One of Africa’s biggest business stories will be told at the Sandton Convention Centre next week when the fourth annual Brand Africa 100 unveils the continent’s top brands for 2015.
Established in 2011, Brand Africa 100 measures and ranks brands that consumers admire and their corresponding values.
There was no independent measure of the value and the performance of any brand in Africa before 2011, according to Brand Africa chairman Thebe Ikalafeng. The point of his organization, he told Forbes Magazine at the awards in 2014, was to “capture and measure the value African consumers placed on brands that closely aligned with their core values and best reflected their lifestyles and aspirations.”
Brand Africa says the businesses behind successful brands help the continent to drive its agenda and solve socio-economic challenges by creating jobs and the tax bases to fund public goods.
The 2014 list was dominated by electronics (17 percent), beverages (14 percent), car manufacturers (14 percent), apparel (12 percent) and telecommunications (10 percent). Of the top 100 brands in Africa, 23 were African. South African telecommunications giant MTN topped the list as the most valued and admired brand. The company is the only African brand to be worth more than a billion dollars.
Brand South Africa has partnered with Brand Africa in hosting the Top 100 African Brands. The objective of the platform, says Brand South Africa, is not only to celebrate Africa’s top brands but also to create opportunities for global thought leaders, influencers and decision-makers to interact, engage and share insights on issues related to Africa’s growth, reputation and competitiveness.
The event will not only attract Africa’s top business people, but also celebrities such as Afro-soul singer Simphiwe Dana and Congolese musician Tresor, both of whom will perform on the night. South African culinary star Siba Mntongana will also be dishing up traditional African food.
Read more at southafrica.info.com
