DURBAN - MTN is South Africa's most valuable brand according to the rankings Africa's Best Brands by Brand Africa.
Other brands that made it on that list include Vodacom, First National Bank, Absa, Standard Bank, Woolworths, Sasol, Investec and, MultiChoice.
Thebe Ikalafeng, the Founder and Chairman of Brand Leadership Group, explained some of the brand trends for 2018 and commented about Brand Africa's list.
In regards to mobile carriers being in the top five of the most valuable brand list, Ikalafeng said that mobile brands have massive balance sheets due to their infrastructure investments but are also quite competitive and consumer-focused so they would be featured on the list.
MTN also kept their top spot on the brands list when comparing the lists from last year and this year. Ikalafeng said that MTN has seen a resurgence and they have gained value in the recent Brand Finance valuation.
Ikalafeng also spoke about brand trends for 2018.
He said "Mobile/tech led brands are rising and made in Africa (brands) is growing beyond rhetoric to reality".
He further added that brands don't have a long life-span and are more susceptible to how they manage their franchise and reputation as Steinhoff, etc. would show.
According to the founder of the Brand Leadership Group, a growth in South African brands does have an effect on the South African economy.
A rise in South African brands and their value means that jobs are being created, government is getting tax revenue to fund its development agenda and hopefully government debt is reduced said Ikalafeng.