Safaricom ranking in list of top Africa brands rises to 17

An M-Pesa outlet in Nyeri. M-Pesa is Africa’s leading mobile money brand, according to latest Brand Africa survey. FILE PHOTO | NMG 

By DOREEN WAINAINAH
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Summary

• Safaricom jumped 11 slots to an overall position 17 from 28 the previous year.
• Since 2011, the Brand Africa 100 has been surveying and ranking the most admired brands spontaneously recalled by African consumers.
• Brand Africa announced the latest rankings at the JSE in partnership with Geopoll, Kantar and Brand Leadership.

Safaricom has been named as one of the most admired listed brands In the continent by Brand Africa, an independent non-profit organisation registered in South Africa.

The Kenyan telco was lauded alongside other African and international brands such as Nike and MTN during the 7th annual Brand Africa 100: Africa’s Best Brands.

The company jumped 11 slots to an overall position 17 from 28 the previous year.

“MTN (South Africa), Dangote (Nigeria) and Safaricom (Kenya) are the most admired highest listed brands on sub-Saharan Africa’s leading bourses, the JSE (Johannesburg Stock Exchange), Nigeria Stock Exchange and Nairobi Securities Exchange respectively,” reads part of the report.

Since 2011, the Brand Africa 100 has been surveying and ranking the most admired brands spontaneously recalled by African consumers.

Brand Africa announced the latest rankings at the JSE in partnership with Geopoll, Kantar and Brand Leadership.

Safaricom’s M-Pesa retained its lead among mobile money brands.

Nike retains the overall number one brand in Africa spontaneously recalled by consumers.

“The presence of multiple mobile money brands on the list, including Safaricom M-Pesa (ranked 13), Orange Money (18), MTN Mobile Money (19) and Tigo (23), underscores the impact of not only M-Pesa as the catalyst but mobile as a key enabler for financial access,” said the report.

The Top 25 Most Admired Financial Services Brands list is dominated by South Africa (6), Nigeria (5) and Kenya (2).

Overall, African brands faltered to an all-time low of 14 percent share of the Top 100 most admired brands in Africa.

“These rankings are an important metric of and challenge for creating home-grown competitive African brands that will transform the African promise and change its narrative and image as a competitive continent,” said Thebe Ikalafeng, founder and chairman of Brand Africa.