Africans’ loyalty to local brands drops

The 15th annual Brand Africa 100 | Africa’s Best Brands reveals a stark disconnect between rising African optimism and declining brand loyalty.

While 68% of Africans express belief in Africa, up from 64% in 2024, only 11% of the Top 100 most admired brands are African – a historic low, down from 14% in 2024.

This drop underscores the urgent challenge for homegrown brands to convert belief into consumer commitment, and Africans to support Made in Africa brands.

The rankings, by Brand Africa, in partnership with African Business and the Economic Commission for Africa, are based on a comprehensive pan-African survey conducted across 31 countries and in 8 languages, from Arabic to Swahili – representing over 85% of the continent’s population and GDP.

The research reflects a changing brand landscape driven by Africa’s youthful population, expanding cultural influence, and growing geopolitical engagement with global blocs such as the G20 and BRICS+.

Highlights of the 15th annual Brand Africa 100 | Africa’s Best Brands include:

• Nike retains its top position as the most admired brand overall in Africa for the 8th consecutive year, with a relatively unchanged Top 10.
• MTN and Dangote are the top African brands by spontaneous and aided recall, respectively.
• MTN is the top brand contributing to a better Africa and for doing good for society and the environment.
• Bathu is the most admired apparel brand.
• Standard Bank is the most admired financial services brand.
• Nike leads among Gen Z and Millennials, while Samsung leads for Gen Z and Baby Boomers.
• Top categories: Technology (18%), Luxury (12%), Consumer Non-Cyclical (11%), Auto-Manufacturers (9%).
• BBC is the top media brand overall; DStv is the top African media brand.
• South Africa is the most admired nation brand in Africa.
• USA is the most influential nation based on brand mentions and FDI, while the UK leads when adjusted for GDP.
• African brands make up 11% of the Top 100; G20-origin brands comprise 81%, and BRICS+ brands account for 20%.
• Aliko Dangote is honoured for his contribution to African industrialisation and brand leadership.
• MTN, M-Pesa, Dangote, Ethiopian Airlines, and Brand South Africa are inducted into the Brand Africa Hall of Fame for sustained Top 100 performance and impact over 5–15+ years.]

“It is disappointing to see the sharp drop in African brands, which mirrors the ranking of non-African nations as the most influential in Africa,” says Thebe Ikalafeng, founder and chairman of Brand Africa.

“It’s a wake-up call for Africa – and a barometer of the continent’s lagging industrialisation agenda. It’s not enough for Africans to say they believe in the continent – they must buy made-in-Africa. For that to happen, African brands must invest in R&D, continue to innovate, deliver quality, and use authenticity as a differentiator.”

Brand Africa 100 | Africa’s Best Brands | Global