Ithala was rated 70 in the top 100 Brands Trust survey for 2007.   The survey was conducted by Ipsos Markinor in conjunction with Affinity Publishing’s Encyclopaedia of Brands and Branding. The results tracked the “trust performance” across 19 brand categories as an indicative cross section to create an overall Brand Trust Index.  

Ithala, as a service brand, falls under the banking sector and a recent article issued by Affinity Brands and Branding on the survey quotes publisher Ken Preston:  “Service brands rely on the human factor whilst manufactured goods rely almost solely on the product itself.  Trust extends beyond the delivery of the actual product and as business communities become more transparent, so the companies that produce and represent brands will come under closer consumer scrutiny. Their actions at a corporate level will impact on the trust that consumers place on their brands.” 

Commenting on the fact that the survey result signals a degree of trust in Ithala’s services, Chief Executive Ike Nxedlana stated, “It is indeed a fine achievement for a provincial development agency such as Ithala to be featured among well-known national and international brands. This accomplishment serves as a positive base from which to re-position the Ithala brand and firmly entrench the organisation as the preferred empowerment financial services provider to the people of KwaZulu-Natal.