MTN Group most valuable telecom brand in Africa, says Brand Finance

SOUTH AFRICAN OWNED BRAND, MTN Telecommunications, has been ranked as the most valuable telecom brand in Africa with a valuation of $3.3 billion, according to a report by Brand Finance, an independent brand valuation and strategy consultancy.

According to the report, MTN’s brand value saw growth owing to its ability to navigate regulatory challenges as well as harsh economic realities in some of its markets.

“MTN has grown its subscriber level steadily over the past year and boosted its revenues. Customers spending more on data services and MTN’s 5G rollouts have meant the brand is well placed to cater to this growing demand,” the report by Brand Finance noted.

Business A.M had recently reported that locally in Nigeria, MTN has continued to consolidate its place as the telco of choice for Nigerians, as the recent reports by the Nigerian Communications Commission showed that MTN has retained its place as the telco of choice growing its subscriber base to 63,888,343 subscribers.

Commenting on MTN’s place as the strongest telco brand on the continent, David Haigh, Brand Finance’s CEO said, “MTN is to be commended for its performance in its home market as well as further afield. They are increasingly recognised throughout Africa by their customers as providing a high-quality service, because their brand image is deeply rooted on more than just marketing campaigns.”

Reacting to the news in an official blog post, MTN says, “MTN Group is pleased to announce that it has been named the most valuable African brand in the Brand Finance Africa 150 2020 ranking, which ascribes a brand value of US$3,3 billion to MTN.”

Meanwhile, MTN has also seen an upgrade in its brand strength rating, receiving an upgrade from its previous ration of AAA- to AAA due to its recognised leadership in the telecoms sector throughout the African continent.

Elsewhere, Etisalat was ranked the strongest telco brand in the Middle East and North African region with a valuation of $8.5 billion. Other top telco brands across continents and regions include Telstra (Australia) with a valuation of $8.1 billion; China Mobile (Asia) with a valuation of $49 billion; T-Mobile (Europe) with a valuation of $40 billion; Ciaro (Latin America) with a valuation of $6.2 billion; and Verizon (North America) with a valuation of $63.7 billion.