Telecommunications giant MTN and the Dangote Group have emerged as the most admired African brands, Brand Africa’s annual survey has revealed.
The 13th list of most admired brands in Africa is based on rankings conducted by Geopoll, Kantar and Brand Leadership across 32 African countries that account for more than 85 percent of the continent’s GDP and population.
“MTN is the number-one most admired African brand in the Top 100 brands recalled spontaneously, while Dangote has retaken the lead as number-one most admired brand when respondents are prompted to recall an African brand specifically,” the survey explained.
Also, rankings of the top 25 financial services brands indicated that Africa’s oldest banking group, Standard Bank, comes first as the most admired brand in Africa – displacing GTBank, which had led the rankings for the past three years but is reeling from recent UK regulatory issues, service challenges and a tough competitive environment. The category was dominated by South African (6) and Nigerian (6) brands which account for 48 percent of the rankings, with the USA (4) – led by VISA – at 16 percent, making up 64 percent of the top 25 brands.
Europe, led by Adidas at number-two, has grown its share of the most admired brands in Africa to 37 percent; ahead of North America at 32 percent led by Nike, a brand that has topped for the 5th consecutive year,; and Asia, which retains its 17 percent share led by Samsung, the number-three brand for the 3rd consecutive year.
In a new category of brands that are doing good for people, society and the environment – inspired by business shifting from profit to purpose, World Health Organisation emerged as the first non-governmental organisation (NGO) with Coca-Cola and MTN also coming first among the non-African and African brands respectively.
“In a category-specific ranking of the top 25 media brands, DSTV – the consumer brand of Multichoice Group, retains its dominant ranking ahead of BBC and CNN as the most admired media brand in Africa. Consistent with previous rankings, non-African media dominate the continent; accounting for 76 percent of the top 25 brands,” it stated.
It however added that: “Despite optimism for progress of the African Continental Free Trade Area and other initiatives to drive African innovations, African brands regressed 20 percent from a 10-year high of 17 percent to 14 percent share of the top 100 most admired brands in Africa – as stalwart African brand MTN dropped out of the top 10, and all African brands lost ground except Zambia’s Trade Kings; the highest African mover and new at #38”.
Urgent need to build trust for Made-in-Africa brands
To this end, the founder and chairman of Brand Africa, Thebe Ikalafeng, has said there is an urgent need to build trust for Made-in-Africa brands.
“It is concerning that despite the momentum in operationalising the AfCFTA and rising internal pride on the continent – albeit against global economic challenges – African consumers have reverted to their trusted, mostly non-African, brands rather than give African brands a chance. Nonetheless, this is the state of brands in Africa, and there’s an urgent need to build trust for Made in Africa brands,” he said.
Chief Growth Officer Africa Middle East for Kantar – an insight lead for Brand Africa since 2010, Karin Du Chenne also holds that: “Despite the increased countries and sample sizes which have invariably grown the volume of brands analysed, the survey continues to yield a very consistent picture of leading brands on the continent – albeit not yet to Africa’s advantage.
“With an ever-increasing number of countries, greater sample size and the growth of mobile across the continent, more than ever using mobile continues to prove an effective tool in reaching and accessing respondents across the continent,” added Bernard Okasi, Director of Research-GeoPoll, a lead data collection partner since 2015,.
The Brand Africa 100, Africa’s Best Brands research, took place between February and April 2023, and covered 32 countries across all economic regions on the continent.
