Mixed results see South Africa fall back to 43rd overall in Global Soft Power Index 2026

• Gains in culture, people, and lifestyle offset by uncertainty in South Africa’s economic outlook and governance
• US holds top spot in Global Soft Power Index despite broad declines; Japan overtakes the UK for 3^rd

LONDON, 20 January 2026 – South Africa has dropped two ranks from last year to 43^rd for Soft Power, according to the new iteration of the Global Soft Power Index by Brand Finance. South Africa has also dropped three ranks for Familiarity (32^nd) and two ranks for Influence (31^st), despite a two-rank increase for Reputation (44^th). These results reflect a mixed performance across the eight key Soft Power pillars, with emerging strengths in cultural attributes offset by weakening perceptions of economic strength.

Brand Finance publishes the Global Soft Power Index based on a survey of more than 150,000 respondents from over 100 countries to gather data on global perceptions of all 193 member states of the United Nations. Thanks to the scope of the survey, the Index is the world’s most comprehensive study on perceptions of nation brands, providing an in-depth analysis of the evolving status of Soft Power as nations navigate significant global changes and challenges.  

Soft Power is defined as a nation’s ability to influence the preferences and behaviours of various actors in the international arena (states, corporations, communities, publics, etc.) through attraction and persuasion rather than coercion. Each nation is scored across 55 different metrics to arrive at an overall score out of 100 and ranked in order from 1^st to 193^rd.

South Africa dropped four ranks for Business & Trade (54^th), including a drop of six ranks for ease of doing business (53^rd). However, it climbed two ranks to 7^th for its future growth potential, suggesting that, despite present-day concerns, global audiences still see significant potential in South Africa’s long-term growth prospects.

Jeremy Sampson, Chairman, Brand Finance Africa, commented:

“South Africa’s immense potential has long been acknowledged, yet the country continues to underperform across multiple metrics. Having fallen from 36th place in 2020 to 43rd this year - dropping a further two places in the past year alone - the trend is concerning. However, being ranked 7^th out of 193 nations for future growth potential sends a clear message: it is time for the nation to act. Rebuilding confidence in the nation’s economic and governance outlook - and more effectively communicating its strengths - will be essential if South Africa wants to advance in future rankings.”

Behind South Africa, Sub-Saharan nations are making promising progress. Nigeria has climbed six ranks to 71^st, Kenya is up four ranks to 88^th, and Tanzania is up one rank to 94^th. Rounding out the top 100 Soft Power nations are Ghana (95^th) and Mauritius, which climbed nine ranks to 96^th.

Global Insights: US Soft Power decline accelerates as Japan overtakes the UK to take 3^rd place

The Global Soft Power Index 2026 highlights a broad global decline of nation brand perceptions, driven by economic uncertainty, geopolitical tension, and social pressures. Audiences worldwide are more cautious and more likely to scrutinise nations’ behaviour, leading to lower scores across the Index and echoing the trust erosion seen during the COVID-19 period.

Despite retaining 1^st place overall, the United States records the steepest overall decline among all nation brands ranked, driven by sharp declines in Reputation (26^th, -11) and key nation brand attributes amid international backlash to “America First” policies. Key declines are observed in friendliness (-32), generosity (-68), ease of doing business (-21), support for climate action (-16), political stability (-8), human rights (-10), and ethical standards (-4).  Nevertheless, the US retains its number one position for Familiarity and Influence, underpinned by continued global leadership in arts and entertainment (1^st), sport (3^rd), iconic brands (2^nd), innovation (3^rd), and space exploration (1^st).

Japan’s rise to 3^rd, now overtaking the United Kingdom (4^th), exemplifies its ability to build Soft Power through a direct experience of the nation brand. Japan has maintained strengths in Business & Trade (1^st), Sustainable Future (1^st), Education & Science (2^nd), and Governance (2^nd), while tourism has boosted Familiarity (6^th, +1) and related attributes, including appealing lifestyle (4^th, +9), visit appeal (8^th, +3), friendliness (7^th, +12), and fun (21^st, +15).

Konrad Jagodzinski, Place Branding Director, Brand Finance, commented:

“The negative shift in the global mood highlights a critical lesson about Soft Power in 2026. Publics are increasingly sensitive to the alignment of values, actions, and outcomes. Nations that fail to demonstrate reliability, credibility, and impact face erosion not only in specific domains but also in broader international reputation and relevance. Soft power is not solely about visibility or size; it is about perception that a nation is delivering on promises implicit in its brand. Nations failing to uphold these promises are penalised by global audiences.”