African brands hit record low

IN the latest Brand Africa 100 rankings, released globally on May 23, African brands saw their representation drop to a historical low of just 11 percent among the continent’s 100 most admired brands, down from 14 percent in 2024.

This decline comes despite a significant rise in African optimism, with 68 percent of respondents expressing belief in the continent’s future.

South African brands continue to perform strongly, with MTN ranked most admired African brand and the top brand contributing to a better Africa through social and environmental efforts.

Standard Bank was named most admired financial services brand, and DStv retained its place as the leading African media brand.

Bathu made an appearance as the most admired apparel brand on the continent.

Brand South Africa, along with MTN, Dangote, M-Pesa and Ethiopian Airlines, was inducted into the inaugural Brand Africa Hall of Fame for consistently ranking among the most admired brands over the past five to 15 years. Despite these accolades, South Africa’s dominance on the continent is not reflected in the overall representation of African brands.

Global names like Nike, Adidas and Samsung continue to occupy the top spots, with Nike holding the number one position for the eighth consecutive year.

Mr Thebe Ikalafeng, founder and chairperson of Brand Africa, described the drop in African brand presence as a wake-up call for the continent.

“It’s not enough for Africans to say they believe in the continent, they must buy made-in-Africa. For that to happen, African brands must invest in R&D (research and development), continue to innovate, deliver quality and use authenticity as a differentiator,” he said

South Africa was ranked as the most admired nation brand in Africa, but the United States, the United Kingdom and China were named the most influential, underscoring the continent’s continued reliance on foreign economies and brands.

The rankings are based on an extensive Pan-African survey conducted in 31 countries, covering more than 85 percent of Africa’s population and gross domestic product.

While the research highlights a youthful, brand-conscious continent, it also points to the urgent need for homegrown brands to convert admiration into consumer loyalty. — Moneyweb