Cleansimur International Limited has relaunched the Jigsimur herbal health drink in Nigeria under a new name, backed by a NAFDAC-certified trademark, even as a rival distributor pursues ₦100.2 billion in damages against it at the Federal High Court in Lagos.
The South African parent, Jigsimur SA (Pty) Limited, terminated the distributorship of Jigsimur Plus Nigeria Limited in 2023 and appointed Cleansimur International Limited as its sole Nigerian agent via a Power of Attorney dated 15 June 2023. Cleansimur subsequently registered its new trademark with NAFDAC and began distributing the aloe ferox-based drink under the rebranded identity. The parent company is licensed by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA).
Jigsimur Plus Nigeria Limited, which claims to be the exclusive Nigerian producer of the Jigsimur SA Original-Y61977 product, filed suit FHC/L/SC/1953/25 at the Federal High Court Lagos, seeking ₦100.2 billion for alleged imitation and trademark infringement. Cleansimur has responded with a ₦200.2 billion counterclaim, accusing Jigsimur Plus of brand hijacking, counterfeiting, and consumer deception. Neither party has yet appeared before a trial judge.
The product traces to the 1980s, when Deon Ungerer developed the aloe ferox formulation in South Africa. Ungerer died in 2018; his wife Rouxnel Ungerer held the trademark until it lapsed in 2020, before it was re-registered in May 2023 and assigned to Jigsimur SA (Pty) Limited. Cleansimur says its formulation is identical to the original.
Cleansimur International is urging Nigerian consumers to purchase only from verified distributors, citing the proliferation of counterfeit and adulterated versions of the original product. The counterfeit beverage problem in Nigeria is substantial: regulators have carried out repeated raids across Lagos and the South-East in recent years, seizing adulterated products worth billions of naira from illegal production sites. Coverage of the broader counterfeit challenge facing Nigeria’s non-alcoholic sector has tracked how the problem extends well beyond any single brand dispute.
Until the Federal High Court rules, consumers face two competing products, both claiming authenticity. Cleansimur holds the current NAFDAC registration and trademark; Jigsimur Plus holds the older distributorship history and continues to sell its product. Both parties have petitioned regulators to seize the other’s goods.
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