{"id":10406,"date":"2021-02-26T16:55:51","date_gmt":"2021-02-26T16:55:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/?post_type=press-release&#038;p=10406"},"modified":"2021-10-01T10:34:00","modified_gmt":"2021-10-01T09:34:00","slug":"global-soft-power-index-2021-south-africa-ranks-37th-overall","status":"publish","type":"press-release","link":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/press-releases\/global-soft-power-index-2021-south-africa-ranks-37th-overall","title":{"rendered":"Global Soft Power Index 2021: South Africa ranks 37th overall"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Following a 0.7-point increase, <strong>South Africa<\/strong> scores <strong>37.2 out of 100 <\/strong>to <strong>rank 37<sup>th<\/sup><\/strong> <strong>overall <\/strong>in Brand Finance\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/brandirectory.com\/globalsoftpower\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Global Soft Power Index 2021<\/a><\/li><li><strong>Germany claims top spot<\/strong> in Brand Finance\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/brandirectory.com\/globalsoftpower\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Global Soft Power Index 2021<\/a>, while <strong>US is fastest-falling nation in ranking<\/strong>, down to 6<sup>th<\/sup> place<\/li><li>Hailed as global success story in response to COVID-19, <strong>New Zealand is fastest-improving in ranking<\/strong>, climbing up to 16<sup>th<\/sup><\/li><li>Well-governed nations climb ranks in the top 20 - <strong>Japan is top-performing Asian nation<\/strong> and second overall, just behind Germany<\/li><li>Traditional powerhouses \u2013 <strong>UK<\/strong> (3<sup>rd<\/sup>), <strong>France<\/strong> (7<sup>th<\/sup>), <strong>China<\/strong> (8<sup>th<\/sup>), <strong>Russia<\/strong> (13<sup>th<\/sup>), <strong>Italy<\/strong> (19<sup>th<\/sup>), <strong>Spain<\/strong> (22<sup>nd<\/sup>) - see mixed perceptions of pandemic responses<\/li><li>Middle Eastern nations dream big \u2013 <strong>UAE ranked highest in 17<sup>th<\/sup><\/strong>, as it sends probe to Mars and receives top marks in the region for its handling of COVID-19<\/li><li><strong>Global Soft Power Index expanded to 100 nations<\/strong> with <strong>Iceland<\/strong> (30<sup>th<\/sup>) and <strong>Luxembourg<\/strong> (32<sup>nd<\/sup>) highest ranked new entrants<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><a class=\"rank-math-link\" href=\"https:\/\/brandirectory.com\/globalsoftpower\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">View Brand Finance's Global Soft Power Index 2021 report here<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>South Africa ranks 37th in Global Soft Power Index<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While ten nations from Sub-Saharan Africa make this year\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/brandirectory.com\/globalsoftpower\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Global Soft Power Index<\/a>, they unfortunately all rank in the bottom 20, just behind Nigeria at 82<sup>nd<\/sup>. However, South Africa consistently outperforms its neighbours, ranking 37<sup>th<\/sup> overall with a Global Soft Power score of 37.2 out of 100, following a 0.7-point year-on-year increase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>South Africa has also seen an increase in Business &amp; Trade, jumping from 36<sup>th<\/sup> to 33<sup>rd<\/sup> overall after a 0.4-point increase to 3.4 out of 10. Aided by good weather and rain at the right time, agricultural output has been extremely advantageous in the past year \u2013 coupled with the trade spat between China and Australia, South Africa has seen a 50% rise in wine exports to the East Asian superpower.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While trade is up, South Africa has placed in the latter third of the Index for COVID-19 response, ranking 72<sup>nd<\/sup> with a score of 2.92 out of 10. Although the expertise and infrastructure may be in place for vaccinating the population, there remains much uncertainty about procurement and roll-out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jeremy Sampson, Managing Director, Brand Finance Africa, commented:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cSouth Africa is a country of frighteningly good possibilities punching way below its weight. Being a young emerging country with a complex history brings many challenges, further complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The uncertainty and new strains mutating at<\/em><br><em>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. To tame COVID-19, the whole world will need to be vaccinated \u2013 and perhaps like the flu, we may require an annual jab to overcome the new versions that will emerge.