MTN tops Brand Finance South Africa 50 - SouthAfrica.info

25 May 2012

Brand Finance, together with Brand South Africa and Brand Africa, have launched Brand Finance South Africa 50, a study of the most valuable brands from South Africa.

Brand Finance South Africa has measured the financial value of the 50 most valuable brands from South African companies that operate both within and outside South Africa.

MTN has topped the list as the Most Valuable South African Brand with a global value of R43.3-billion and is also the only South African brand in the Brand Finance Global 500, the definitive guide to the world's Top 500 brands.

"The uniformity of the MTN brand and its ability to transcend all eleven of South Africas languages, as well as the multitude of international languages across the African continent, is one reason that it has succeeded so well," said Brand Finance South Africa MD Ollie Schmitz, at the launch of the study in Johannesburg this week.

MTN continues to expand both their presence and their brand across the African continent and now with a firm footing in the Middle East the Telecommunications giant is a brand that South Africa can be proud of.

"It is a truly South African brand but also a truly African brand and in that respect it is no surprise that MTN is such a loved and valued brand," Schmitz said.

Setting global standards

South African banks have also had a successful year in 2012 with Standard Bank ranked as the Most Valuable Banking Brand. Banks make up the majority of The Top 10 with ABSA, Nedbank and First National Bank also securing high places in the South African ranking.

As the European financial crisis continues, South Africa has proven itself an example of a stable financial environment proving once more that businesses should turn towards the African markets for examples of how best to thrive in difficult economic conditions.

"The results affirm South Africa's, and indeed Africa's, as being at the cutting edge of and setting global standards in building telecoms and financial services and brands," said Brand Africa founder and executive chairman Thebe Iklafeng.

"It is therefore not surprising that MTN, with over 100m customers across Africa is again the leading African brand that embodies the entrepreneurial spirit of great South African brands."

Vodacom and Standard Bank were found to be the second and third most valuable brands in South Africa (at R18.7-billion and R18-billion respectively), while MTN and First National Bank were found to be the "Strongest Brands", with both having a Brand Rating of AAA-.

Global brewer SABMiller were awarded the Brand Finance South Africa Special Award as its corporate brand as well as four product brands appeared in the Top 50 list.

SAinfo reporter

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