MTN and Coca Cola named Africa's most valuable brands

AFRICAN Business magazine in partnership with brand Africa, Brand Finance Africa and TNS release the full results of their exclusive survey highlighting a full listing of Africa's most valuable brands.As revealed last month at the African Business Awards, an awards ceremony organised by African Business magazine, Brand Africa awarded MTN and Coca Cola the prize for the best brands in Africa.

In the November issue of pan-African monthly African Business, for the first time, the full findings of a survey conducted by Brand Africa in partnership with Brand Finance Africa and TNS are exclusively listed by category and country.

Africa's most valuable brands are dominated by South African brands, MTN, and three retailers: Woolworths, Shoprite and Pick n Pay. The Nigerian Globacom comes in at number five with two drinks companies taking the next two spots, Castle beer and Tusker.

The survey was conducted in two parts – one studies the most admired brands on the continent and the other looks at the most valuable brands operating in Africa.

One surprising finding is that brands originating in Africa are not only holding their own against international household names, but in some instances outperforming international brands. While brands such as Nike and MTN rule the roost, the high placing of expensive brands such as Rolex reflects the growing trend in Africa towards the high-end of the luxury market.

The rankings published by African Business have major implications as they demonstrate why some brands are regarded more highly than others by consumers. The information has been welcomed not only by the brands and brand architects but also by shareholders, investors, marketers, advertising agencies, consumer groups and the media as they provide an easily navigable chart of the current state of the consumer market in Africa.