Among 200 African companies that use social media and social business practices to connect with customers, telcos on the continent are proving to be the most engaging.

This is according to a research report by strategic communication agency, Cerebra, which says that mobile operators Kenya's Safaricom, MTN Nigeria, Mobinil and Maroc Telecom occupy top positions when it comes to brand social engagement in Africa.

The 2013 research report titled "Cerebra Social Business Africa Report" was also supported by social networking specialist firm Fuseware.

According to a company statement from Cerebra, the research is a quantitative and qualitative review of the top 200 companies in Africa.

The data was generated from an analysis of the social profiles of the top 200 companies by revenue from 1 January 2013 to 30 June 2013.

A Social Engagement Index (SEI), created specifically to benchmark these companies by their social influence, measured the external engagement.

And mike Stopforth, chief executive officer of Cerebra said, “Too many brands focus on likes and followers without thinking about the impact of social technologies and trends on their entire organisation.”

“Our report is the first piece of research that interrogates the African market to deliver the type of social business insights that policy and decision makers previously had little to no access,” he added.

Also included in the report is a qualitative survey of the internal social collaboration of the same 200 companies.

“This report provides insights into exactly what a large corporation needs to do to differentiate itself as a social brand. It is an indispensable tool for marketers, executives, and captains of industry with an eye on Africa”, Mike Wronski, managing director of Fuseware concluded.

More information on the summary of the report is available by clicking on this link.