According to the bank, this recognition was 'only made possible by its customers'.

"It indicates that they have trusted the brand to deliver on our promise of help, for which we are immensely grateful for," says the bank.

"As a brand, we've been on a journey to place the customer at the centre of everything we do, building integrated financial solutions that address core customer needs and consistently innovating at the back of understanding what these are," says Faye Mfikwe, FNB's chief marketing officer.

"This has resulted in improved customer trust and an understanding of the relevance of the brand in our customers’ lives, culminating in us being recognised as the most valuable brand in South Africa, an accolade that we’re extremely proud of,” adds Mfikwe.

The BrandZ™ report has indicated that 90% of South Africans want brands to talk about how they can be helpful in the new everyday life. FNB has improved on key measures of corporate and social responsibility, as a result of being very deliberate in sponsoring nation building.

This was done through the association with the Springboks and, more recently, a campaign that calls on all South Africans to support local businesses and help to rebuild our economy.

The report suggests that the brand is also passionate about helping in the communities it operates in through supporting the vulnerable groups in our society, whether it be early childhood development or providing support to the elderly.

"Trust has formed the basis of our journey towards building a helpful brand. In these times of uncertainty our strategy of building a superior customer experience through our platform journey has stood us in good stead and allowed us to fast-track the adoption of our digital solutions and ensure that we continue to provide solutions that are specifically tailored to our customers context," concludes Mfikwe.

For more information, visit www.fnb.co.za