logo
Africa's best brands unveiled

Africa's best brands unveiled

eNCA25-05-2025

JOHANNESBURG - This week, Brand Africa, in partnership with African Business and the Economic Commission for Africa, unveiled the results of the 15th annual Brand Africa 100, ranking the best Brands on the continent.
The 2025 rankings reveal a stark disconnect between rising African optimism and declining brand loyalty.
According to Brand Expert, Thebe Ikalafeng, if Africa had positive brands, which create a positive image of the continent, we'd be spending less on debt.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Petrobras aims to make Africa its main exploratory region outside Brazil: CEO
Petrobras aims to make Africa its main exploratory region outside Brazil: CEO

TimesLIVE

time2 hours ago

  • TimesLIVE

Petrobras aims to make Africa its main exploratory region outside Brazil: CEO

Africa By Petrobras aims to make Africa its main region of development outside Brazil, the state-run oil giant's CEO told Reuters on Thursday during a wide-ranging interview about the company's strategy. Ivory Coast has extended the "red carpet" for Petrobras to explore deep and ultra-deep waters off its coast, when it gave the company preference in buying nine offshore exploratory blocks on Wednesday, said Petrobras CEO Magda Chambriard. She added that Nigeria, Angola and Namibia have also expressed interest in working with the Brazilian giant. "We are experts in the eastern margin of Brazil," said Chambriard, citing geological similarities between the region and Africa. "The correlation between Brazil and Africa is unequivocal, so we need to go to Africa." In recent years, Petrobras has shown an interest in buying stakes in oil assets abroad, especially in Africa, as it looks to boost reserves while it faces delays in obtaining environmental permits to drill for new oil off the coast of the Amazon rainforest. Petrobras is also seeking to explore India's coast, taking part in an upcoming oil block auction scheduled for July, Chambriard said. Petrobras's plans mark a return to the African continent after the company divested assets in the region under previous governments, as part of a broad plan that made the company focus on high-productivity areas in Brazil's pre-salt fields. The plans to explore new oil fields are part of Chambriard's strategy to handle the critical task of balancing President Luiz Inacio Lula's ambitions to use Petrobras to boost the economy with delivering profits to its investors, all while contending with the global challenge of lower oil prices. Petrobras, a cornerstone of Brazil's economy, is also at the center of high-stakes tension within Lula's administration, which aims to leverage oil revenues for economic growth while showcasing Brazil, the host of the upcoming COP30 climate summit, as a champion in the global fight against climate change. The company's plans to drill for oil off the coast of the Amazon rainforest, in the Foz do Amazonas region, have faced delays in obtaining environmental permits. But Chambriard told Reuters she believes the company will clear the last step to getting a permit to drill in the region in the second half of July. Meanwhile, the company's plans in Africa have already started being implemented. In 2023 it bought a stake in an offshore oil field in South Africa and in early 2024 it purchased an interest in fields in the island nation of Sao Tome and Principe, where it hopes to drill a well this year, Chambriard said. Despite the recent efforts, Chambriard said the firm was outbid by France's TotalEnergies for a share in Galp Energia's offshore discovery in the Mopane field in Namibia. "We hope to be invited" to develop Mopane, Chambriard added, without giving further details. Lower Brent oil crude prices have pushed the company to cut costs and simplify projects in Petrobras's upcoming strategic plan for the 2026-2030 period, Chambriard said. During the firm's first-quarter earnings call with analysts last month, Chambriard had already signalled a move towards austerity, pleasing investors. But Chambriard did not clarify whether cost-cutting efforts would impact the company's investment plans. If confirmed, a retreat from investment plans could mark a stark reversal for the Brazilian oil giant since Lula took office in 2023 and pushed the company to invest more to boost Brazil's economy. The firm is set to finally widen its role in Brazil's fertiliser production, as it expects to resume operation on two plants in the states of Sergipe and Bahia by the end of the year, Chambriard said. The CEO also confirmed a Reuters report that the firm is unhappy with the current level of control it has over petrochemical firm Braskem, and is looking for changes to a shareholders agreement that could give the oil company more power in Braskem's decision-making process. Petrobras has a 47% voting stake in Braskem but has appointed four of its 11 board members and one director out of seven, representation it considers insufficient, Reuters reported last week. Petrobras has no interest in having majority control over the firm, but it wants more power over it to "guarantee synergies", Chambriard said, without providing further details. Braskem is a "very important asset", Chambriard said. But, she added, "from our current point of view, Braskem's management is not what we want".

