M-Pesa tops Kenya’s Superbrands 2026 ranking
M-Pesa has been ranked Kenya’s strongest brand for 2026 in Superbrands East Africa’s annual consumer rankings, with Safaricom, its parent company, in second place.
Samsung came third, followed by WhatsApp and Google. Naivas, Dettol, Bolt, Kenya Airways and YouTube completed the top 10. Tech and digital platforms took seven of the top 10 places.
The rankings are based on research by Kantar. About 2,250 consumers across Kenya rated more than 1,900 shortlisted brands in 112 categories on quality, reliability and distinction. M-Pesa scored 91.9 overall, with 98% awareness, the highest of any brand.
The study found that 86% of consumers surveyed are likely to buy a product or service carrying the Superbrands seal, and 84% say the recognition would increase their trust in a brand. However, only 63% would consider paying more for a brand with the seal, suggesting Kenyan consumers remain highly conscious of value.
“Kenyan consumers have many brands to choose from, but what ultimately matters is whether a brand delivers on its promises,” said Jawad Jaffer, project director and associate publisher at Superbrands East Africa.
“For businesses, this is a reminder that consumer trust must be earned consistently through brand building, not simply through advertising.”
Influencers face trust gap
The research also looked at the role of social media influencers in purchasing decisions. It found that 58% of consumers trust influencer recommendations at least some of the time, but only 10% trust them consistently. Another 42% said they do not trust them at all, either because they see endorsements as insincere or because they prefer to make their own decisions.
Product packaging remains the main way consumers see the Superbrands seal, cited by 64% of respondents, followed by television at 31% and social media at 29%. While 50% associate the seal with excellence, quality and trust, 26% mistake it for a manufacturer’s logo.
Keith Pere and Wetindi Patrick, project leads at Kantar Insights EA, said the strongest brands are those that meet consumers’ functional and emotional needs while offering something meaningfully different from competitors.
Other tech brands in the top 30 include TikTok at 13th, LG at 24th and Glovo at 27th. Equity Bank was the highest-ranked bank, at 21st.
Consumer willingness to recommend Superbrands-recognised brands has also improved, with the Net Promoter Score rising from 10 in 2024 to 31 in 2026.
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