Tope Ijibadejo, Nigeria Region Manager for CMTrading, Africa’s largest online broker and a leader in the international markets, shares his take on specialised vs diversified trading. Here’s why specialisation is first choice for many traders.

“In simple terms, trade specialisation is when a financial market trader or forex trader takes on the discipline required to trade in a narrow asset class. For instance, the trader would only operate in the Euro and US dollar pair in the forex trading space. Alternatively, they could decide to trade exclusively on the NASDAQ or trade only crude oil or gold – whatever their specific area of choice may be. 

“Conversely, diversification, as opposed to specialisation, is a choice many traders make. But here’s why a trader may choose to specialise as opposed to diversify: “The benefits of trade specialisation can be great. First of all, diversification gives you a fair level of accuracy in trading (if you are diversifying, you can, on average have between a 60- and 65%-win rate trading across various assets). When you specialise, however, you could achieve as much as a 90%-win rate by focusing on just a single asset. 

“Strategic specialisation can give you the winning edge and a high level of accuracy – ergo, you may make more money. And specialised trading can be less overwhelming and confusing, leaving you with better work-life balance because, where trading several assets at once means investing more time as you jump from one to the other, specialising in a particular asset or asset class can help you maintain a more singular focus. You are only looking out for one news item, after all, as opposed to constantly watching the markets like a hawk. 

Getting started as a specialised online trader 

“Specialised online trading is all about discipline and accuracy. For instance, if you decide to want to become a specialised trader, you could focus on crude oil and the US dollar – especially since the two have a relationship. If you cultivate a level of understanding about how those two assets work together, your accuracy is likely to increase exponentially. 

“The discipline comes in only trading when it is truly relevant – or learning to apply real focus, put your hands in your pockets and not be tempted to look into another asset to trade. There are likely to be many times you will be dying to get in there and trade, but if there aren’t real opportunities to do so on your particular asset class, you need to learn to step back and bow out until the grass looks a bit greener. 

The real benefits of specialisation 

“The old cliché, ‘Jack of all trades, master of none’ applies here. In my 14 years of trading, I have found, time after time, that traders who decide to master a particular asset class grow to a unique level of understanding of their asset of choice – almost as we understand our life partners after years of marriage. The markets work on the principle of repetition – cycles and patterns that, subject to prolonged observation, will become more predictable to the trader. That predictability gives the trader an edge. 

“In 2013, I was lucky enough to win an award for the ‘Best Forex Fund Manager’ at the Lagos Forex Expo. This didn’t happen by chance. The win came on the back of converting $150 to $15,000 in six weeks. I did it by trading only the British pound versus the Japanese yen. This happened simply because I gained a very high level of win rates, having observed the cycles and patterns, I cultivated a solid understanding of this particular currency pair. It sounds straightforward, but it required the aforementioned discipline and accuracy in practice. With those in your trading arsenal, anything is possible. 

Closing thoughts “Everything has a downside. But the only pitfall I can think of with specialised trading is that you may not see trading opportunities as often as the average non-specialised trader might. Patience is a virtue, though – and it can pay off. In my experience, it is best to wait, watch and learn. And most importantly, always, trade with a reputable broker. 

For more information on CMTrading, visit their official website at www.cmtrading.com or call +2347001235348 or +2349137490534 and one of their friendly staff will assist you.

CMTrading is the brand name of Global Capital Markets Trading Ltd (A Seychelles company, company no. 104785)

The main challenge entrepreneurs are facing in Africa is not the lack of great ideas but the fear of turning ideas into reality. With unemployment in South Africa at an all time high, more and more people are trying to make their own way in the economy.The Africa Digital Entrepreneurship events are about turning dreams into action. The series of events aims to enable digital entrepreneurship and the upcoming ‘Bitcoin Nights’ meet-up in Johannesburg on Thursday, 24 October at The Business Exchange Morningside, 150 Rivonia Road is a must-attend event for anyone interested in the digital assets space.

Business networking is the fast track to success and event sponsors such as Zcoin and OVEX believe that entrepreneurship is the way forward for South Africans. Jonathan Ovadia, Co-Founder and CEO at OVEX, a company helping to create an open, trustless and more efficient financial system says “the vision is to break down the barriers that prevent people from entering the traditional financial system. We believe that wealth-creating investment opportunities shouldn’t only be accessible to the wealthy, but should be available to all.”

The event is facilitated by the United Africa Blockchain Association (UABA), a non-profit leading blockchain education and adoption in sub-Saharan Africa. With the help of sponsors, The Africa Digital Entrepreneurship Series’ goal is to provide relevant content on business and technology that helps people learn and grow professionally and personally.The meet-ups provide a conducive environment for networking and ideas exchange, and attendees can look forward to free drinks, giveaways and prizes. Other sponsors include Divi, which makes it possible for anyone to participate in securing blockchains through their one-click masternodes, challenging the notion that you need technical expertise to participate in the blockchain ecosystem. Centbee, a digital wallet company that believes in the power of people to create an abundant future and æternity, a new blockchain technology, designed to deliver efficiency, transparent governance and global scalability are also part of the sponsors who see huge potential in Africa and are actively championing the digital asset revolution.

