MultiChoice the most valuable entertainment brand in South Africa

Brand Finance’s 2025 report revealed that MultiChoice is the most valuable entertainment brand in South Africa.

Brand value refers to the present value of earnings related to brand reputation. Organisations control these earnings through trademark rights.

Every year, Brand Finance ranks 5,000 global brands, with the 2025 South Africa Top 100 Report highlighting the most valuable and strongest local brands.

• Brand value is the net economic benefit a brand owner would achieve by licensing the brand in the open market.
• Brand strength is the efficacy of a brand’s performance on intangible measures relative to its competitors.

In 2025, the collective brand value of the Top 100 South African brands reached R688.6 billion, with banking, retail, and telecoms contributing over 62%.

This underscores the important role that South Africa’s services sector plays in the economy and daily life.

Twelve banking brands contribute 24% to the rankings, totalling R168.7 billion, with five in the Top 10.

Retail follows at R141.3 billion, with 26 brands, the highest from any sector. Telecoms, with six brands, adds R100.5 billion.

MTN, the country’s most valuable brand since Brand Finance commenced the study of South African brands in 2012, retains its top position.

Vodacom and Standard Bank maintained second and third place, respectively. Their continent-wide footprints supported their brand values.

First National Bank, Absa, Nedbank, and Investec ranked amongst the top 10 most valuable brands, with the banking sector claiming five of the top 10 positions.

Checkers, Woolworths, and Shoprite were among the top 10 most valuable retail brands in South Africa.

The growth of Checkers and Woolworths is underpinned by increasing brand strength, resulting in higher brand revenues.

This demonstrates the recovery of domestic retail brands due to improved consumer power and increased spending.

MultiChoice the most valuable entertainment brand in South Africa

MultiChoice was the top company outside of banking, telecommunications, and retail in Brand Finance’s 2025 report for South Africa.

MultiChoice is best known for its DStv, SuperSport, and Showmax entertainment platforms, which dominate entertainment in South Africa.

MultiChoice has over 22 million subscribers across its satellite and online streaming services in Africa and South Africa.

DStv has 7.6 million active satellite TV subscribers in South Africa, making it the biggest market for MultiChoice.

The company has offered entertainment services in South Africa for 30 years and has built a strong brand during this period.

This brand strength is reflected in Brand Finance’s rankings, where MultiChoice outperformed many prominent South African brands.

It ranked higher than Spar, Capitec, Castle, Sasol, Discovery, Old Mutual, Pick n Pay, Mr Price, Clicks, and Anglo American.

The table below shows MultiChoice’s position relative to other prominent brands in the 2025 Brand Finance rankings.