15th Annual Brand Africa 100 | Africa’s Best Brands: African optimism vs declining brand loyalty

The 15th Annual Brand Africa 100 | Africa’s Best Brands rankings reveal a stark disconnect between rising African optimism and declining brand loyalty (Image supplied)

It found that while 68% of Africans express belief in Africa, up from 64% in 2024, only 11% of the Top 100 most admired brands are African - a historic low, down from 14% in 2024.

This drop underscores the urgent challenge for homegrown brands to convert belief into consumer commitment, and for Africans to support Made in Africa brands.

The rankings were unveiled by Brand Africa, in partnership with African Business and the Economic Commission for Africa, at the historic Africa Hall in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia—the birthplace of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), now the African Union (AU).

The rankings are based on a comprehensive pan-African survey conducted across 31 countries and in eight languages, from Arabic to Swahili - representing over 85% of the continent’s population and GDP.

The research reflects a changing brand landscape driven by Africa’s youthful population, expanding cultural influence, and growing geopolitical engagement with global blocs such as the G20 and Brics+.

A wake-up call for Africa

“It is disappointing to see the sharp drop in African brands, which mirrors the ranking of non-African nations as the most influential in Africa,” says Thebe Ikalafeng, founder and chairman of Brand Africa.

“It’s a wake-up call for Africa—and a barometer of the continent’s lagging industrialisation agenda.

"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, continue to innovate, deliver quality, and use authenticity as a differentiator.”

Nigeria's banking brands dominate

2 days

The Rankings

African brands make up 11% of the Top 100; G20-origin brands comprise 81%, and Brics+ brands account for 20%.

• Nike retains its #1 position as the most admired brand overall in Africa for the 8th consecutive year, with a relatively unchanged Top 10.
  
• MTN and Dangote are the top African brands by spontaneous and aided recall, respectively. They are the most admired African brands.
  
• MTN is the #1 brand contributing to a better Africa, and for doing good for society and the environment.
  
• Bathu is the #1 most admired apparel brand.
  
• Standard Bank is the most admired financial services brand.
  
• Nike leads among Gen Z and Millennials, while Samsung leads among Gen Z and Baby Boomers.
  
• BBC is the #1 media brand overall; DStv is the #1 African media brand.
  
• The US, UK, and China top the rankings of the most influential nations in Africa. The US is the most influential nation based on brand mentions and FDI, while the UK leads when adjusted for GDP.
  
• South Africa is the most admired nation brand in Africa.

Aliko Dangote receives a Lifetime Achievement Award for championing impactful industrialisation, building a world-class African brand, and transforming the continent’s economic future through a benchmark homegrown enterprise.

Dangote, MTN, M-Pesa, Ethiopian Airlines, and Brand South Africa were inducted into the inaugural Brand Africa Hall of Fame for consistently ranking among Africa’s most admired brands over the past five to 15 years and building sustainable, world-class brands.

Top categories

• Technology (18%)
  
• Luxury (12%)
  
• Consumer Non-Cyclical (11%)
  
• Auto-Manufacturers (9%)

Call for investment

In his keynote, Mr. Claver Gatete, United Nations under-secretary-general and executive secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa, praised the Hall of Fame inductees and Brand Africa laureates for advancing the African agenda.

He endorsed Brand Africa, stating it aligns with the ECA’s mission to promote inclusive industrialisation, regional integration, and private sector-led growth.

He called for investment in youth-driven innovation, regional value chains, and the creation of a Pan-African creative innovation fund to identify, finance, and globalise Africa’s most promising brands.

Following the global launch, Brand Africa will embark on a multi-country roadshow to share insights and rankings across all regions of the continent in support of its mission to drive a brand-led African agenda.

All the winners