COTTON SA NPC is the Proprietor of the registered cotton boll trademark, used in the following four classes, the pure Cotton Boll, Cotton Blend and the South African Cotton and South African Blend Cotton Marks, as depicted hereunder. All rights in and to these marks, including the use thereof, are vest exclusively in Cotton SA and may only be used under express authority granted by Cotton SA.
The Pure Cotton Mark is a registered trademark of the Cotton Boll Device, as a quality mark for cotton merchandise. It was launched by the South African cotton producers in 1985 and is owned by Cotton SA NPC. The Pure Cotton Mark is used to certify the quality of cotton merchandise based on a series of tests conducted at the textile laboratory at Cotton SA. When an item carries this mark, it has complied with the minimum specifications and is manufactured from pure cotton.
The Pure Cotton Mark is registered for a total of 17 applications (classes) from clothing to medical products, to textiles, yarns, and other products.
The Pure Cotton Mark was further developed to also include a Cotton Blend Mark, for applications that contain at least 33% cotton.
The Cotton Blend Mark is registered for at least 15 applications for services such as foodstuffs, stationery, textiles, paints, agricultural products and many others.
Following the original Pure Cotton and Cotton Blend Marks, the green South African Cotton Mark and combined South African Cotton Blend Mark were launched in 2019 and 2020 respectively to create focused awareness around South African-produced cotton. These two new Marks indicate support towards homegrown cotton while growing the future promise of sustainability. The two Marks are not certified Marks, but rather identification Marks developed to create the user with a Mark to build a local cotton brand.
Cotton SA, in 2019, announced the further application of a “new” green “South African Cotton Mark, which is developed around the Pure Cotton Mark.
This mark is the new marketing vehicle to create and enhance market access for local cotton products. Items linked to the South African Cotton Mark at point of sale displays, on the product and swing tags, will give the consumer confidence that the product they are buying supports homegrown cotton. With this mark Cotton SA will provide the user with an identification mark to build a local cotton brand.
The new circular design applied to the marks, to form the new “South African” marks, represents the integrated collaboration of the industry taking hands, forming partnerships and working together to achieve a quality cotton end-product, to complete the circle. This circular effect is carried through the cotton cycle, from production to seed cotton harvested in round bales, the production of the fibres by rotating saws in the gin, which are enhanced by the rotational processes at the spinner level where the yarn is spun and winded onto bobbins – right through to the end-product, producing finished rolls of fabric. The green symbolises a sustainable growth that cannot be stopped.
The green coloured “C” in the “South African Cotton Blend Mark”, symbolises the growth of the cotton industry towards sustainably sourced, homegrown cotton and the change in focus of producers to move towards sustainable production, whilst the black colour in the” B”, in the rest of the cotton boll, represents synthetic blends.
The associated product(s) needs to contain a minimum of 33% of cotton (this can include any part of the cotton plant, e.g., fibre, seed, hulls, waste, mout, etc.), on a mass balance principle of a minimum of 20% to be from South African grown cotton with a ration of not more than 80% imported cotton.
This “South African Cotton Blend Mark”, provides the local cotton industry with a mark they can identify with, to build a local brand for products that are made up of a combination of materials. Items that are linked to the South African Cotton Blend Mark at the point of sale displayed on products and/or swing tags, will give the consumer confidence that the product they are buying also supports the South African cotton farmer.
ENABLE CONSUMERS TO IDENTIFY PRODUCTS THAT SUPPORT HOMEGROWN COTTON (ON A MASS BALANCE)
CREATE A UNIQUE SELLING POINT FOR AUTHORISED COTTON MARK USERS
SHARED SHARED PROMOTIONAL AND MARKETING AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS TARGETING THE ETHICAL AND CONSCIOUS CONSUMER TO BUY PRODUCTS THAT SUPPORT THE SOUTH AFRICAN FARMERS
CREATE AND ENHANCE MARKET ACCESS TO ENABLE HOMEGROWN COTTON TO COMPETE AGAINST IMPORTED BRANDS
ESTABLISH THE SA COTTON MARK AS A UNIFYING BRAND FOR THE SOUTH AFRICAN COTTON INDUSTRY
CONTRIBUTE TO THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC UPLIFTMENT OF SOUTH AFRICAN COTTON PRODUCERS
TO INCREASE THE LOCAL BENEfiCIATION OF SOUTH AFRICAN COTTON THROUGH RETAIL SUPPLY CHAIN PROGRAMMES.
TO SUPPORT THE GOVERNMENT INITIATIVE OF PROMOTING LOCAL PRODUCTS.
WHO MAY APPLY?
Any South African textile and clothing manufacturer, retailer or personal and homecare product manufacturer may apply to become an authorised user of the Cotton and Cotton Blend Marks and pay a license fee to use the Mark.
