Brand Africa 100 names MTN as Africa's top brand

MTN has been recognised as the best African and overall brand in Africa in a ranking of the continent's most admired and valuable brands by Brand Africa.

The Brand Africa 100 award for the Most Admired and Valuable African Brand was presented to MTN at the African Business Awards, on Friday evening, in New York, USA.

Initiated in 2012, the Brand Africa 100 listing distinguishes the continent's top brands based on a methodology that blends financial performance and consumer admiration scores to create a unique index and ranking.

Acknowledging MTN as the Overall Top African Brand, Brand Finance Africa Chairman and Brand Africa Founder, Thebe Ikalafeng, said: "MTN's investment and innovations in building a consistent pan-African brand experience across 16 countries on the continent is an exemplary standard for building not just African brands, but a global brand in Africa that delivers beyond just the service but plays a catalytic role in Africa's growth. MTN's change in brand value and brand rating over the years highlights this return on investment and success. Since 2010, MTN's brand value has risen by 10% to $5.1 billion, and the brand is growing from strength to strength."

The Brand Africa 100 award is the third brand acknowledgment MTN has received this year. In May, MTN was listed as the only African brand on the Millward-Brown BrandZ Top 100 Global Brands survey for 2013. While last month, MTN emerged as South Africa's most valuable brand in the annual BrandFinance Most Valuable Brands Survey.

Executive for Group Marketing at MTN, Jennifer Forrester, says the acknowledgment by Brand Africa is humbling. "Over the years, we have proudly witnessed the growth of our brand as the company expanded its footprint. We believe this can be attributed to our unwavering commitment to enhancing the lives of our customers and communities - whether through our CSI, sponsorships or products and services. The MTN brand continues to resonate with our customers and communities and inspire affinity.

"Such accolades serve as confirmation that, working with our customers and communities, we are doing something right. It's also motivation for us to continue finding new ways to make our customers' lives brighter, while enhancing their experience of MTN."

MTN is currently the leading operator in the majority of its 22 markets, and recently recorded its 200 millionth customer. To celebrate the milestone, the operator announced a bold R200 million initiative to improve the quality of education across its markets in Africa and the Middle East over the next two years. This initiative will be primarily driven through the use of technology to improve the standard of education.

The company is also focusing a great deal of effort on enhancing customer experience in the various touch-points across its markets.

Looking ahead, Forrester says MTN's new Global Brand Campaign, launched last week, provides the best insight into how far telecommunications has evolved over the years to truly be able to transform lives.

"The campaign is in line with MTN's vision to lead the delivery of a bold new digital world to our customers, and showcases how the sim card gives you access to more than just voice and data. Today, the sim card is your library card and your wallet. It's a tool which enables us to make our customers' lives simpler and more convenient," she says.