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Germany claims top spot<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A beacon of stability in a turbulent year, <strong>Germany<\/strong> has usurped the United States to become the world\u2019s leading soft power superpower, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/brandirectory.com\/globalsoftpower\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Global Soft Power Index 2021<\/a> \u2013 the world\u2019s most comprehensive research study on perceptions of nation brands, released today at the <a href=\"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/events\/global-soft-power-summit-2021\">Global Soft Power Summit<\/a>, hosted by Brand Finance \u2013 the world\u2019s leading brand valuation consultancy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With a Global Soft Power Index score of 62.2 out of 100, Germany has a clear 1.6-point lead over second-ranked <strong>Japan<\/strong> (60.6), and performs consistently across the Index\u2019s 11 metrics, placing in the top five across nine of these, and ranking highest for statements in the International Relations, Governance, and Business &amp; Trade pillars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>David Haigh, CEO of Brand Finance, commented:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cAngela Merkel has been commanding Germany and the continent since 2005, and despite mixed opinions of her leadership on home soil, she is hailed globally by the general public as the world\u2019s most respected leader. Her long tenure at the helm of the nation has provided a strong and stable presence against the backdrop of unpredictable and erratic counterparts.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>2021 marks the year that Europe and Germany will have to negotiate the significant void as Merkel prepares to step down as Chancellor, both her home nation and fellow-Europeans alike will be hoping Germany\u2019s reliable leadership will continue as the world works towards a post-COVID recovery.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Merkel\u2019s response to the COVID-19 pandemic epitomises her renowned credibility, with the specialist audiences surveyed perceiving Germany as the nation that handled the pandemic the best, and the general public ranking the nation 5<sup>th<\/sup>. A scientist by training, Merkel\u2019s response was solely data-driven, and her methodical approach was viewed as a relative success on the global stage, proven by the nation recording consistently lower cases per 100,000 than its Western European counterparts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"939\" height=\"939\" src=\"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Picture1-5.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10407\" srcset=\"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Picture1-5.png 939w, https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Picture1-5-450x450.png 450w, https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Picture1-5-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Picture1-5-768x768.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 939px) 100vw, 939px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The demise of US soft power?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A year of widespread turmoil has been starkly reflected in America\u2019s steep drop in the Global Soft Power Index 2021, making it the fastest-falling nation globally. Between a turbulent election campaign and a haphazard COVID-19 response, the nation has lost its position as the world\u2019s soft power superpower, falling to 6<sup>th<\/sup> position with an overall Index score of 55.9 out of 100.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With former President Trump\u2019s hesitance to acknowledge the scale and severity of the crisis derided at home and abroad, the <strong>United States<\/strong> finds itself at the very bottom of the COVID metric \u2013 ranking an abysmal 105<sup>th<\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>David Haigh, CEO of Brand Finance, commented:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cThe raging of the virus across the US combined with former President Trump\u2019s rebuke of medical expertise and touting of reckless home-remedies is the most likely culprit for the waning of America\u2019s long-held role model status internationally, at a time where sensible global leadership has arguably been most needed.\u201d<\/em><em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Well-governed nations climb ranks in the top&nbsp;20<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Europe and Asia command most of this year\u2019s best performing nations, taking a cumulative 75% of the top 20 spots in the Global Soft Power Index 2021. <strong>Japan<\/strong> is the top performing Asian nation and second overall (60.6 out of 100), jumping up two spots from last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Japan continues to reap the rewards of its strong brands, solid consumer spend, and high levels of business investment, again ranking first in the Business &amp; Trade pillar. Additionally, Japan has seen an improvement in its Education &amp; Science score, now ranking first in this metric too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Countries with a high overall Index score, such as <strong>Canada<\/strong> (4<sup>th<\/sup> \u2013 57.2) and <strong>Switzerland<\/strong> (5<sup>th<\/sup> \u2013 56.3), also scored within the top five nations in three key metrics: Reputation, Governance, and their COVID-19 response, suggesting a correlation between perceptions of how well-governed a country is and assessments of its handling of the pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the flip side, ranking 47<sup>th<\/sup> in the overall Index, <strong>Vietnam<\/strong> (33.8) is a nation that objectively managed COVID-19 extremely well, but is not getting credit for it from the