Back in 2012 Harvard Professor Joseph Nye came up with the concept of ‘Soft Power’, focussing on the carrot rather than the stick in influencing opinions. A term today on everyone’s lips. A more formal definition would be along the lines: a nation’s ability to influence the preferences and behaviours of various actors in the international arena (states, corporations, communities, the public etc) through attraction and persuasion rather than coercion. To achieve your communication objectives the channels to the various publics used to be relatively simple, but not today.

South Africa is making strides in strengthening its position on the global stage, reflected in its improved position in the Global Soft Power Index 2025, rising two spots to 41st. As a regional leader in Sub-Saharan Africa, South Africa has experienced statistically significant advancements across five out of the eight key pillars including Business & Trade and People & Values. This upward trajectory underscores strategic efforts to enhance South Africa’s global standing and build a stronger, more competitive global presence.

As Africa’s most industrialised economy, South Africa continues to play a crucial role in international Business & Trade, having risen six places to rank 50th for the pillar and now ranking ninth globally for its perceived ‘future growth potential.’ Its membership in BRICS since 2010 has further reinforced its economic influence, while its expanding tech sector, renewable energy initiatives, and financial services industry continue to contribute to its growing global Influence.

Additionally, South Africa has climbed 24 ranks for the People & Values pillar, including a 22-rank jump in ‘trustworthiness.’ These gains suggest that efforts to address long-standing challenges are yielding results, marking a positive shift in global perceptions.

Historically, governance, safety, and public trust have posed challenges for South Africa’s nation brand. However, the 2025 Index shows significant progress in the Governance pillar, with improvements in key areas. The country has risen eight spots for ‘respects law and human rights,’ 17 spots for ‘high ethical standards and low corruption,’ and 31 spots for ‘safe and secure.’

South Africa’s perceived cultural impact is also noteworthy, particularly in the realm of sports. Ranking 21st globally as a ‘leader in sports,’ the nation continues to showcase its sporting excellence. This is evidenced by the success of national teams such as the Springboks, who represent a powerful symbol of the nation’s unity and resilience. Their historic achievements, including several Rugby World Cup wins, have bolstered national pride, fostered social cohesion, and enhanced South Africa’s international standing.

As a diverse and transformed team, the Springboks are known to inspire young athletes, promote inclusivity, and serve as ambassadors of South Africa’s strength. They also promote economic benefits such as tourism and investment, making them a key asset to the nation’s brand.

The road ahead

South Africa’s progress in transparency, security, and economic competitiveness is encouraging. While challenges remain, the country’s improving global perception signals that it is on the right path. By continuing to build on these strengths, South Africa has a real opportunity to solidify its reputation - not only as a regional leader but as an emerging Soft Power strength on the world stage. When it comes to future potential, few countries can match South Africa.

Brand Finance South Africa 100 2025

Read our new report on the world's top 100 most valuable and strongest South African brands

When we look at South Africa’s top alcoholic drinks brands, these are predominantly beer brands belonging to the AB InBev family, the world’s largest brewer. ABinBev took over South African Breweries that had grown into SABMiller in 2016. Among these brands, the most valuable is the iconic Castle, with a history dating back to 1895.

Last year, AB InBev’s Dutch rival Heineken hiked up the competition. Heineken has acquired South Africa’s 16th ranked brand, Distell, which includes its cider brands Savanna and Hunters, as well as fine wine Nederberg and Amarula Cream, second only to Diageo’s Bailey’s Irish Cream. The acquisition also includes local manufacturing facilities and a distribution network expanding into Africa. The Dutch giant also has a close relationship with Namibia-based Windhoek Brewery, further solidifying its presence on the African continent. With the two mega-brands increasingly competing against one another, we start to speculate on an impending “beer war” as both strive to increase their market share.

With South Africa’s economy facing challenges, including inflation, an inefficient government, and a declining local currency value, the prices of imported brands have become an issue for some consumers. However, this has caused a more positive shift towards South African’s local brands, as wine tourism is on the rise and overseas buyers increase. Mainly from France, buyers are establishing partnerships or acquiring assets as they are currently perceived as better value for money compared to other wine regions. South Africa offers a wide range of affordable yet highly drinkable wines, providing excellent quality and value for money.

South Africa’s top-selling brand by value is Rupert & Rothschild. Another notable brand is Chocolate Block. Produced at Boukenhoutskloof in Franschhoek, Chocolate Block has seen commercial success and involvement from former ad agency professionals, highlighting the benefits of branding expertise. However, many wine producers still remain focused on the agricultural aspects of winemaking. As a commodities based economy, South Africa has an immense opportunity to move up the value chain, like how Australia has.

