When it comes to national brand value, South Africa has had a difficult 2015, down 12% since 2014.
This is according to the annual Nation Brands 2015 report by Brand Finance, which ranks South Africa as the 37th most valuable brand in the world – one place down from 2014.
The report focuses on two aspects of country brands – value and strength. Nation Brand value is based on GDP, ie revenues associated with the brand; while Nation Brand strength is determined by performance on dozens of data points across three key ‘pillars’; Goods & Services, Investment and Society.
Overall, the United States has the most valuable brand in the world, valued at $19.7 trillion. But in terms of brand strength, the country is ranked AAA-, below the top AAA countries.
According to Brand Finance, Singapore is the world’s strongest brand, with a AAA rating and a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 88.0.
Top 20 most valuable country brands
| # | Country | Brand Value (US$bn) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | 19 703 | +2% |
| 2 | China | 6 314 | -1% |
| 3 | Germany | 4 166 | -4% |
| 4 | United Kingdom | 3 010 | +6% |
| 5 | Japan | 2 541 | +3% |
| 6 | France | 2 158 | +4% |
| 7 | India | 2 137 | +32% |
| 8 | Canada | 2 040 | -8% |
| 9 | Italy | 1 445 | +12% |
| 10 | Australia | 1 404 | -10% |
| 11 | Brazil | 1 171 | -17% |
| 12 | South Korea | 1 092 | +10% |
| 13 | Mexico | 1 091 | +6% |
| 14 | Switzerland | 1 024 | +6% |
| 15 | Netherlands | 1 000 | -3% |
| 16 | Spain | 872 | +9% |
| 17 | Sweden | 814 | +2% |
| 18 | Russia | 810 | -31% |
| 19 | Turkey | 668 | -11% |
| 20 | Poland | 566 | -6% |
| 37 | South Africa | 225 | -12% |
Top 10 countries by brand strength
| # | Country | Brand Value (US$bn) | Brand Strength |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Singapore | 412 | 88.0 |
| 2 | Switzerland | 1 024 | 85.9 |
| 3 | United Arab Emirates | 403 | 85.9 |
| 4 | Finland | 289 | 85.7 |
| 5 | New Zealand | 200 | 85.6 |
| 6 | Hong Kong SAR | 325 | 85.4 |
| 7 | Netherlands | 1 000 | 84.5 |
| 8 | Luxembourg | 60 | 83.5 |
| 9 | Qatar | 235 | 82.7 |
| 10 | Norway | 388 | 82.6 |
South Africa places a respectable 37th out of 100 countries, but is one of fifteen to see a double digit drop in brand value since 2014.
It’s brand strength has been graded AA- in 2015, which is actually one step up from the A+ in 2014.
South Africa remains the most valuable brand in Africa, followed by Nigeria, which climbed to 41st in 2015, growing 6% to $189 billion.
Iran saw the biggest jump in brand value over the course of the year, climbing 59% in brand value to $159 billion. This is followed by four African nations – Cameroon, Tanzania, Kenya and Zambia – which saw increases of 50%, 44%, 43% and 39%, respectively.
On the opposite side of growth, Ukraine saw the biggest dip in brand value, losing 45% to $114 billion in 2015. This is below Peru, Russia, Honduras and Argentina, which saw a loss of 33%, 31%, 26% and 22%, respectively.
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