By Prof Suné Ferreira-Schenk

The traditional investor life cycle has been used to indicate investor decision-making behaviour during different life cycle phases. However, in a South African environment, when this theory has been applied, it has been found that investor behaviour deviates from the traditional model based on their individualistic financial needs. The emergence of an amended investor life cycle in a South African context indicated a two-phased investment life cycle trend consisting of only two categories, growth investors and defensive investors. Her research contributes to the financial and investment industry by establishing a profile for more defensive investors as opposed to growth investors. The profile indicated the various factors that could influence the financial decisions of defensive and growth investors during their investment life cycle phase.

By Prof Oladipo Olalekan David

Controversies between technophiles and technophobes have generated a divide of arguments as to whether digitalisation is an economic cure or a curse. In most developed and developing countries like Africa, the advent of digital technology has led to efficiency. However, the other side of the argument believes that digital technology/digitalisation will breed mental laziness and hurt the organic development of mankind. The empirical studies conducted in Africa opined that digitalisation is a cure for economic prosperity due to positive connections between digitalisation convergence and economic expansion indicators – economic diversity, growth, development, healthcare services and food security. It is evident in some of the studies that digitalisation convergence in landlocked countries is still slow when compared to coastal countries and it limits economic activities in Africa.