Lexy Blog

Buying a car is not just a new year’s resolution, it’s a five- or six-year-long commitment  Many car buyers delayed their car purchases for the sake of having a car registered in the new year. This exercise is not uncommon, but it does have its drawbacks. Often a car purchased in January will have been subject to a price increase meaning your decision to delay could hit you where it hurts most – your pocket. And it may require careful budgeting to ensure you can keep up with the monthly instalments. But if you are replacing your current car in January, or if you’re a student who’s going to be getting their first car before heading off to university, here's advice for starting your new year’s budget on the right note. A new year with new beginnings, and then a new car – it’s the dream that we all want to live. But buying a car is not just a new year’s resolution, it’s a five- or six-year-long commitment. Plan correctly from the outset, and not only will your first yea

For decades, the  World Bank  has believed that the key to unlocking Africa’s prosperity lies in empowering entrepreneurs. This philosophy holds good in a world where all is equal, and all conditions hold true across all economies. But Africa is not a land that can forget its past and plunge headlong into a capitalism-fuelled future that has no roots in its rich cultural heritage and its struggle to survive amid multiple foreign invasions and gut-wrenching genocides. Five years ago, at the start of the decade, numerous books and articles crowned Africa as an upcoming player in the global economy, highlighting that young entrepreneurs were transforming the economy, much like the US economy had received a boost from its twenty-something ‘tech-preneurs’, who indeed are still ensuring that the  US stays ahead  of manufacturing giants like China.  However, today, while Africa has seen its GDP per capita increase significantly at a continent-wide level, the gains have been cornered

Several polls scheduled for 2016 could become flashpoints given the confluence of political and economic risks Source: NDI, World Bank, Oxford Analytica Outlook Elections scheduled for 2016 could become flashpoints for violence. Such risks are acute where there are grievances over leaders seeking third terms (for example, Congo-Brazzaville), entrenched political dynasties (Equatorial Guinea), manipulation of the electoral administration (Niger) or where Islamist militant groups could mount high-profile attacks on voters (Chad). In all cases, the economic downturn -- linked to weak prices for commodities such as oil and copper -- is depressing living standards, creating fertile ground for unrest. By reducing fiscal receipts, it is also raising the political stakes to retain or gain access to remaining state resources. In areas of recent civil conflict, notably Sudan's Darfur region and eastern Congo-Kinshasa, voting pressures could enflame conflict. Impacts ·     

Many African governments will feel the pinch in 2016 as shifting global economic conditions place further pressure on revenue and investment streams in the region. Already challenging socio-economic conditions will likely worsen in light of these economic headwinds, while other domestic factors including anticipated drought conditions and power shortages further complicate this picture. Although we don’t anticipate any sweeping political change across the continent in response to these dynamics, the risk of political volatility is heightened and certain African leaders face stiff tests of their leadership in the year ahead. In 'The African year in 2016' we share our views on the political, economic and commercial outlook for sub-Saharan Africa in the year ahead.     Download The African Year in 2016 http://www.africapractice.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/africapractice-The-African-Year-in-20161.pdf

Career risk. When we think of this, we typically think of professionals leaving their jobs for a start-up. Or raising their hand for a promotion that they might not be ready for. Or even someone “taking on” their boss in a power struggle. These examples represent career risks that individuals choose to take. But here’s an idea that might make you uncomfortable. Or even extremely uncomfortable. In this economy, with business in certain sectors changing so quickly, you may be taking career risk…..by standing still. You may be taking risk by trying  not to take risks. Ask anyone who worked in the financial services industry over the last decade. Or in the print-only newspaper world. Or, of course, the tech world. The changes in these businesses may have been driven by different forces, but the change has been….and is….and will be….so fast that professionals in those industries have needed to manage risk: the risk that your skills may become obsolete…..the risk that the jo

"Benefits of using mobile phones" "Click to learn 5 mobile marketing strategies to run a successful campaign" At first glance and be honest, which caption are you more likely to respond to? I personally would respond quicker to the second one. Yes the first caption could work  in some cases but the advantage the second caption has are as follows; - There is a call to action:  "click to learn." I have been prompted to perform an action that I may or may not do but at least you are answering my question of how do I find out this information? - Quantifying my expectation: There are so many articles floating around these days and sometimes it gets hard to keep up. What creative way am I going to be able to capture my readers attention? I manage their expectations with numbers. I know if I open that article, it will be brief as there are only five strategies to read through. - Qualifying my expectation: When I actually open the arti

Accenture invested US$841 million on the training and professional development of its people in fiscal 2015 – delivering 15 million hours of training, at an average of more than 40 hours per employee. With a focus on digital, the company has reinvented its approach to learning, enabling its 373,000 people to unleash ideas, drive innovation and develop the highly specialized skills needed to serve Accenture’s clients and communities.  “As a talent-led organization, we are always inventing new ways for our people to learn and grow professionally in their careers,” said Pierre Nanterme, Accenture’s chairman and CEO. “Digital is key to learning at Accenture, and we continue to invest in the latest digital technologies to deliver highly relevant training to our people – quickly and at the point of need – to ensure that we are bringing our clients the end-to-end capabilities and outcomes that only Accenture can deliver." The centerpiece of this investment is Accentu