general public around the globe, most likely because of poor governance perceptions (68<sup>th<\/sup>) and a relatively low familiarity around the world. Vietnam was spared a year of lockdowns and besieged hospitals, and has one of the lowest COVID-19 infection and death rates in the world. Not only is the response to the pandemic impressive \u2013 given its shared border with China \u2013 but Vietnam also experienced one of the highest economic growth rates globally in 2020 \u2013 one of a handful of countries with positive growth in 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Powerhouses suffer amid poor pandemic responses<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Following a year defined by national lockdowns, travel restrictions, and social distancing measures, perceptions of soft power have been significantly influenced by nations\u2019 approaches towards the COVID-19 pandemic. Those who reacted promptly and effectively \u2013implementing early lockdowns and tight border restrictions \u2013 have performed well across many other metrics too, such as <strong>Australia<\/strong> which is the only nation to break into the top 10 this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Conversely, 13 nations have observed an overall drop in their Global Soft Power Index scores as media scrutiny of their handling of the virus caused negative trends across the Influence, Culture &amp; Heritage, and People &amp; Values metrics. Among these is the <strong>United Kingdom<\/strong>, dropping 3.9 points to an overall Index score of 57.9 out of 100, however still defending its 3<sup>rd<\/sup> place position in the Global Soft Power Index. This follows extensive criticism towards Boris Johnson\u2019s government for an unclear approach to curbing the spread of the virus and reluctance towards implementing a lockdown, resulting in high death rates across the United Kingdom. Perceptions are likely to further improve in the coming year following the United Kingdom\u2019s Brexit deal, as well as its vaccination programme, which currently races ahead of its European counterparts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Across the Channel, <strong>France<\/strong> (55.4) has recorded depreciating scores across several metrics, most notably in Culture &amp; Heritage and Influence, where it has dropped by 0.4 and 0.2 points, respectively. These metrics have likely been influenced by the lull in the hospitality and tourism industry following the COVID-19 pandemic, with fewer people able to experience France\u2019s culture, heritage, and culinary delights. On the other hand, the nation has only experienced a marginal drop of 0.1 point in the Business &amp; Trade pillar, as France is increasingly regarded as one of the top European nations for attracting foreign investment opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the East, <strong>China<\/strong> (54.3) and <strong>Russia<\/strong> (50.5), have both observed a drop in their scores across the Reputation and International Relations pillars, though China has held on to its place in the top 10 while Russia has dropped to 13<sup>th<\/sup> position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>China\u2019s performance in the Global Soft Power Index was likely impacted by the global media coverage of COVID-19 cases in the city of Wuhan, even though the authorities addressed the crisis very effectively and China is one of only a few countries around the world to have got the epidemic under control and to register positive GDP growth at the end of 2020. The nation has also seen a 0.5 drop in the Governance pillar, as Western perceptions of China\u2019s political system hold it back from improving its overall score.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Notably, as both nations made the significant scientific strides of developing their own vaccines, China and Russia have observed improving scores of 1.1 and 0.8 respectively in the Education &amp; Science pillar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the southern Mediterranean, both <strong>Italy<\/strong> (48.3) and <strong>Spain<\/strong> (47.5) have suffered a significant drop in the Index, with Italy sliding down 8 spots to 19th position and Spain slipping out of the top 20 \u2013 from 16<sup>th<\/sup> to 22<sup>nd<\/sup>. At the start of the pandemic, both nations made front-page news around the world due to the heavy death tolls brought about by the first wave, with the Italian health system nearing collapse in certain regions. In Spain, where mortality rates per 100,000 were among the highest in the world, a lapsing political consensus on how to handle the pandemic cost the government valuable time in curbing the spread of COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>New Zealand <\/strong><strong>hailed as global success story &nbsp;<\/strong><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>New<\/strong> <strong>Zealand<\/strong> is the fastest-improving nation in the Index, claiming 16<sup>th<\/sup> place in the ranking with an overall Global Soft Power Index score of 49.3 \u2013 up six places from 2020. Scoring 5.9 out of 10, the nation leads globally for its COVID-19 response, which has been praised and envied the world over. Swift and decisive action in shutting borders and enforcing mandatory quarantine left the nation free of COVID-19 for months, while others saw daily case