Ralph Lauren Acquires South Africa’s Polo Brand

Ralph Lauren has acquired South Africa’s iconic Polo brand, marking a major shift in the country’s fashion landscape and officially ending years of trademark disputes between the US luxury house and local brand owner LA Group.

The South African Competition Commission approved the deal with conditions aimed at safeguarding jobs in manufacturing, retail and distribution, a key requirement to protect the local industry.

With the acquisition, Ralph Lauren now owns full rights to the Polo brand in South Africa, paving the way for a unified global brand identity and bringing an end to long-standing consumer confusion between the two Polo labels.

While financial details of the deal have not been disclosed, industry sources indicate that Ralph Lauren intends to align Polo South Africa’s branding, product direction and retail strategy with its international portfolio. This alignment is expected to enhance design consistency, strengthen market positioning and improve control over product quality, pricing and distribution.

For Ralph Lauren, the acquisition enhances its global brand coherence and opens new opportunities for long-term growth in a key African market. For Polo South Africa, integration into the Ralph Lauren ecosystem could elevate the brand’s design standards and support expansion into new markets across the continent, transforming a once locally cherished label into part of a globally recognised fashion powerhouse.

The development, however, raises cultural and emotional questions among South African consumers. While some may welcome the end of brand confusion and the prospect of improved product quality, others may view the acquisition as the loss of a homegrown fashion symbol. The future of pricing, availability and brand identity remains a point of interest as the transition unfolds.

What is clear is that Polo South Africa is entering a new chapter. Under Ralph Lauren’s leadership, the brand steps onto the global stage with a unified identity and an expanded horizon, a defining moment for one of South Africa’s most recognisable fashion names.