Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Luxury Vehicles Litter African Cities

Abidjan (AFP) - Porsches, Range Rovers and even Maseratis... luxury cars are no strange sight weaving through the old bangers that rumble along Abidjan's chaotic streets, another indication of the emergence of a wealthy class in Africa. Each of the vehicles costs at least tens of thousands of euros, representing decades of work for an Ivorian earning the minimum wage, even after it was recently hiked 60 percent to 60,000 CFA francs (around 90 euros, $125) a month.

Yet in wealthy Abidjan neighbourhoods the streets are jammed with more luxury autos than in rich quarters of European capitals. It's the same story in Johannesburg, Lagos, or even Libreville. In the Gabonese capital it is common to see SUV after SUV snaking along the oceanside boulevard.


Wealthy Africans love the big, high, four-wheel drive vehicles. Not only are they better adapted to the roads, regularly in a poor condition, they have also become something of a status symbol. In Gabon, 70 percent of the 6,000 new vehicles sold each year are big 4x4s, mostly Japanese models, according to the Gabonese Federation of Car Importers.

In Ivory Coast, luxury cars make up only 3 percent of the 8,000 new cars sold each year, said one industry expert who asked to remain anonymous. "However certain customers are looking for the top of the line -- "bling-bling" cars -- there are people with money like that in the market," he added.

The African Development Bank put the size of the African middle class at 300 million in 2011. Ventures financial magazine recently put the number of African billionaires at 55 -- more than triple the previous count. That figure is likely an underestimate, the Nigerian magazine said, as many are not comfortable disclosing the true extent of their wealth.

Luxury automakers are not letting this bonanza pass them by. Porsche boasts a brand new showroom in Victoria Island, one of Lagos' most chic neighbourhoods. The German carmaker's sales have jumped by nearly 40 percent the past two years in South Africa, where it has been present for decades. It has recently set up shop in Angola and Ghana as well as Nigeria, according to Christer Ekberg, Porsche's managing director for the Middle East and Africa.

With 2,000 Porsche cars sold in sub-Saharan Africa in the first three quarters of this year, which the company described as a "promising" figure, the automaker is committed to expanding further across the continent. Local partners are being sought for dealerships in Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Namibia, Senegal, Tanzania and Zambia. Mercedes also views the potential of the African market as "enormous", a spokeswoman said.

The German carmaker has an assembly line in South Africa, where it sells 20,000 vehicles per year. BMW said it also intends to keep expanding across Africa, where it saw 15 percent sales growth in 2012 to 34,000 vehicles. As for Audi, the company expects further growth in certain parts of Africa, where its sales have doubled in three years to 22,000 vehicles. The carmakers are also being pulled in by the need to service their vehicles that have already found their way into African countries.

A lack of parts and diagnostic equipment has led to these high-performance vehicles being kept off the road for months in Abidjan, according to an expert on the local car market. "If Porsche comes to Ivory Coast, customers will be overjoyed to be able to repair their cars in a company garage," said another expert on the African market.

Source: AFP

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Top Ten New Year Resolutions

New Year's Eve has always been a time for looking back to the past, and more importantly, forward to the coming year. It's a time to reflect on the changes we want to make and resolve to follow through on those changes. For instance, you may decide to reduce your intake of Aggies fish or Mama Risikas pepper soup. Others may decide to spend more time with spouses and less time with others. Let’s see what statistics shows us are the top ten resolutions.

1. Spend More Time with Family & Friends Recent polls conducted by General Nutrition Centers, Quicken, and others shows that more than 50% of people vow to appreciate loved ones and spend more time with family and friends this year.

2. Fit in Fitness The evidence is in for fitness. Regular exercise has been associated with more health benefits than anything else known to man. Studies show that it reduces the risk of some cancers, increases longevity, helps achieve and maintain weight loss, enhances mood, lowers blood pressure, and even improves arthritis.


3. Tame the Bulge Over 66 percent of adults are considered overweight or obese by recent studies, so it is not surprising to find that weight loss is one of the most popular New Year's resolutions. Setting reasonable goals and staying focused are the two most important factors in sticking with a weight loss program, and the key to success for those millions who made a New Year's commitment to shed extra pounds.

4. Quit Smoking If you have resolved to make this the year that you stamp out your smoking habit, over-the-counter availability of nicotine replacement therapy now provides easier access to proven quit-smoking aids. Even if you've tried to quit before and failed, don't let it get you down. On average, smokers try about four times before they quit for good. Start enjoying the rest of your smoke-free life!

5. Enjoy Life More Given the hectic, stressful lifestyles of millions in Lagos and other major world cities, it is no wonder that "enjoying life more" has become a popular resolution in recent years. It's an important step to a happier and healthier you!

6. Quit Drinking While many people use the New Year as an incentive to finally stop drinking, most are not equipped to make such a drastic lifestyle change all at once. Many heavy drinkers fail to quit cold turkey but do much better when they taper gradually, or even learn to moderate their drinking. If you have decided that you want to stop drinking, there is a world of help and support available.

7. Get Out of Debt Was money a big source of stress in your life last year? Join the millions who have resolved to spend this year getting a handle on their finances. It's a promise that will repay itself many times over in the year ahead.

8. Learn Something New Have you vowed to make this year the year to learn something new? Perhaps you are considering a career change, want to learn a new language, or just how to fix your computer? Whether you take a course or read a book, you'll find education to be one of the easiest, most motivating New Year's resolutions to keep.

9. Help Others A popular, non-selfish New Year's resolution, volunteerism can take many forms. Whether you choose to spend time helping out at your local library, mentoring a child, or building a house, there are many nonprofit volunteer organizations that could really use your help.

10. Get Organized On just about every New Year resolution top ten list, organization can be a very reasonable goal. Whether you want your home organized enough that you can invite someone over on a whim, or your office organized enough that you can find the stapler when you need it, these tips and resources should get you started on the way to a more organized life.

Trendy Comm.

Monday, December 9, 2013

Ruffcoin ft Phyno in "30/40"

Big A entertainment presents the most anticipated rap music video "30/40" by Ruffcoin 'Nwa-ABA' ft Phyno, a single from the hit album 'Diamond in the Ruff'. Since the single's release, 30/40 has fast grown to become an anthem for the streets and the club's favourite in the East, slowly gaining ground in the West.
30/40 which carries a hard straight talk message of "anyone who does harm to me will have it returned in 100 folds" has become an anthem in the eastern part of Nigeria, The song and it's message does not encourage violence in anyway, instead acts as a metaphor to inspire listeners and fans to repay haters and ill wishers with ones success.



The video artistically directed by the prolific video director Mattmax features strong, vivid imagery and sequences of the dynamic rap duo Ruffcoin and Phyno delivering powerful verses in Pidgin and Igbo. With the new 30/40 video, Ruffcoin hopes to give life to the already successful single and capture the love of those who appreciate beautiful music. 30/40 is undoubtedly the best Igbo Rap collaboration to hit Africa's airwaves.

Sunday, December 1, 2013

Royal Deji of Akure Dead

The Deji of Akure, Adebiyi Adesida is dead. According to sources from the Deji’s Palace in Akure, the Ondo State Capital, the Monarch who was installed in 2010 died early hours of December 1st, 2013.
A paramount ruler of the ancient community of Akureland, Oba Adebiyi Adesida is dead. The Oba died after a brief illness, DailyPost has learnt.