In addition, spirits brands remain popular in South Africa. Here, we have a long history of producing award winning brandies on the global stage, including Van Ryn, Viceroy, and Richelieu.

South Africa’s gin landscape has also expanded, with Inverroche leading the way, now acquired by French giant Pernod Ricard.

Brand Finance Alcoholic Drinks 2023

Visit our ranking on world's most valuable and strongest alcoholic drinks brands in 2023. 

Ranked 40th in the Brand Finance Global Soft Power Index 2023, South Africa has dropped seven places since its last ranking. Despite this, South Africa remains the continent's highest ranking nation on Soft Power. Propelled by its proactive response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the nation is optimistic about its future growth across various industries, from healthcare to infrastructure.

Read Brand Finance's interview on the subject with Pumela Salela, Country Head of the UK for Brand South Africa, below.

To read more about South Africa's Soft Power, see the insight by Jeremy Sampson, Managing Director for Brand Finance Africa.

Interview with Brand South Africa

South Africa leads the ranking of Sub-Saharan nation brands in the Global Soft Power Index. It also has a significant tradition of moral leadership personalised by Nelson Mandela. What does leadership mean to South Africans and how can they help other African nation brands find their voice on the global stage?

Visionary and collaborative leadership is at the heart of our regional engagement strategy. Key initiatives such as the South Africa Investment Conference (SAIC) and the AfCFTA, South Africa are working towards challenging the notion that it is the exception to the continent, when in fact it is a committed partner to attaining the collective goal of regional growth and prosperity.

 As the oldest nation branding agency on the continent, Brand South Africa has been tried and tested in the area of effective reputation management and nation brand marketing. As we and the rest of the continent navigate through the storms of COVID-19, we have had to look to the potential of the AfCFTA in that it holds the promise of an autonomous Africa, which is both self-sufficient and fit for purpose. The pandemic showed us that, when all is said and done, Africa must unite, not only in the rhetorical sense but in all senses: economic, political, security, health, food security, climate, and technology. Also, as the youngest continent we have an obligation to future generations to actively change the growth trajectory so we can create an environment that is conducive to solution-driven innovation and sustainable growth, that is focused on social mobility and increased inclusion.

As Brand South Africa, we understand the power of narratives and perceptions. It is for that reason that we are extending our knowledge and expertise to our regional counterparts. The success of the AfCFTA is directly linked to how Africans see themselves and how they use positive images and messaging to reach out to the rest of the region and by extension, the rest of the world. There is so much untapped potential in the region and in true African spirit – we remain true to attaining the hopes and dreams of our founding fathers of a united, peaceful, and prosperous Africa.

‘Future growth potential’ is where South Africa registers its highest score. Turning that potential into economic benefits requires focused policies. What are the key industries that South Africa is currently investing in to lay ground for future growth?

Some of the key milestones of South Africa’s Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan speak to Infrastructure and Innovation. With regards to Infrastructure, President Ramaphosa highlighted that a programme largely premised on Public-Private Partnerships would unlock investment in the sector with the goal of rebuilding world class network infrastructure to boost aggregate demand. Additional incentive programmes include the Infrastructure Fund, where the Government of South Africa has pledged a commitment to use public funds to leverage private investment on a larger scale, by positioning "South Africa as a leading market for global business services, leveraging our unique strengths in customer service, broadband infrastructure, and expert skills”

The COVID-19 pandemic showed South Africa and the region, that healthcare security is essential for a nation - and more so a region - to successfully navigate a health crisis. As a country, health crisis is a phenomenon that we are very familiar with, having dealt with some of the highest numbers of HIV/ AIDS cases in the world. We had to not only gain the knowledge, but also work towards creating domestic solutions that ensure that we contain the virus and educate our citizens.

The HIV/AIDS crisis was slightly different than COVID-19 in that the fake news/ misinformation phenomenon did not influence the public at the kind of level that it currently does. Various media platforms and social media drove a narrative that dangerously influenced global policy. For an emerging economy like ours, the goal was to use the lessons and structures we built in response to the HIV/AIDS crisis to successfully navigate through another health crisis.

On the positive end of things, South Africa saw its innovation capabilities as a necessity to the region and the rest of the world. As such we, through initiatives like TRIPS, were able to look to our existing pharmaceutical manufacturing capabilities to step in and display the true potential that the region has. The collective good faith that was displayed by the international community was instrumental in ensuring that South Africa became one of the first countries in Africa to manufacture and distribute a COVID-19 vaccine.

