Brand Finance South Africa 100 2026 report shows country’s leading brands continue to demonstrate resilience and growth
JOHANNESBURG, 27 March 2026 – South Africa’s leading brands record strong growth in 2026, with the total value of the top 100 brands rising 12% year-on-year to R771 billion, according to the latest South Africa 100 2026 report by Brand Finance, the world’s leading brand valuation consultancy.
Jeremy Sampson, Chairman, Brand Finance Africa, commented:
“As South Africa’s economic environment stabilises, the country’s leading brands are demonstrating strong resilience and growth. Sectors such as banking, retail, and telecoms continue to anchor the ranking. Strong gains in insurance and beers highlight how sustained brand investment and operational performance can translate into significant brand value growth. Strong brands will continue to play an important role in strengthening investor confidence and supporting South Africa’s long-term economic competitiveness.”
MTN retains its position as South Africa’s most valuable brand for the 13th consecutive year, with its brand value at R50.9 billion. The brand’s strong performance reflects continued growth in data services and fintech platforms alongside sustained investment in network infrastructure, digital connectivity, and its eight-year Springboks front-of-shirt sponsorship, spanning two Rugby World Cup victories and exiting at the peak of the team’s reputation in 2025.
Vodacom (brand value up 9% to R47.9 billion) ranks second. Growth was supported by expansion across African markets such as Egypt and Ethiopia, and increasing adoption of digital financial services, including VodaPay, M-Pesa, and Vodafone Cash. Additionally, the brand’s efforts are underpinned by its long-standing brand platform, "The Future is Exciting. Ready?" – one of South Africa’s most recognised advertising taglines.
Standard Bank (brand value up 19% to R45 billion) ranks third, supported by strong performance in corporate and investment banking as well as continued investment in technology and digital platforms. In March 2026, Standard Bank became an official partner of Bafana Bafana, Banyana Banyana, and South Africa’s grassroots national teams, ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, reinforcing its national presence and community impact.
First National Bank (brand value up 19% to R34.8 billion) ranks fourth, followed by Absa (brand value up 12% to R30.6 billion). Both banks continue to benefit from strong customer engagement and increasing digital adoption.
Checkers (brand value up 9% to R25.6 billion) ranks sixth while retaining its position as the strongest brand in the country with a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 97/100 with an AAA+ brand strength rating. According to Brand Finance’s market research data, this reflects strong customer perceptions of quality, convenience, and innovation, supported by the continued expansion of its on-demand delivery platform, loyalty ecosystem and rising customer traffic across its retail network.
Clicks ranks as the second strongest brand with a BSI score of 96.6/100, supported by strong loyalty-driven sales, continued expansion of its stores and its leading position in the country's health and beauty retail sector. Pick n Pay ranks as the third strongest brand with a BSI score of 95.1/100, driven by resilient grocery sales and increased growth of its online and delivery platforms. Both brands maintain a AAA+ brand strength rating.
PEP (brand value up 76% to R5.8 billion) is the fastest-growing South African brand in 2026. The brand’s growth reflects strong operational performance across Pepkor’s retail network alongside rapid expansion in fintech services, including mobile connectivity, digital payments, and financial services delivered through its extensive store network.
Five new entrants join the South Africa 100 ranking in 2026, including Savanna, the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), Valterra Platinum, SANRAL, and Oros. Among the new entrants this year, Savanna (brand value at R19.1 billion) ranks the highest, debuting at 13th place and ranking as the 10th strongest brand with a BSI score of 90.6/100.
Brand Finance is the world’s leading brand valuation consultancy. Bridging the gap between marketing and finance, Brand Finance evaluates the strength of brands and quantifies their financial value to help organisations make strategic decisions.
Headquartered in London, Brand Finance operates in over 25 countries. Every year, Brand Finance conducts more than 6,000 brand valuations, supported by original market research, and publishes over 100 reports which rank brands across all sectors and countries.
Brand Finance also operates the Global Brand Equity Monitor, conducting original market research annually on 6,000 brands, surveying more than 175,000 respondents across 41 countries and 31 industry sectors. By combining perceptual data from the Global Brand Equity Monitor with data from its valuation database — the largest brand value database in the world — Brand Finance equips ambitious brand leaders with the data, analytics, and the strategic guidance they need to enhance brand and business value.
In addition to calculating brand value, Brand Finance also determines the relative strength of brands through a balanced scorecard of metrics, compliant with ISO 20671.
Brand Finance is a regulated accountancy firm and a committed leader in the standardisation of the brand valuation industry. Brand Finance was the first to be certified by independent auditors as compliant with both ISO 10668 and ISO 20671 and has received the official endorsement of the Marketing Accountability Standards Board (MASB) in the United States.
Brand is defined as a marketing-related intangible asset including, but not limited to, names, terms, signs, symbols, logos, and designs, intended to identify goods, services, or entities, creating distinctive images and associations in the minds of stakeholders, thereby generating economic benefits.
Brand strength is the efficacy of a brand’s performance on intangible measures relative to its competitors. Brand Finance evaluates brand strength in a process compliant with ISO 20671, looking at Marketing Investment, Stakeholder Equity, and the impact of those on Business Performance. The data used is derived from Brand Finance’s proprietary market research programme and from publicly available sources.
Each brand is assigned a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score out of 100, which feeds into the brand value calculation. Based on the score, each brand is assigned a corresponding Brand Rating up to AAA+ in a format similar to a credit rating.
Brand Finance calculates the values of brands in its rankings using the Royalty Relief approach – a brand valuation method compliant with the industry standards set in ISO 10668. It involves estimating the likely future revenues that are attributable to a brand by calculating a royalty rate that would be charged for its use, to arrive at a ‘brand value’ understood as a net economic benefit that a brand owner would achieve by licensing the brand in the open market.
The steps in this process are as follows:
1 Calculate brand strength using a balanced scorecard of metrics assessing Marketing Investment, Stakeholder Equity, and Business Performance. Brand strength is expressed as a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score on a scale of 0 to 100.
2 Determine royalty range for each industry, reflecting the importance of brand to purchasing decisions. In luxury, the maximum percentage is high, while in extractive industry, where goods are often commoditised, it is lower. This is done by reviewing comparable licensing agreements sourced from Brand Finance’s extensive database.
3 Calculate royalty rate. The BSI score is applied to the royalty range to arrive at a royalty rate. For example, if the royalty range in a sector is 0-5% and a brand has a BSI score of 80 out of 100, then an appropriate royalty rate for the use of this brand in the given sector will be 4%.
4 Determine brand-specific revenues by estimating a proportion of parent company revenues attributable to a brand.
5 Determine forecast revenues using a function of historic revenues, equity analyst forecasts, and economic growth rates.
6 Apply the royalty rate to the forecast revenues to derive brand revenues.
7 Discount post-tax brand revenues to a net present value which equals the brand value.
Brand Finance has produced this study with an independent and unbiased analysis. The values derived and opinions presented in this study are based on publicly available information and certain assumptions that Brand Finance used where such data was deficient or unclear. Brand Finance accepts no responsibility and will not be liable in the event that the publicly available information relied upon is subsequently found to be inaccurate. The opinions and financial analysis expressed in the study are not to be construed as providing investment or business advice. Brand Finance does not intend the study to be relied upon for any reason and excludes all liability to any body, government, or organisation.
The data presented in this study form part of Brand Finance's proprietary database, are provided for the benefit of the media, and are not to be used in part or in full for any commercial or technical purpose without written permission from Brand Finance.
