Dangote Industries Limited has once again been named Africa's Most Admired African Brand, marking the eighth consecutive year it has received this prestigious recognition. The announcement was made during the 16th annual Brand Africa 100: Africa's Best Brands rankings, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The company disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, highlighting its continued dominance across industrial, sustainability, and social impact categories.
The survey, described as Africa's most comprehensive consumer-led brand study, covered 30 countries representing more than 85 percent of the continent's population and economic output. In the latest rankings, Dangote emerged as Africa's Most Admired Brand in aided recall, outperforming MTN and Vodacom. In the spontaneous recall category, it ranked second among African brands, behind MTN and ahead of Trade Kings.
The conglomerate also retained its position as Africa's Most Admired Industrial Brand and was recognized as the leading African brand contributing to a better Africa, ahead of MTN, DStv, Shoprite/Checkers, and Trade Kings. These rankings reflect Dangote's growing influence as one of Africa's most recognizable corporate brands, driven by investments in cement, fertilizer, petrochemicals, energy, sugar, salt, packaging, and logistics.
Despite these achievements, Brand Africa noted that indigenous brands continue to lag behind foreign competitors, accounting for only 15 percent of Africa's 100 most admired brands. Thebe Ikalafeng, Founder and Chairman of Brand Africa, emphasized the importance of strengthening African brands as a critical economic priority. He stated, "Converting goodwill towards African contribution into admiration for African brands is the most urgent commercial opportunity for the continent. It is not enough for Africans to believe in Africa; they must buy Made-in-Africa."
Dangote also ranked second among brands recognized for contributing positively to society, people, and the environment. Despite the dominance of international brands across Africa, Dangote remained among the continent's highest-ranked indigenous brands, alongside MTN and Ethiopian Airlines. These three companies emerged as the leading African brands in the 2026 rankings, which were dominated by global brands such as Nike, Adidas, Samsung, Apple, and Coca-Cola. According to the company, African brands accounted for only 15 percent of the top 100 rankings, compared with 38 percent for European brands, 28 percent for North American brands, and 19 percent for Asian brands.
Further strengthening the group's profile, its Group Chief Branding and Communications Officer, Anthony Chiejina, was named among the inaugural Africa CMO 100 (ACMO100) list. This list recognizes influential marketing, branding, and reputation management professionals across the continent. The initiative, launched by Brand Africa in partnership with African Business magazine, MIPAD, and the African Media Agency, honors executives shaping Africa's business narrative and driving brand growth. Mr. Chiejina was among 20 executives selected from West Africa and one of 17 Nigerians recognized for contributions to brand building, corporate reputation management, and strategic communications.
Brand Africa stated that the selection process was based on independent research, industry impact, leadership influence, and contribution to the growth of brands that shape consumer perceptions and economic outcomes. This latest recognition adds to Dangote Industries' growing list of accolades, including its induction into the Brand Africa Hall of Fame last year for consistently ranking among Africa's most admired brands. Additionally, its President and Chief Executive Officer, Aliko Dangote, received a Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to industrialization and building one of Africa's largest indigenous business empires.
