Checkers zooms up the rankings to become SA’s strongest brand of 2025

Checkers has emerged as the strongest South African brand for 2025, moving up from third place in 2024 with a remarkable seven-point increase in its Brand Strength Index (BSI) score.

With a score of 97.7 out of 100, Checkers has solidified its position as the leader in retail, outperforming all other brands in the country.

Over the past six months, the retailer has seen an impressive surge in customer loyalty, with 75,000 more customers choosing to shop at Checkers stores or online every day.

In addition to its overall brand strength, Checkers has secured the top spot as South Africa’s leading retail brand.

With a brand value increase of 23%, the Checkers brand is now valued at R23.5bn, sixth overall in terms of brand value.

Its sister company, Shoprite, follows closely behind with a brand value of R20.1bn,  securing third place in the retail sector and a spot in the top 10 of the overall rankings.

Brand Finance, the consultancy responsible for the ranking, evaluates more than 5,000 brands each year, analysing their brand value and strength.

The valuation considers the economic benefits a brand owner would achieve by licensing the brand in the open market, while the brand strength score reflects a brand's performance on intangible measures such as consumer perceptions, engagement and loyalty.

Brand Finance attributes Checkers' surge in ranking to its exceptional domestic brand perceptions.

The retailer received perfect scores of 10 out of 10 in key areas such as "brand I love", "engagement", consideration, recommendation and "word of mouth".

In particular, South African consumers are highly satisfied with Checkers' pricing regime, which is a major factor driving its strong performance.

Following Checkers, Clicks is second with a BSI score of 97.0, while Pick n Pay rounds out the top three with 96.8.

Pick n Pay’s strong performance is especially notable, as it jumped from eighth in 2024.

The South Africa 100 2025 ranking reveals a significant shift, with retail brands now leading banking institutions.

Six of the top 10 strongest brands are retailers: Checkers, Clicks, and Pick n Pay, Mr Price, Dis-Chem and Woolworths.

In comparison, the banking sector is represented by Capitec, ranked fifth, and First National Bank, in eighth spot. Insurance brands like Outsurance (sixth) and Old Mutual (tenth) also make strong appearances in the top 10.

All top 10 brands in the South Africa 100 2025 ranking earned AAA+ ratings, the highest possible brand strength rating from Brand Finance.

These brands outperform some of the world’s most renowned retailers, including Walmart in the US, Marks & Spencer in the UK, and Coles in Australia.

South African brands are not only leading domestically but are also making their mark on the global stage, particularly in the retail and insurance sectors.

Capitec, ranked the sixth-strongest banking brand globally, is a standout, while Outsurance and Old Mutual continue to be among the strongest insurance brands worldwide.

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