rates in the thousands. The government has been so successful in suppressing the disease that social distancing is not required, with tens of thousands attending a music festival in December. Perceptions of New Zealand have no doubt been bolstered as nations such as the UK and the US cede their usual place as leaders in public health, with both battling repeated waves of the virus among loosened restrictions and ongoing debates about lockdowns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>David Haigh, CEO of Brand Finance, commented:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern\u2019s leadership has been widely credited as confident and decisive, hailed by some as key to the nation\u2019s success in battling the pandemic \u2013 a view that is clearly reflected in her top 10 position among the world\u2019s respected leaders. Her leadership is perhaps at the heart of New Zealand\u2019s increased recognition in Influence, International Relations, and Governance in the Global Soft Power Index 2021.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Middle Eastern nations dream big<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fifteen nations from the Middle East &amp; North Africa (MENA) region feature in the Global Soft Power Index 2021, and those that featured in the Index last year have all seen their scores improve: the <strong>UAE<\/strong> (up 2.4 points); <strong>Saudi<\/strong> <strong>Arabia<\/strong> (up 2.3 points); <strong>Israel<\/strong> (up 1.1 points); <strong>Qatar<\/strong> (up 3.8 points); <strong>Egypt<\/strong> (up 3.5 points); <strong>Iran<\/strong> (up 0.4 points); <strong>Algeria<\/strong> (up 1.3 points); and <strong>Iraq<\/strong> (up 2.5 points).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <strong>UAE<\/strong> is the region\u2019s highest ranked nation with an overall Index score of 48.4 out of 100, simultaneously inching up the Index to 17<sup>th<\/sup> globally. The nation celebrates significantly improved scores across the Governance (18<sup>th<\/sup>), Education &amp; Science (19<sup>th<\/sup>) and People &amp; Values (24<sup>th<\/sup>) pillars \u2013 recording the greatest increase in the Governance pillar in the top 20 (up 0.8 points), as perceptions of its political stability improve. The UAE\u2019s neighbours \u2013 Qatar and Saudi Arabia \u2013 have also celebrated marked improvements across the Governance pillar, with significant jumps in positive perceptions of their leaders, as well as views of being a safe and secure nation.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>David Haigh, CEO of Brand Finance, commented:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cAs the nation approaches its 50<sup>th<\/sup> birthday in December, the UAE continues to flourish and showcase its impressive growth trajectory, reflected in its 13<sup>th<\/sup> rank for future growth potential among the general public. The successful Emirates Mars Mission is a clear example of the nation punching above its weight, entering the race with global heavyweights China and the US, also forming an integral part of the nation\u2019s journey to diversify its economy with sights set on long-term growth.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Iceland and Luxembourg highest rank<\/strong><strong>ed new entrants<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Global Soft Power Index 2021 has been expanded to include 100 nations and therefore welcomes 40 new entrants to this year\u2019s ranking. Out of these, <strong>Iceland<\/strong> (30<sup>th<\/sup> \u2013 39.9) and <strong>Luxembourg<\/strong> (32<sup>nd<\/sup> \u2013 39.0) are the highest-ranked nations. Both nations score well in Governance (Iceland \u2013 19<sup>th<\/sup>; Luxembourg \u2013 21<sup>st<\/sup>) and COVID-19 response (Iceland \u2013 18<sup>th<\/sup>; Luxembourg \u2013 26<sup>th<\/sup>) \u2013 two metrics with significant correlation in this year\u2019s Index.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>ENDS<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Following a 0.7-point increase, South Africa scores 37.2 out of 100 to rank 37th overall in Brand Finance\u2019s Global Soft Power Index 2021 Germany claims top spot in Brand Finance\u2019s Global Soft Power Index 2021, while US is fastest-falling nation in ranking, down to 6th place Hailed as global success story in response to COVID-19, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":4452,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","tags":[27,97,28],"class_list":["post-10406","press-release","type-press-release","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-africa","tag-global-soft-power-index","tag-nigeria"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press-release\/10406","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press-release"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/press-release"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10406"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press-release\/10406\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12798,"href":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press-release\/10406\/revisions\/12798"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4452"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10406"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10406"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}