MTN Uganda clinched seven awards at the Brand Africa 100 gala held at the Kampala Serena Hotel, including the coveted Grand Prix Award, reinforcing its position as the country’s most admired telecommunications brand.
The subsidiary of South Africa’s MTN Group walked away with top honours in the categories of Most Admired Telecommunications Brand, Most Admired African Brand (Aided Recall), Most Admired African Brand (Spontaneous Recall), Most Admired Brand Doing Good for Society and the Environment, Most Admired Brand Contributing to a Better Africa, Most Admired Brand BRICS+, and the Grand Prix Award.
MTN Uganda Chief Executive Sylvia Mulinge said the recognition demonstrated that the company was on course to deliver on its ambition to connect more Ugandans.
“MTN Uganda believes that everyone should enjoy the benefits of a modern, connected life, and these awards are a testament that we’re on the right track,” she told attendees.
The event, graced by Uganda’s State Minister for ICT and National Guidance, Godfrey Baluku Kabyanga, drew policymakers, business executives, and innovators. Kabyanga hailed Uganda’s liberalized economy and political stability as a favorable environment for brand growth.
Brand Africa founder and chairman Thebe Ikalafeng said the rankings reflected both progress and challenges for African brands. “The challenge before us is to believe in our own. If Africans do not support African brands, we will remain economically dependent,” he said.
Joseph Kanyamunyu, head of Publics Africa Communications, the local organizing partner, noted that the awards underscored the need for collaboration between multinational and local firms to accelerate Africa’s brand competitiveness.
Launched in 2010, Brand Africa 100: Africa’s Best Brands has become the continent’s leading benchmark for brand admiration. The 2025 study surveyed 31 countries, representing over 85% of Africa’s population and GDP, to capture consumer preferences and perceptions across diverse markets. Conducted in eight languages, from Arabic to Swahili, the survey ensures inclusivity and representativeness, while the rankings are independently validated by globally respected research partners, including Geopoll and Kantar as lead partners, supported by Integrate (Morocco), Gopinion (Algeria), Analysis (Mauritius), and Oxygen (Namibia), reinforcing the credibility and authority of the awards.
Findings showed that only 18% of the most admired brands were African, highlighting the continued dominance of global companies in the region.
Other companies recognized at the awards included Coca-Cola, Movit, Rwenzori Water, and Uganda Baati, among others.
Currently, MTN Uganda serves 22.8 million subscribers, including 10.8 million active data users and 13.3 million fintech customers as of June 30, 2025, underscoring the growing importance of digital and financial services.