Mary Baine named new Executive Secretary of African Tax Administration Forum
Mary Baine named new Executive Secretary of African Tax Administration Forum

IOL News

time2 hours ago

  • IOL News

Mary Baine named new Executive Secretary of African Tax Administration Forum

The African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) has appointed Mary Baine as its new Executive Secretary, starting July 1, 2025. The African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) has appointed Mary Baine as its new Executive Secretary, starting July 1, 2025. ATAF serves as a collaborative platform uniting African tax administrations to foster mutually beneficial discussions and capacity-building initiatives, aimed at promoting efficient and effective tax systems that support the sustainable development of African nations. The announcement was made earlier this week by Edward Kieswetter, Commissioner of the South African Revenue Service (SARS) and current Chair of ATAF.

Voting opens: Names for South Africa's Volkswagen Tera revealed
Voting opens: Names for South Africa's Volkswagen Tera revealed

The Citizen

time7 hours ago

  • The Citizen

Voting opens: Names for South Africa's Volkswagen Tera revealed

Public will have a choice of four monikers for the newcomer that will be assembled locally at Kariega plant, and go on-sale in 2027. Volkswagen has released the naming list of the four monikers set out for the South African versions of the incoming Tera. Image: Volkswagen do Brasil With the first round of updates at its Kariega plant completed, Volkswagen has released details of the monikers its new SUV will be sold under come its market arrival in 2027. Call to vote While known as the Tera in Brazil, where sales kicked-off last month, the joint venture model between Volkswagen do Brasil, Volkswagen Group Africa and Skoda India will have a name Wolfsburg's executive described as distinctly African at its annual product Indaba in February. Confirmed to be selected by the public via an online vote, the automaker's Facebook page has released four names South Africans will have to decide from, complete with their respective meanings. ALSO READ: Volkswagen completes first factory updates for 'Tera' production Falling within Volkswagen's naming convention for SUVs by starting with the letter 'T', the choice of names are as follows: Tengo : defined as a 'rich cultural significance in African language and describes qualities like strength, resilience and purpose' : defined as a 'rich cultural significance in African language and describes qualities like strength, resilience and purpose' Tavi : 'a gender natural world meaning good or beloved in Latin and also eight : 'a gender natural world meaning good or beloved in Latin and also eight Tiva : a word that 'means nature in Hebrew and is also associated with vitality, life and energy' : a word that 'means nature in Hebrew and is also associated with vitality, life and energy' Tion: 'signifies aesthetic appeal and evokes a sense of movement and change' Set to be showcased in pre-production guise at its 2026 Indaba, followed by the commencing of production soon after, the eventual name will most likely be disclosed next year in readiness for sales starting in 2027. What to expect? The long known 'third model' that will be built alongside the Polo and Polo Vivo at the factory located in the town formerly known as Uitenhage, the internally named 'MQB A0 Entry SUV' will become Volkswagen's smallest SUV in South Africa as European production of the T-Cross is reportedly ending next year. Skoda Kylaq debuted in India last year as the first of the joint venture models. Image: Skoda India First shown as the Skoda Kylaq in India last year, and then subsequently as the Tera in Brazil, the newcomer will likely the follow the former in making use of the 1.0 TSI engine that also omits the turbocharger in the latter. In the Kylaq, outputs stand at 85kW/178Nm regardless of being mated to the six-speed manual gearbox or a six-speed Tiptronic gearbox, while in the Tera, the unit makes 81kW/165Nm connected to the five-speed manual and 85kW/170Nm when hooked to the Tiptronic. A crucial model Priced from the equivalent of under R330 000 in Brazil, the MQB A0's anticipated replacing of the T-Cross comes admits the latter's discontinuation in favour of the all-electric ID.2X in Europe next year. For developing markets, this will leave it as Wolfsburg's range opener, which for South Africa, is the result of a R4-billion investment into the Kariega plant that resulted in a month-long shutdown between March and April for the installation of 100 robots, new conveyor belts in the final assembly area, and revisions to the body paint shops. More soon Although still some ways off, the revealing of the names, plus the first phase of factory readiness now being completed, points to systematically divulging of more information over the coming 18 months. As such, expect Volkswagen to disclose more details throughout 2025. NOW READ: Volkswagen halts local production in preparation for 2027 SUV

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store