Resilience is the word of the times
It feels like anything can happen, anytime… which, truth be told, is not new: anything could have happened at any point, throughout the history of mankind. We’ve re-learnt it the hard way. The pandemic has taken us aback, shaking up our lives – at home, at work and everywhere in between.
A year later, as we continue to ride its waves of uncertainty and ambiguity, we’ve also come to the realisation that moving on is the only way. It’s time to move and progress, with resilience, optimism, hope and a fair share of caution.
Cautious hope, if not an oxymoron, sounds greatly like the mindset for 2021. It sets the tone for the era we’re living: a time of dualities, mixed feelings, convergence and divergences.
If anything, we’ve learnt that anticipation is necessary. It’s from that vantage point that we’ve combined what we know and what we’ve seen, heard, measured, analysed, in order to extract that which is essential. The core trends that are shaping consumption, lifestyles, life choices and more.
20/20 foresight
Out of the multidimensional consumer energies, from self to collective, we see some patterns consolidate and new ones emerge. Here’s what’s caught our attention.
The pursuit of health turns into an infinite race and immunity is worth a premium. The best business responses will need to be all-encompassing –physical, mental, and more.
With or without a pandemic mindset, the desire to set up their own ‘hustle’ has never been so urgent. Entrepreneurship sees a new iteration: purposeful, artistic, digital (or not), and always leaning into technology to accelerate take-up. 'Micropreneur' also finds its way into Urban Dictionary and commerce goes social.
Equality and social justice turn into central causes to fight for: from nice-to-haves to must-haves. The African youth earn unprecedented attention (and awe) with their impassioned fight for change and resolute determination to actualize Africa-positive narratives. Bold is the new cool.
#AfricaMatters feels like the zeitgeist of the 21st century for the continent. It’s a lot, if not all, about Africa, its identity, nuances, and cultures. We’re set to see more local, more of Africa. Local is love.
Good is no longer good enough. And great goes beyond functional. What brands stand for comes at the centre, as part of their offering. We’ve entered the why economy on the continent. Authentic execution will build or break.
7 trends that (re)shape lifestyles 2021 Africa
Contact our team of experts to find out more
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Michael Ukaoma |
Ndeye Diagne |
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Ifeoluwa Olajuyigbe |
Tamara Ojeaga |