MTN is South Africa’s most valuable brand

Telecoms giant MTN has been named the most valuable brand in South Africa according to Kantar BrandZ’s Most Valuable South African Brands 2026 report.

The report was compiled based on the opinions of 49,000 South African consumers, and encompasses 890 brands across 57 categories.

After landing in fourth place in Kantar BrandZ’s last brand ranking in 2024, MTN reclaimed the top spot this year with a total brand value of $5.3 billion (R87.5 billion).

According to the 2026 report, this represents a 124% increase in brand value since 2024, when the company’s brand value was $2.39 billion (R39.4 billion today).

This performance made MTN one of South Africa’s top five highest risers in brand value over the last two years, taking third behind Capitec and OUTsurance.

Kantar BrandZ said MTN’s performance indicates the current strength of South Africa’s telecoms sector, which dominated the ranking alongside financial services.

“Financial services and telecoms providers, including this year’s leader MTN, are riding a wave of increased online engagement, expanded services, and new business models,” Kantar BrandZ said.

“These two categories dominate the rankings in terms of value and growth, and are benefiting as an increasingly online consumer base resonates with their offerings.”

The telecommunications sector accounted for 22% of the total value of Kantar BrandZ’s ranking in 2026, equating to $9.7 billion (R160 billion).

Kantar BrandZ previously named MTN the most valuable brand in South Africa in its 2022 report, valuing it at $3.7 billion (R61 billion today).

The telecoms company was also recently named the most valuable brand on the African continent by Brand Finance Africa (BFA), a title which it has held for thirteen consecutive years.

BFA estimated MTN’s brand value to be around $2.9 billion (R47.9 billion), having lost around one-third of its value since it peaked in 2023.

MTN’s strategy is helping it succeed

Kantar BrandZ attributed the strength of MTN’s brand to the success of its growth strategy, which it has been implementing over the past few years.

MTN launched its Ambition 2025 strategy for medium-term growth in early 2021, following a comprehensive strategy review in the fourth quarter of the prior year.

The strategy aimed to make MTN the leader for digital solutions on the African continent by focusing on three growth-driving initiatives: fintech, connectivity, and digital infrastructure.

“To reach these goals, MTN expanded network coverage, improved customer experience, and strengthened its role in digital and financial inclusion.”

“By the end of 2025, it had transformed ambition into momentum. Service revenue had risen by over 20%, driven by solid performance in key markets and rapid expansion in data and financial services.”

MTN’s Ambition 2025 strategy helped the telecoms provider to reach a customer base of over 300 million for the first time by the end of that year.

At the same time, the company increased data usage and mobile transactions across its markets through its MoMo service.

The success of Ambition 2025 enabled MTN to expand its growth plan, announcing earlier this year that it had adopted a new strategy called Ambition 2030.

Ambition 2030 involves refining the original’s overall goals while placing greater focus on AI, data centres, fibre networks, and expanding tower assets.

MTN is firmly on the front foot, with the company’s latest full-year financial results revealing a profit jump to R20.3 billion. The company declared a R5 dividend per share for the year.

In a media statement, MTN Group CEO Ralph Mupita welcomed Kantar BrandZ’s recognition of MTN as South Africa’s most valuable brand for 2026.

Mupita expressed thanks to MTN’s customers for continuing to place their trust in the company, as well as to its partners and employees for the work they do.