Regional mobile telecoms giant, MTN takes top spot from Coca-Cola to become Africa's Most Admired Brand in 2015
Leading African publication, African Business has teamed up with South African-based Brand Africa to publish the Brand Africa 100, a unique and the most comprehensive ranking of Africa's most admired and valuable brands.
Established global brands in Africa continue to hold their ground in 2015. This year, South Africa-based multinational mobile telecommunications company MTN has moved up one position to become Africa's most admired brand in Africa and maintained its rank as the most valuable African brand. Samsung, number three on the list in 2014, jumped to number two, while Coca Cola, the most admired brand in 2014, dropped to the third most admired brand. Given the large increase in sample size and country coverage from 2014 to 2015, the stability in the top three is striking and arguably attributable to their wide penetration on the continent and their consistent brand strength and investment.
While the scope of Brand Africa 100 has broadened from eight countries in 2014 to 22 in 2015, the established non-African brands and their African challengers have maintained their positions in the hearts and wallets of African consumers. It is no longer South Africa that dominates African brand recognition and Nigeria is now the country with the most brands in the top 100, up from 5 to 11. This year, the data set were asked to select their most admired financial services brands, which was headed by First Bank of Nigeria. The top Nigerian brand is telecoms giant Glo. Tusker Beer achieves the title of Top Kenyan Brand. In the most admired media brands, BBC came top, ahead of CNN. Consistent with the various global brand leagues, Apple is the dominant valuable brand - in Africa as it is everywhere.
BrandAfrica 100 uses a proprietary methodology based on the Geopoll, TNS consumer research and Brand Finance valuation to establish Africa's most valuable and most admired brands. In the Special Report, Brand Africa's founder and Brand Finance Africa's chairman, Thebe Ikalafeng, shares his perspectives on the key trends in the 2015 and calls for more government protectionism in order to reverse the trend where international brands dominate the Top 100 ranking.
Speaking at the launch of the Report at 4th Annual Brand Africa 100: Africa's Best Brands Gala Dinner in Johannesburg, Omar Ben Yedder, African Business Group Publisher said: "This year we have broadened the scope for our survey, tracking 22 countries and casting the net to a much wider audience, making it the most comprehensive research on brands in Africa out there. Surprisingly, the rankings have not changed much, and that shows us the increasing globalisation of brands and their dominance throughout the world. What it also shows us is that 77% of our most admired brands are foreign. And that needs to change if we are to own our future and to ensure we own our markets and capture the profits emanating from these."
With Africa accounting for four of the 10 fastest growing economies in the world according to the 2014 World Bank growth rate data, the scope and market for building and growing African brands is great - both for African brands and non-African brands that can authentically adapt to and respond to African needs, conditions and ambitions. Now, more than ever, is the time for Made in Africa solutions.
Distributed by African Media Agency on behalf of African Business Magazine.
Digital subscribers can read the full results and analysis here: http://www.exacteditions.com/africanbusiness. The report will be available on newsstands across the globe from 28th October 2015. It is also available on Apple and Android app stores.
