Ethiopian State-owned airline, Ethiopian Airways, has found its way into the list of Africa’s 100 most admired brands.
The airline, according to the ranking undertaken by African Business, emerged the 51st most admired brand on the Continent.
Ethiopian Airways was the only African airline to have seemingly thrived during the pandemic as it was the first of the continent’s airlines to resume service and convert passenger planes into cargo planes to transport critical PPE’s around the world and the continent during the pandemic’s depths.
Africa’s biggest carrier turned to cargo services to shore up revenue after the onset of the coronavirus crisis last year sent its passenger numbers down sharply.
Ethiopian Airways despite the pandemic, was in a good position financially as revenue from its cargo business, maintenance and charter services helped offset the collapse in demand for passenger travel.
Meanwhile, telecommunication giants, MTN, Vodafone and Airtel, were ranked among the top 10 most helpful brands in Africa during the heat of the Covid-19 pandemic last year.
During a year defined by the pandemic which brought the world to a halt, as markets having to adapt to a new reality, African brands retained their 13% share of the Top 100 most admired brands in Africa.
MTN which donated over 7 million Covid-19 vaccine doses to 9 African countries, was ranked second, with the Vodafone Group and Airtel ranked 3rd and 6th respectively.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) was ranked the most helpful organisation or ‘brand’ during the pandemic.
According to African Business, the Top 100 brands in Africa continue to be dominated by European brands which have held their share at 41% with Africa retaining its 13% share of the most admired brands in the world.
Similarly, the leading African countries that dominate the rankings largely retained their positions with Nigeria and South Africa – 5 brands each – Ethiopia and Kenya accounting for the 13 brands among the Top 100 most admired brands in Africa.
No Ghanaian company made it to list of Africa’s 100 most admired brands.
Established in 2011, the Brand Africa 100: Africa’s Best Brands rankings are the most authoritative survey and analysis on brands and underlying businesses in Africa, based on a study by Geopoll across 28 countries spanning all the five economic regions and analysis and ranking by Kantar and Brand Leadership.
Collectively they account for over 80% of the population and over 80% of the GDP of Africa. An analysis of the data over the past 10 years, has established that on average, only 20% of the brands admired by Africans are made in Africa.
The 2021 survey was conducted between March and April 2021 and yielded over 80,000 brand mentions and over 3,500 unique brands.
“There is no doubt the pandemic, that continues to cost lives and livelihoods, and coincided with the launch of the implementation phase of the AfCFTA which aims to accelerate intra-Africa trade from 18% to 50% in 2030, is becoming a catalyst for loconomies with nations having to look internally for sustainability. The internal shifts in the rankings in particular the African brands means, Africa can and will need to grow its own brands to meet the needs of its growing consumer market,” says Thebe Ikalafeng, Founder and Chairman of Brand Africa and Brand Leadership.