The various endorsements from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the African Union (AU), provided the necessary buy-in for the rest of the region and world, to chart a new course for African self-sufficiency. It also showed the world our innovation capabilities through the well-established Aspen Pharmacare and Afrigen Biologics, and the newly established Biovac Institute, which is a public-private initiative. These projects will greatly aid South Africa in our quest to become a hub of scientific innovation, research and development, especially in vaccine manufacturing for COVID-19, cancer, tuberculosis, and other potential pandemics.

Brand South Africa has been following the Brand Finance rankings for many years. How does understanding nation brand perceptions help inform your marketing strategy?

As the custodian of the South African nation brand, our primary mandate is to ensure that we understand how the country and by extension the nation brand is perceived. Perception by its very nature is driven by a set of ideas and narratives that are directly and indirectly created by particular events, dynamics, and characteristics. As such, it is our goal to firstly understand the drivers of those perceptions and work towards curating a narrative that seeks to shift the focus of particular perceptions. The work done through the Global Soft Power Index provides us with key insights into perceptions about South Africa – where to leverage and build on our strengths and where to implement interventions that will deal with our weaknesses, in a relevant and accurate manner. Simply put, research insights provide us with the analysis and interpretation of human behaviour and trends, so we may improve the effectiveness of our targeted marketing efforts.

Insights on South Africa

South Africa is currently facing many challenges that are holding it back from realizing its full potential. Its political leaders are more focused on personal gain and maintaining their grip on power rather than serving the country. The African National Congress (ANC), which is South Africa's ruling party and a "liberation party," has been plagued by corruption. With a general election scheduled for next year, the ANC is concerned about losing control.

Despite these issues, South Africa has much to offer. As the UK’s The Economist magazine wrote earlier this year: ‘South Africa has world class miners, manufacturers, and farmers. But its exporters cannot get their goods out of the country, they cannot make any money. South Africa is regularly referred to as Sub Saharan Africa’s most industrialised country. That is still there for the moment.’ However, none of the State Owned Enterprises (SOEs), which include electricity, roads, rail, ports, and the post office, are well-managed, and none of them are profitable.

South Africa has been suffering from power cuts for over 15 years, which are worse than ever and have had a debilitating effect on the country. This is due to bad planning, lack of maintenance, lack of investment, and corruption that continues to plague the country.

Businesses have invested heavily in generators and solar power, and even private homeowners have had to invest in batteries, inverters, and solar. This has led to a major supermarket chain spending over GBP 3 million a month on diesel fuel, while KFC is reducing its number of branches to manage the situation. Smaller brands are similarly struggling to survive as a result.

Despite its challenges, South Africa still ranks highest in Soft Power in Africa, with a score of 42.5 and 40th place globally, which is still way ahead of Mauritius (67), Rwanda (85), Nigeria (93), Botswana (96), and Kenya (100). South Africa's high score is largely due to its familiarity with other countries.

However, on most other metrics, it ranks either average or below average. For example, its scores on 'education and science' and 'governance' are particularly low. These issues impact the overall mood of the country, and many people are either emigrating or thinking about it. Some are moving to the Western Cape province, which is home to Cape Town and is governed more efficiently by a different political party than the rest of the country, which is still in the hands of the ANC.

Joining the BRICS liaison, which consists of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, had the potential to benefit South Africa. However, South Africa's mostly neutral stance on Russia is creating issues. Even Brazil has criticized Russia's aggressive actions, particularly the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Presently, war games are taking place in the Indian Ocean off the coast of South Africa, involving warships from Russia, China, and South Africa. As a result, the leading South African daily newspaper released an editorial on February 17th, stating: "Our shameful relationship with a rogue state - we are navigating stormy waters with nothing to gain. How much harm will South Africa suffer from its naval exercise?"

South Africa's Soft Power, which is the ability to influence and attract others through cultural, political, and economic means, has been affected by various factors, including its neutrality on Russia and its participation in war games with Russia and China. The country has also faced challenges in areas such as education, science, and governance, which have impacted its international ratings. Nevertheless, South Africa remains a popular destination for tourists due to its stunning scenery, wildlife, and wine.

To improve its Soft Power, South Africa needs to address its challenges, such as corruption and poor governance, and allow the private sector to play a more significant role in the country's development. With a wealth of talented people and natural resources, South Africa has the potential to move forward and achieve its full potential.

Global Soft Power Index 2023

Explore the findings of the world's most comprehensive research study on perceptions of nation brands, presented in a downloadable report and an interactive dashboard.

Nations as tourism brands

Jeremy Sampson

It is not that long ago that brands and branding were seen as the sole preserve of the FMCG brigade. Not anymore. Today everything is brandable from people to countries. And that means a value can be put on everyone and everything.

