Brand Africa has unveiled the 2025 results of its landmark Brand Africa 100 | Africa’s Best Brands rankings, marking the 15th edition of the continent’s most comprehensive consumer brand survey.
The announcement, made at the symbolic Africa Hall in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, birthplace of the Organisation of African Unity, offered a mix of celebration and concern.
Despite a growing sense of continental optimism, with 68% of Africans expressing belief in Africa’s potential, up from 64% last year, homegrown brands are losing ground.
Only 11% of the Top 100 most admired brands in Africa are African, down from 14% in 2024.
It’s the lowest share in the survey’s history and a stark indicator of the gap between pan-African belief and actual brand loyalty.
Aliko Dangote, whose conglomerate has become a symbol of African industrialisation, was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award for building a benchmark African brand that has transformed the continent’s economic future.
Alongside Dangote, MTN, M-Pesa, Ethiopian Airlines, and Brand South Africa were inducted into the inaugural Brand Africa Hall of Fame, recognised for their consistent presence in the Top 100 rankings over the past 5 to 15 years.
MTN was singled out as the number one African brand contributing to a better Africa, recognised for its positive impact on society and the environment.
MTN and Dangote emerged as the most admired African brands, both by spontaneous and aided recall.
Nike maintained its lead as the most admired brand overall in Africa for the eighth consecutive year.
South Africa retained its place as the most admired nation brand on the continent, while the USA, UK, and China topped the rankings for the most influential countries in Africa.
“The sharp drop in African brands is disappointing,” said Thebe Ikalafeng, Founder and Chairman of Brand Africa.
“It mirrors the ranking of non-African nations as the most influential in 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.”
The 2025 rankings are based on research conducted by GeoPoll and Kantar, along with regional partners such as Integrate in Morocco, Gopinion in Algeria, Analysis in Mauritius, and Oxygen in Namibia.
The study covered 31 countries, representing over 85% of Africa’s population and GDP, and was conducted in eight major African languages.
In his keynote address, Claver Gatete, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa, praised the Brand Africa Hall of Fame inductees and emphasised the importance of supporting youth-driven innovation, regional value chains, and building globally competitive African brands.
“Brand Africa aligns with the ECA’s mission to promote inclusive industrialisation, regional integration, and private sector-led growth,” Gatete stated.
Brand Africa also announced a multi-country roadshow to share insights and inspire action across all regions of the continent.
The 2025 rankings will be featured on the cover of the June issue of “African Business”, a flagship publication since 1966.
With global brands from G20 and BRICS+ countries dominating the Top 100 and African representation continuing to slip, the message is clear: belief in Africa must be matched by tangible consumer support for African brands, before optimism turns to missed opportunity.