The theme of the Johannesburg event focuses on the Digital Asset Economy and anyone interested in tech is welcome to attend FREE of charge and benefit from the networking opportunity and inspiring discussions. Speakers will include Adi Kaimowitz, President and CEO of Virtual Actuary, Maushami Chetty of Novate Legal; Mpho Dagada – Commisioner, 4th Industrial Revolution at the SA Presidency; and Yaliwe Soko, Chairperson at UABA.The event aims to inspire participants to increase their appetite for entrepreneurship and get more knowledgeable about the growing trend in digital assets. Africa is a market ready to adopt new technology but lack of emphasis on digital entrepreneurship opportunities in Africa might result in missed economic opportunities for the next generation.

“It’s important to encourage the youth to explore the option of entrepreneurship as a career path instead of waiting for employment opportunities which may never be available to them.Initiatives such as the Africa Digital Entrepreneurship Series focus on creating awareness and demystifying what it means to run a digital enterprise,” said Heath Muchena, Founder of Proudly Associated, a company working with companies developing blockchain-powered technologies that have use cases focusing on emerging economy development to gain adoption across the continent.Whether you’re a student, professional or fledgling entrepreneur, this event will provide valuable insights and an opportunity to learn, grow, network and be inspired all in one. The meet-up will be a relaxed, no-suits-or-ties sort of event so expect to learn and be entertained. 

"The Africa Digital Entrepreneurship Series connects up-and-coming entrepreneurs in all fields. It’s a fantastic way for those interested in tech and online businesses to build a solid support network,” said Grey Jabesi, host of the Grey Ave Podcast, Africa’s top rated podcast which focuses on survival skills for the 21st century.

By attending this FREE event, attendees will:

Learn about new frontiers in digital innovation

Find out how to leverage technology to broaden participation in the global digital economy

Boost digital asset knowledge including digital asset acquisition and management

Learn how to build a fully remote businessDiscover mentorship opportunities

Interact with other entrepreneurs and build business networks

Meet like-minded innovators and go-getters

Be empowered!

GET TICKETS HERE: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/africa-digital-entrepreneurship-series-tickets-77802321839

Event details: 

Admission: FREE (Limited space so make sure you get there early.)

Date: Thursday, 24 October, 2019

Location:  The Business Exchange, Block 4, 150 Rivonia Road, Morningside, Sandton, 2057 Johannesburg.

If you want to sponsor this event or for more information, contact:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Winning the award for “Best Performing Broker in Africa” by International Business Magazine is truly a prestigious achievement in a much sought after category. Winning it 3 years in a row is unprecedented. With its 3rd consecutive win, CM Trading, an award-winning online trading company with a reputation for out-of-the-box approach to investment opportunities and the leading provider of derivative trading solutions to the local and international market, has cemented their standing across global platforms as an African force to be reckoned with.

Daniel Kibel, Director, CM Trading says, “Although this is something that have won in the past, an award of this nature is recognition of the amazing work that each and every one of our teams is doing each every day to push CM Trading forward. It's a great honour to have been awarded Best broker in Africa for the 3rd year running. What is even more satisfying is that we were voted by the public. So, thanks to everyone who helped us get there.”

The awards presented by International Business Magazine are distinct, pan-African business and capital market investment awards that are recognised globally and reward the achievements of some of Africa’s market leaders. These awards are truly a salute to the extraordinary achievements of private sector companies across the continent. What makes these awards even more prestigious, is that they not only profile excellence in investment reporting, they also highlight the crucial need for investment within Africa.

The annual awards showcase the best of Africa’s investment success stories and the competition is fierce. To achieve this level of excellence for 3 years running, considering the calibre of those organisations competing, has set the standards incredibly high. CM Trading views this as an opportunity to dig deeper in their quest to continually provide some of the most attractive propositions for investors globally. Although the prestigious nature of this award cannot be ignored, Kibel re-iterates that a win in this category only creates an even higher drive for CM Trading to carve out their mark in the complex world of Forex trading and continue development of their unique range of products and services that make them a cut above the rest.  

“With CM Trading offering clients only the very best Forex trading experience and having our commitment, our clients, our teams success and our unwavering passion for African investment recognised with this award for the 3rd time, the sky truly is the proverbial limit as to what the road ahead holds for us.” Concludes Kibel.

CM Trading is “Your local international broker” and is a leading provider of derivative trading solutions to the local and international market.   The company, regulated by the South African Financial Services Board, operates successfully around the globe and assists in increasing their clients trading knowledge, providing personal service and support as well as a range of online solutions to match every traders needs.

For more information on CM Trading please visit their website https://www.cmtrading.com/, or contact them on +27 10 500 80 26 or via email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . You can also follow them on Twitter @CMTrading_FX and Facebook @CapitalMarketsTrading.