Patrice Motsepe has a name he has spent decades building. He is not prepared to let anyone else borrow it.
African Rainbow Minerals, the Johannesburg-listed mining group chaired by the South African billionaire, has secured a ruling from the Companies Tribunal ordering Congella, Durban-based African Rainbow Star to change its name. The tribunal handed down its decision on April 18, finding that African Rainbow Star's name infringes on ARM's registered trademarks and creates a real risk of public confusion.
The ruling is the latest in a sustained campaign by ARM to defend the African Rainbow brand , which it has held through registered trademarks since between 2005 and 2017. African Rainbow Star was only incorporated in July 2025, decades after ARM's trademarks were first registered and continuously renewed. ARM argued before the tribunal that the newer company's name does not comply with the Companies Act because it incorporates a mark that is confusingly and deceptively similar to its own.
