In a remarkable achievement, the Dangote brand has once again been crowned the Most Admired African Brand for the sixth consecutive year.
The prestigious recognition was awarded to the pan-African conglomerate during the 13th Annual Brand Africa 100: Africa’s Best Brands 2023 rankings, held in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The survey and rankings, conducted by Geopoll, Kantar, and Brand Leadership across 32 African countries, highlighted Dangote’s unwavering popularity among respondents.
When prompted to recall an African brand specifically, Dangote emerged as the most admired African brand.
Following closely in second place was South African telecommunication giant MTN, while Digital Satellite Television (DSTV), also of South African origin, secured the third spot.
Dangote’s dominance extended beyond being the most admired African brand, as it claimed the top position as the African Pride brand. Ethiopian Airline and MTN ranked second and third, respectively, in this category.
Notably, the Dangote brand achieved an impressive second place in the Sustainability category, highlighting its commitment to doing good for people, society, and the environment.
This new category recognizes brands that prioritize purpose over profit. MTN and Dangote led the pack in this area, while UNICEF emerged as the number one NGO, and Coca-Cola secured the top spot among non-African brands.
In the financial services sector, Africa’s oldest banking group, Standard Bank, surpassed its competitors to become the most admired brand in Africa. Standard Bank’s ascendancy displaced GTBank, which had held the top spot for the past three years but faced challenges due to recent UK regulatory issues, service disruptions, and intense competition.
South African and Nigerian brands dominated the financial services category, accounting for 48% of the rankings, while American brands, led by VISA, comprised 16% of the Top 25 brands.
In another category specific ranking of the Top 25 media brands, DSTV, the consumer brand of the 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% of the Top 25 brands.
Brand Africa disclosed that Dangote retained the number one spot for the 6th time despite African brands slipping to 14% of the Top 100 most admired brands in Africa as non-African brands entrench their position in the continent.
Thebe Ikalafeng, founder and chairman of Brand Africa expressed concern that despite optimism with the progress of African Continental Free Trade Area
(AfCFTA) and other initiative to drive African initiatives, African brands still regressed 20% from a 10-year high of 17% to 14% share of the Top 100 most admired brands in Africa.
“It is concerning that despite the momentum in operationalizing the AfCFTA, rising internal pride in continent albeit against global economic challenges, that African consumers have reverted to their trusted, mostly non-Africa brands, rather than give African brands a chance,” he stated. “Nonetheless, this is the state of brands in Africa, and an urgent need to build trust in Made in African brands.”
Bernard Okasi, the Director of Research, GeoPoll, which has been the lead data collection partner since 2015 while speaking on the outcome of the survey explained “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 to be an effective tool to reach and access respondents across the continent”.
The Chief Growth Officer Africa Middle East for Kantar, Karin Du Chenne, who has been the insight lead for Brand Africa since inception in 2010 says, “despite the increased countries and sample sizes which have invariably grown the volumes of brands analysed, the survey continues to yield a very consistent picture of the leading brands in the continent, albeit not yet to Africa’s advantage.”
He added that as a non-profit initiative and to ensure the objectivity and independence of the rankings, the Brand Africa 100 | Africa’s Best Brands research to determine the most admired top-of-mind brands in Africa are not funded by any brand.
Reacting to the last survey affirming Dangote as number one most admired indigenous African brand, Group Chief, Branding and Communication, Dangote Industries Limited, Anthony Chiejina said the awards were well deserved because “the Dangote brand generates strong nationalistic impressions and powerful feelings across the Continent in terms of industrialization, self-sufficiency, prosperity, power and production.”
He stated that this was further strengthened with the recent commissioning of 650,000 bpd Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemical complex which is a huge industrial complex or frigate. “The brand portends the inevitability of Nigerian global ascendancy and a gateway to regional and continental development”, he added.
Established in 2010, Brand Africa is an intergenerational movement to inspire a brand-led African renaissance to drive Africa’s competitiveness, connect Africa and create a positive image of the Continent.