Tourism is a major potential source of income for all countries, regions, and cities. But competition is intense and so it is essential to ensure all touchpoints of the brand are aligned to provide the best possible experience.

Africa is a patchwork quilt of 54 countries, with a plethora of different cultures, currencies, and local languages. This fragmented geography, slowly harmonising, remains an obstacle to both easier trade and tourism.

Another issue is the perception that Africa is a long way from everywhere, which is far from reality. South Africa remains the gateway to the continent, with Johannesburg the hub.

Today, everyone has to fight for a share of the tourism wallet. Remember: it’s the brand, stupid

Attracting green field investment

Laurence Newell

Nation branding applies widely-used marketing concepts to countries in the interest of enhancing their reputation – principally among institutional investors – and why not?

Corporate marketing has created immense value through brands, based on a clear understanding of certain consumption patterns and how brands meet them. Much like consumers, investors are predictable, and nation brand managers need to study their needs.

Central to positioning a nation brand is a clear understanding of what drives investor decision-making.

Having had the opportunity in the past to help define brand strategy for the investor relations arm of Brand Mexico, critical to success in that project was an understanding of what was most important to investors, and what drives their motivation to select a nation over another.

Focusing on measurement and collecting the right data going forward is a competitive advantage in itself, and knowing what not to measure can be as important as understanding what should be measured. Certainly, the closer a metric is to income – or in this case, investment – the more seriously it will be taken by management.

National quality mark

Samir Dixit

Every country aims to drive some form of competitive advantage for their products through the country’s brand image. Some use tourism advertising, some FDI campaigns, and some global events such as the Olympics. But all these drive the “inbound”, which in an economic context is equivalent to focusing on imports only. What about exports – the “outbound”? After all, most countries have a better chance to ride out an economic slump due to their export concentration.

In the international marketplace, consumers have a much wider choice of products from different countries. They seek higher assurance of quality than what they simply get through the place of origin. Consumers need a warranty and assurance from governments about the quality of exported products. And the solution simply lays in a strong “National Quality Mark” which endorses quality and authenticity.

Due to the efforts of a national mark program called “Vietnam Value”, Vietnam’s processed food industry now contributes upwards of US$17 billion of the country’s exports. The apparel industry makes up over US$22 billion of exports. These economic contributions are absolutely crucial for Vietnam’s overall growth and would not have been entirely possible without the concentrated efforts by Vietnam’s government.

A well-managed national quality mark is key to nation brand success and doing it right can bring great benefits.

Opportunities for GI products

Ruchi Gunewardene

By virtue of a country’s bio-diversity, climate conditions, heritage and cultural diversity, many unique commodities and products are made available that generate appeal among customers in other countries. Whilst these are often traded, there is an opportunity for greater value creation by protecting their source of origin so that similar products from another region cannot unfairly exploit the reputation that has been amassed.

Every nation in the world has such valuable intangible assets. These exported products add to the perceptions around a nation’s brand. However, a lot of work needs to go into protecting, regulating, and managing them in order to create an effective global marketing strategy and extract the hidden value.

Ceylon tea is a good example of a country of origin product that has survived for 150 years after it was first exported to the UK. Although it still retains the perception of being a good quality tea, it is now under pressure to use modern marketing and branding techniques to stay relevant in these rapidly changing times.

Branding strategies centring on the geographical origin of a product is a key basis for differentiating them from commodity products. And the use of such “geographical indication” (GI) can involve a range of unique quality characteristics associated with a particular location.

Brand Finance Nation Brands 2021

Read our annual report on the most valuable and strongest nation brands.

While the nation’s economy – already regarded as ‘junk status’ by the ratings agencies – has experienced severe head winds, along with the rest of the world, the mining sector as a whole is enjoying the current commodities boom.

Mining could be even more viable if only government would slash the red tape holding back progress. At the annual Mining Indaba, the leader of the industry body said the relevant minister could release billions of Rand in development at the stroke of a pen. Agriculture has also made a strong showing due to favourable weather and rain at the right time.

However, the alcohol industry has taken a severe beating, with many producers either closing or staggering on. It was reported that around 50% of the entire 2020 vintage remained unbottled as at November. The wine industry has been locked down for no less than three periods over the last 12 months. However, the trade spat between China and Australia has resulted in wine exports from the latter all but ceasing, resulting in South African exports to China jumping by 50%. South African digital wine retailers have also blossomed, with many good brands discounted – value for money is world beating. That being said, the periodic alcohol bans had the unfortunate side effect of Anheuser Busch cancelling a much-needed promise of inward investment.

