How MTN became ‘Most Valuable African Brand’

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MTN, the South African mobile phone giant and owners of MTN Nigeria was able to top the continent’s top brand ranking because it is the only “brand valued over a billion dollars”, according to organisers of the annual rankings.

[su_quote url=”Jennifer Forrester, Executive for Marketing, MTN Group, says.”]While it is nice to again be acknowledged as Africa’s most valuable brand, it is even nicer to be ranked the most admired African brand. It means that MTN doesn’t just have a spot in our customers’ pocket book, but in their hearts and minds as well. [/su_quote]

At over $5.4bn, MTN is the only African brand valued over a billion dollars and again topped the Brand Africa 100 list as the Most Admired and Most Valuable African Brand.

The 2014 Brand Africa 100 rankings of the most admired and most valuable brands in sub-Saharan Africa released also saw Coca-Cola topple Nokia as the most admired brand in Africa. MTN moved up a spot in the admiration ranks among Africans.

“While it is nice to again be acknowledged as Africa’s most valuable brand, it is even nicer to be ranked the most admired African brand. It means that MTN doesn’t just have a spot in our customers’ pocket book, but in their hearts and minds as well. A special thanks to our employees who are the best ambassadors of the MTN brand. Our employees have also done very well to partner with communities through projects such as the 21 Days of Y’ello Care staff volunteer programme,” Jennifer Forrester, Executive for Marketing, MTN Group, says.

Established in 2011, Brand Africa 100 measures and ranks the brands that consumers admire and their corresponding value. Brand Africa 100 was developed by Brand Africa in partnership with Brand Finance plc, the world’s leading independent valuation consultancy, and TNS, the globally respected consumer knowledge and information company, supported by Geopoll, the leading mobile survey platform with a database of nearly 200m users in emerging markets, to create a unique index and ranking that recognises the most admired and valuable brands in Africa.

“Despite a challenging environment for emerging African and non-African brands seeking a share of the lucrative African market, MTN remains the pre-eminent global Africa benchmark and inspiration, with consistent brand leadership and a special place as a pioneering enabler brand for African businesses and consumers,” Thebe Ikalafeng, Chairman, Brand Africa and Brand Finance Africa.

The 2014 Brand Africa 100 is based on a survey among a representative sample of eight countries, covering the major sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) regions to establish the base top 100 most admired brands. These countries, Ghana and Nigeria (West Africa; Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda (East Africa); DRC (Central Africa) and Mozambique and South Africa (Southern Africa). Collectively, these countries represent 51% (477m) of SSA population and 67% ($1,065 trillion) of Africa’s GDP. Their countries’ brands are also often the dominant brands with a dominant influence and consumer base within their regions.