Dangote, MTN are Africa’s most admired brands in 2021

Dangote Group and MTN Group, among other African brands have been ranked as two of the most admired brands in Africa, while the World Health Organisation (WHO) and MTN top the list of brands recognized as the most helpful during the Covid-19 pandemic, a report by The Brand Africa 100: Africa’s Best Brands, has revealed.

African brands retained their 13 per cent market share of the top 100 most admired brands on the continent in a period defined by the coronavirus pandemic, which brought the world to a halt with several markets forced to adapt to the new reality.

MTN, consistently the only African brand among the Top 10 brands overall, dropped to number 11 for the first time in a decade, while American sports and fitness giant, Nike retained the top spot for the fourth year in a row with consumer-electronic heavyweight, Samsung, tech-giant Apple, beverage maker Coca-Cola, sportswear manufacturing brothers, Adidas and Puma, also joining the list, while Gucci, Toyota and Zara also made the list.

MTN and Dangote retained their status as the most admired African brands recalled spontaneously and when prompted, respectively, the ranking report showed. Also, Nigeria’s Guaranty Trust Bank retained its position as the most admired financial services brand in Africa in 2021

With Covid-19 limiting entertainment options beyond the house, while many businesses struggled, many digital businesses such as streaming services thrived. This undoubtedly explains South Africa’s DsTv becoming the most admired media brand in Africa, knocking off BBC from its long-held position.

Similarly, American cable news network (CNN) retained its position at number 3 alongside Al Jazeera in fourth. Netflix found itself leaping the line into the fifth position from 9th while Canalsat, Facebook, NTV, MTN and France’s RFI positioned in 6th,7th,8th,9th and 10th respectively. According to the report, the top 100 brands in Africa has always been dominated by European brands which have held their share at 41 per cent, falling one step from its previous position, North America advanced by one place on the ladder, Asia stood unchanged, and Africa retaining its 13 per cent share of the most admired brands in the world.

Nigeria’s eCommerce giant, Jumia and telecoms provider, Globacom also ranked amongst the top ten most admired African brands.

World Health Organisation (WHO) emerged as the most admired global brand perceived to have been the most helpful brand, given its predictably global ominipresence during the pandemic. Significantly, MTN, which donated over 7 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine to 9 African countries, is the leading African and private sector brand in the number 2 spot, in private sector list with all multinational mobile operators in Africa such as Vodafone Group at number 3, Orange at number 4, Airtel Africa at number 6 position; as well as media brands such as Facebook at 10th on the chart and Dstv at 24th position made the list of the Top 25 most admired brands.

However, Nigeria’s Dangote in the 8th position is the only industrial brand on the list of most helpful brands. Based on the fundamental role played by the private sector during the pandemic, the list is 80 per cent dominated by diverse private sector brands and 20 per cent governmental and non-governmental agencies such as the Red Cross holds the 5th position, multi-lateral agencies such as WHO and Unicef in the 7th position, government agencies such as the Center for Disease Control stand at the number 16 spot and USAID at 19. Unsurprisingly, the leading pharmaceutical groups, Johnson & Johnson stay 12th and AstraZeneca stays 25th to round off the list.

Flour Mills of Nigeria (FMN), a leading integrated food business and agro-allied company, has announced the expansion of its sugar backward integration programme (BIP) with the acquisition of 20,450 hectares of land in Nasarawa.

Umolu Joseph, company secretary of the country’s pioneer wealth miller, made the disclosure in a regulatory filing recently posted on the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX).

According to the company, the project estimated to cost at least $300 million is part of its commitment to the backward integration programme of the Nigeria Sugar Master Plan and the overall growth strategy of the industry in Africa’s largest economy..

The 20,450 hectares, the company said, is situated at Umaisha Development Area of Toto Local Government of Nasarawa State on the north bank of the Benue River, about 70 Kilometres upstream from