To apply, please complete this application form and email it to enquiries@cottonsa.org.za, or contact Cotton SA by clicking here.
THE COTTON MARK
COTTON SA NPC is the Proprietor of registered cotton boll trademark, used in the following four classes, the pure Cotton Boll, Cotton Blend and the South African Cotton and South African Blend Cotton Mark, as depicted hereunder.
This Mark is currently presented in four versions – these include:
All rights in, and to these marks, including the use thereof, vest exclusively in Cotton SA and may only be used by other persons under express authority granted by Cotton SA.
The Pure Cotton Mark is a registered trademark of the Cotton Boll Device as a quality mark for cotton merchandise. It was launched by the South African cotton producers in 1985 and is owned by Cotton SA NPC. The Pure Cotton Mark is used to certify the quality of cotton merchandise based on a series of tests conducted at the textile laboratory at Cotton SA. When an item carries this mark, it has complied with the minimum specifications and is manufactured from pure Cotton (95%).
The Pure Cotton Mark is registered for a total of 17 applications (classes), from clothing to medical products to textiles, yarns, and other products.
The Pure Cotton Mark was further developed to also include a Cotton Blend Mark, for applications that contain at least 33% cotton.
The Cotton Blend Mark is registered for at least 15 applications for services such as foodstuffs, stationery, textiles, paints, agricultural products, and many others.
Cotton SA, in 2019, announced the further application of a “new” green “South African Cotton Mark, which is developed around the Pure Cotton Mark.
This mark is the new marketing vehicle to create and enhance market access for local cotton products. Items linked to the South African Cotton Mark at point of sale displays on the product and swing tags will give the consumer confidence that the product they are buying supports homegrown Cotton. With this mark, Cotton SA will provide the user with an identification mark to build a local cotton brand.
The associated product(s) needs to contain a minimum of 90% of cotton (for the purpose of this agreement, this can include any part of the cotton plant, e.g., fibre, seed, hulls, waste, mout, etc.), on a mass balance principle of a minimum of 20% to be from South African grown cotton with a ration of not more than 80% imported cotton.
The new circular design applied to the marks to form the new “South African” marks, represents the integrated collaboration of the industry taking hands, forming partnerships, and working together to achieve a quality cotton end-product to complete the circle. This circular effect is carried through the cotton cycle, from production to seed cotton harvested in round bales, the production of the fibres by rotating saws in the gin, which are enhanced by the rotational processes at the spinner level where the yarn is spun and winded onto bobbins – right through to the end-product, producing finished rolls of fabric. The green symbolizes sustainable growth that cannot be stopped.
The green coloured “C” in the “South African Cotton Blend Mark” symbolises the growth of the cotton industry towards sustainably sourced, homegrown Cotton and the change in focus of producers to move towards sustainable production, whilst the black colour in the” B”, in the rest of the cotton ball, represents synthetic blends.
The associated product(s) needs to contain a minimum of 33% of cotton (this can include any part of the cotton plant, e.g., fibre, seed, hulls, waste, mout, etc.), on a mass balance principle of a minimum of 20% to be from South African grown cotton with a ration of not more than 80% imported cotton.
This “South African Cotton Blend Mark” provides the local cotton industry with a mark they can identify with to build a local brand for products that are made up of a combination of materials. Items that are linked to the South African Cotton Blend Mark at the point of sale displayed on products and/or swing tags will give the consumer confidence that the product they are buying also supports the South African cotton farmer.
- The use of a registered trademark which is protected by South African law.
Enable consumers to identify products that support homegrown cotton (on a mass balance)
CREATE A UNIQUE SELLING POINT FOR AUTHORISED COTTON MARK USERS
To provide a unified message, targeting the ethical and conscious consumer to encourage them to buy cotton products that support the South African farmers.
Shared promotional and marketing awareness campaigns
Create and enhance market access to enable homegrown cotton to compete against imported brands
ESTABLISH THE SA COTTON MARK AS A UNIFYING BRAND FOR THE SOUTH AFRICAN COTTON INDUSTRY
CONTRIBUTE TO THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC UPLIFTMENT OF SOUTH AFRICAN COTTON PRODUCERS
TO INCREASE THE LOCAL BENEfiCIATION OF SOUTH AFRICAN COTTON THROUGH RETAIL SUPPLY CHAIN PROGRAMMES.
TO SUPPORT THE GOVERNMENT INITIATIVE OF PROMOTING LOCAL PRODUCTS.
WHO MAY APPLY?
Any South African textile and clothing manufacturer, retailer or personal and homecare product manufacturer may apply to become an authorised user of the Cotton and Cotton Blend Marks and pay a license fee to use the Mark.
To apply, please complete this application form and email it to enquiries@cottonsa.org.za, or contact Cotton SA by clicking here.