Brand Finance report: South Africa’s soft power credentials on the rise

Source: www.unsplash.com

The UK is ranked third, followed by Japan (4th) and Germany (5th).

Comprehensive study

Brand Finance publishes the Global Soft Power Index based on a survey of more than 170,000 respondents from over 100 countries to gather data on global perceptions of all 193 member states of the United Nations (UN).

Thanks to the scope of the survey, the Index is the world’s most comprehensive study on perceptions of nation brands, providing an in-depth analysis of the evolving status of Soft Power as nations navigate significant global changes and challenges.

Soft Power is defined as 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. Each nation is scored across 55 different metrics to arrive at an overall score out of 100 and ranked in order from 1st to 193rd.

South Africa has climbed two ranks to 41st globally. It has also risen four ranks for ‘Familiarity’, and two ranks for ‘Influence’, underscoring its growing recognition and appeal on the global stage. In Business & Trade, it has climbed 11 ranks for its ‘products and brands the world loves’, while the country ranked 9th for its ‘Future Growth Potential”.

Apple the world’s most valuable brand… again

22 Jan 2025

On an international level, South Africa’s sporting success and the power of sport to bring people together, most recently the Springboks’ victory over New Zealand to claim the Rugby World Cup in France in 2023, contributed to the country being ranked 21st in the world as ‘Leaders in Sports’, further enhancing the nation brand to outside observers.

South Africa has also risen 30 ranks for being ‘advanced in science’ and 10 ranks for its ‘strong educational system,’ further reflecting the country’s ongoing efforts to enhance innovation, economic resilience, and global competitiveness.

Jeremy Sampson, chairman, Brand Finance Africa, commented: “South Africa has made notable progress across several key metrics of Soft Power, reflecting its efforts to enhance its global image and strengthen its nation brand. Governance, safety, and people - historically challenging areas for the South African nation brand - are seeing improved perceptions. The country has risen 31 ranks for being perceived as ‘safe and secure,’ and 22 ranks for its ‘trustworthy people.’ While there is still a great deal of work to be done, these advancements, combined with South Africa’s growing economic competitiveness, position the nation to further enhance its reputation and attractiveness in the years to come.”

Behind South Africa, Nigeria, (77th), Ghana, (90th), Kenya, (92nd) the Ivory Coast (94th), and Tanzania (95th) all rank among the top 100 Soft Power nations.

Zero-sum game

The 2025 Index reveals a growing divergence in Soft Power potential between nations, with stronger ones - like China - advancing faster while weaker ones - like Kiribati - fall further behind. The top 10 gained an average of +0.9 points in their Soft Power scores, while the bottom 10 saw a sharp decline of -3.0 points. The same is true across broader segments - within the top 100, scores rose by +0.3 on average, while the remaining 93 countries declined by -1.2, reflecting a widening gap where gains by leading nations often come at the expense of others.

Konrad Jagodzinski, place branding director, Brand Finance, commented: “While experts previously posited that all nation brands might experience a gradual score inflation over time, the data now suggests a zero-sum game, with winners and losers. The global public’s capacity to develop familiarity with and admiration for nation brands seems finite, favouring prominent countries and those making deliberate efforts to stand out. Less familiar nations struggle to capture attention and affection in this highly competitive environment.”

The US maintains its position at the top of the ranking with an all-time highest Global Soft Power Index score of 79.5 out of 100. Once again, it leads in the Familiarity and Influence Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), while its Reputation has taken a hit, falling four positions to rank 15th globally. Governance has declined four spots to 10th, likely due to internal political tensions and the polarising nature of the presidential campaign, which was underway during the time of polling.

For the first time, China has surpassed the UK to rank 2nd with a score of 72.8 out of 100 - its highest-ever position. Since 2024, China has recorded statistically significant growth across six of the eight Soft Power pillars, and in two-thirds of measured attributes. However, the United Kingdom’s drop to third place signals a period of stagnation in its nation brand perceptions, and thus the need to bolster its Soft Power strategy.