally approved the acquisition of the local Polo business by the Ralph Lauren Corporation.

While the specific purchase price remains undisclosed, the American giant, valued at approximately USD16 billion (Sh2.06 trillion) as of November 2025, possessed the financial capital to buy out the local rights holder.

This transaction clears the path for the US corporation to trade freely, reclaiming a territory it lost possession of just nine years after its founding, for 57 years.

A tale of two ponies

For decades, consumers were caught in a visual puzzle, often unknowingly paying for the wrong brand. The distinction was subtle but definitive.

The South African pony faced right, while the original Ralph Lauren pony faced left.

This mirror-image branding meant that a shirt purchased in Sandton was legally authentic in Durban but considered a counterfeit in New York, London, or Nairobi.

The South African version operated completely independently of the US fashion house, positioning itself as a premium local label rather than an international luxury tier product.

Takeover conditions to protect the local workforce

The regulatory approval came with strict stipulations to protect South African employment.

The Competition Commission mandated that the merger must not result in job losses.

The takeover prohibits any retrenchments of the existing Polo staff strictly due to the acquisition.

Furthermore, Ralph Lauren is required to maintain specific local manufacturing commitments, ensuring the South African textile industry retains production volumes even as ownership transfers to the United States.

Expected effects on the market

The consolidation signals a permanent shift for shoppers and travellers.

As the US entity assumes control, product lines will eventually align with global standards, likely leading to a sharp adjustment in pricing.

The accessible pricing of the local SA Polo brand will probably give way to the exclusive pricing structure of the international house.

For the Kenyan shopper, the ambiguity is resolved.

The right-facing pony will fade from the shelves, leaving the left-facing rider as the sole, undisputed mark of the brand.