BY BANYO TEMITAYO
DANGOTE has retained its status as the number one most admired African brand for the fourth time in a row, pushing MTN and DSTV of South Africa to the second and third positions respectively.
The award was announced by Brand Africa, founders of the Brand Africa 100: Africa’s Best Brands during a virtual event in Uganda.
“The Pan-African and fully integrated Conglomerate, Dangote Group, has again emerged as the most Admired Brand in Africa for the year 2021, for its leadership position in driving quality brands across Africa,” a statement by the company said.
The 2021 survey was conducted between March and April 2021 and yielded over 80,000 brand mentions and over 3,500 unique brands.
With this feat, Dangote has made Nigeria to occupy number one position as a country with the most admired brand in Africa, a statement by the company said.
Top 100 brands in Africa continue to be dominated by European brands, which have held their share at 41% (-1), North America (+1), Asia (no change), and Africa retaining its 13% share of the most admired brands in the world.
Similarly, the leading African countries that dominate the rankings largely retained their positions thus: Nigeria (-1), South Africa (-) with 5 brands each; Ethiopia (+1) and Kenya (-) accounting for the13 brands among the Top 100 most admired brands in Africa.
“There is no doubt the pandemic, that continues to cost lives and livelihoods, and coincided with the launch of the implementation phase of the AfCFTA which aims to accelerate intra-Africa trade from 18% to 50% in 2030, is becoming a catalyst for loconomies with nations having to look internally for sustainability.
“The internal shifts in the rankings, in particular the African brands, Africa can and will need to grow its own brands to meet the needs of its growing consumer market,” said Thebe Ikalafeng, Founder and
Chairman of Brand Africa and Brand Leadership.
“African brands will continue to play a dual role of being globally competitive but most importantly of transforming the continent’s promise into a real change,” he added.
Established in 2011, the Brand Africa 100: Africa’s Best Brands rankings are the most authoritative survey and analysis on brands and underlying businesses in Africa, based on a study by Geopoll across 28 countries, spanning all the five economic regions, and analysis and ranking by Kantar and Brand Leadership.
Collectively, they account for over 80% of the population and over 80% of the GDP of Africa. An analysis of the data over the past 10 years, has established that on the
average, only 20% of the brands admired by Africans are made in Africa.
The Group Chief Corporate Communication Officer of the Dangote, Anthony Chiejina, said the management expected the ranking because the company had a long-standing reputation for quality, relevance compliance and social stewardship.
“Our mission and vision, engage and inspire us; and by extension connects us to both our internal and external stakeholders. We fervently believe that only Africans can develop Africa, and this gives us stronger sense of relevance in all the countries where we have our operations.
“We are touching lives by providing their basic needs and empowering Africans more than ever before creating jobs, reducing capital flight, helping government conserve foreign exchange drain by supporting different industrial and infrastructural projects of African government,” he said.