Another major source of employment and income is hospitality; the world class hotels, guest houses, restaurants, pubs and game parks, many situated in the most beautiful scenic geography – all severely impacted. Again, businesses have closed, are mothballed, jobs lost and the full impact still to be seen as the summer season comes to an end. For now, the Rand is reasonably strong against major hard currencies – meaning good value ideal for a holidays.

Europe remains a major trading partner, so the impact of Brexit still has to be gauged. Simply being on similar time zones has many advantages. Business goes on as Zoom, Teams and Skype have come into their own. Contact with colleagues worldwide in many cases are better today than previously. At last, Africa is moving away from its highly fragmented past with the creation of the African Continental Free Trade Area to be known as ‘AfCFTA’. Over time, the benefits from this new trading block will be significant.

The big challenge will remain the pandemic. The uncertainty and new strains mutating at an alarming rate means the scientific world is heroically attempting to chase it down. To date only a handful of predominantly front line workers on the continent have been vaccinated as well as a couple of the former French territories in North Africa. There remains much uncertainty about procurement and roll-out, yet the expertise and infrastructure are in place. So the borders, for the most part, are closed.

South Africa is often accused of having an economy of “haves and have nots”. At the moment, this is becoming a global phenomenon as vaccine nationalism raises its head. To tame COVID-19, the whole world will need to be vaccinated – and perhaps like the flu, we may require an annual jab to overcome the new versions that will emerge.

Interview with Dr Petrus de Kock

In this year’s Index, South Africa is by far the highest ranked nation from Sub-Saharan Africa. Where do you see the focus of South Africa’s soft power activity in the coming years as a regional leader – globally or on the continent of Africa?

The soft power assets the South African Nation Brand has in its ‘arsenal’ are diverse, and resilient. Through several primary research engagements - in peer African markets, Asia, Europe, and the Americas - Brand South Africa has found that the country’s profile, reputation, and influence are anchored in several aspects pertaining to its democratic transparency and free press, its diverse economy, and infrastructural base. However, towering head and shoulders above the forementioned factors, in terms of soft power influence (and brand association), is an agglomeration that emanates from the deep creative heart that beats in mountains, forests, deserts, cities, and towns of this country. The proverbial beat of South Africa’s soft power heart lies in its people and the art, music (just think of the epic global influence South African jazz has had on ears around the planet!), film, entertainment, and the country’s vibrant cultural scene. 

The past 12 months have been like no other. What projects or campaigns have you developed at Brand South Africa to address new challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic – especially in the key fields of tourism, trade, investment?

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic Brand South Africa supported the national effort aimed at curbing the spread. This took the form of awareness campaigns, and direct support of government and the private sector. During 2020, South Africa hosted the third annual South African Investment Conference (2020). In 2018, President Ramaphosa announced a five-year investment drive with the goal of attracting $100 billion investment. The SAIC was successful in a year where global FDI dropped by an estimated 30-40%. At the 2020 SAIC a total investment commitment of R109.6bn were made. Investment pledges came from South African companies looking to expand operations to fully unlock regional potential under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Domestic Investment continued to be vibrant making up 50.6% of the announcements. The foreign component was also strong, making up almost 49.4% of the total.

In this digital age, we are witnessing how soft power tools can be leveraged for hard power purposes – with fake news, social media bots, and cyber-attacks the disappointing new normal of our online reality. Is it even worth playing fair?

The deployment of soft power assets in 21^st Century international relations, as well as the discourse on it, will increasingly have to engage with and understand that while perception may be reality, the grand battlefront of this century is already in the digital or virtual realms. If the exercise of soft power aims to convince, or quietly shift an audience or a country’s decision/policy makers to a point of view favourably disposed to yours, then it is evident that such actions will most likely be taken in - through digital and other ‘old tech’ communications platforms (media, radio, television, etc). This means that your perception of the world could potentially become a sitting duck target for anyone intent on shifting opinion, changing perception, and ultimately alter someone, a country, or decision maker’s reality.

While assets of hard power (Smart Bombs, UAV’s, Robotic Dogs, and as small-as-a-fly spy machines) pose risks in material battlespaces, the risk in the domain of soft power is that humans might get lost and blown away in the info-war winds that blow in vast digital informational battlespaces. The question is whether information warfare campaigns aimed at having soft power effects (changing minds), are not pushing soft power ever closer to the invisible digitised domains of war. A type of war where the aim is to capture minds, and shape/alter realities through (dis)information, fake news, information war campaigns, and opinion manipulation, facilitated by impersonal and democratically unaccountable AI’s, deployed by Digital Multinational Corporations that are seemingly even less accountable than their digital tools.

Brand Finance Global Soft Power Index 2021 

Read the full report to learn more about the world's leading soft power nations.