THE MOST AUTHORATATIVE SURVEY AND RANKING OF THE MOST ADMIRED BRANDS ACROSS AFRICA.

The Brand Africa 100 initiative was conceived by global African brand builder, Thebe Ikalafeng (www.ikalafeng.africa) through his pan-African branding advisory firm, Brand Leadership in 2011.

Every year, Brand Africa, in partnership with Kantar, the globally respected consumer knowledge and information company and Geopoll, the leading mobile based surveying platform with a database of over 250 million respondents in Africa and Brand Leadership, independently survey, analyse and rank brands in Africa.

Brand Africa 100® is founded on the proven premise that developing and building successful brands in Africa will create jobs and a tax base to fund Africa’s development and create a favourable reputation as an entrepreneurial, independent and competitive continent.

The comprehensive rankings and analyses are published annually around Africa Day, 25 May, by African Business Magazine, the best-selling pan-African business Magazine since 1966, and covered extensively by leading global and African media and Brand Africa partners.

On 22 October 2015, Brand Africa 100: Africa’s Best Brands launched the “Brand of the Year,” “Emerging Brand of the Year” and “Lifetime Achievement” awards to recognize organisations and individuals driving brand leadership across Africa at a Gala evening at the Sandton International Convention Centre, in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Nigerian industrial brand, Dangote, was recognized with the inaugural “Brand of the Year” award for their $600m investment in a cement plant in Ethiopia and overall excellence in building the brand across Africa.

Zimbabwean entrepreneur and founder chairman of Econet and Liquid Telecom, Strive Masiyiwa, was recognized with a “Lifetime Achievement” award for his leadership in establishing, promoting and sustaining the mobile brand, Econet and other brands over the past 25 years.

Luxury tea brand, Yswara, retailed in premier global establishments such as Galeries Lafayette and Selfridges in Europe, founded by Ivorian entrepreneur Swaady Martin; fashion and retail brand, Kisua, with a growing retail footprint and value chain partnerships across in key African markets, founded by Ghanaian entrepreneur Sam Mensah, and Nigeria’s first major e-commerce platform, Konga, founded by Nigerian entrepreneur, Shingi Shagaya, were recognized as “Emerging Brands of the Year” for their strides in establishing and growing African-made brands

A proudly African brand-led initiative to promote pride in Africa, enhance awareness of homegrown brands and encourage patronage of African ideas, goods and services.

#BuyAfricaBuildAfrica is a Brand Africa, BCW Africa, Kantar, Geopoll and Brand Leadership initiative to promote pride in Africa, enhance awareness of homegrown brands and encourage patronage of African ideas, goods and services.

In the 10 years since the inception of the Brand Africa 100: Africa’s Best Brands survey and ranking of brands in the continent, African brands have lagged their non-African counterparts. Off a high of 34% in 2011 when the first survey was first launched, African brands have dropped by 62% to an all-time low 13% share of the Top 100 brands Africans admire in the 2020 survey. Non-African brands accounted for 87% of the Top 100 brands. On average, only 20% of the brands admired by Africans are made in Africa.

While there is a disconnect between preference and actions, there is no doubt that African brands have an important role to play in helping to build the image and competitiveness of the continent.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a shift in consumer values towards community and supporting local, which is likely to continue beyond the pandemic. This provides fresh opportunity to invest in local brands, drive greater consciousness amongst consumers and ultimately grow the number of African brands that Africans admire and ultimately feature in the Brand Africa 100: Africa’s Best Brands.

#BuyAfricaBuildAfrica is aligned with and supports the AU 2063 agenda for a united, peaceful and prosperous Africa and the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) goal to accelerate intra-African trade and boost Africa’s trading position in the global market.