u/ZentuckyCriedFricken

Greetings
I am (M30) a Dental surgeon from Zambia (Southern Africa) with an MBA in Healthcare Management looking to extend my expertise into finance through CIMA.
I have taken so much thought into my career progression by looking at senior professionals in Dentistry and honestly noticed they hit a ceiling too early in clinical practice. I therefore decided to bridge clinical experience with corporate management (rather than specialise in a clinical field) by first doing an MBA in Healthcare Management. Now that I am done, I would like to start my CIMA FLP next year. I would like to transition into corporate management and therefore wish to ask for advice from people here who have made such a transition before how is it going currently for you and is it worth the time and resources? What other general advice would you give me to help me decide if CIMA is the right fit for me?

Hey Zedditors,

I’m seriously considering starting a small Yango business with 2 to 4 cars. Before I jump in, I’d love to hear from people who are already doing this in Lusaka (or other parts of Zambia) or have done it before. Not looking for get-rich-quick hype. Just real, practical advice.

A few things I’m trying to figure out:

1. Management companies => Are there companies you can give your car to, that handle everything (driver, maintenance, etc.)? If yes, would you actually recommend them, or do they eat too much into profits?
2. Maintenance & repairs agreement with the driver => For those who hire drivers directly, what kind of agreement do you have around who covers routine maintenance (oil changes, tyres, brakes) and unexpected repairs? What’s fair for both sides?
3. Break-even period => Realistically, after buying/acquiring the cars and covering initial costs, when did you start breaking even on each car? 12 months, 18, longer?
4. Is it worth the hustle? => Would you recommend getting into Yango now in Zambia, or has the market changed (too many cars, low fares, high fuel costs, etc.)?
5. Any other advice => Things you wish you knew before starting. Could be about insurance, tracking devices, driver vetting, dealing with Yango support, or anything else.

Really appreciate any honest answers; good, bad, or ugly. Thanks in advance.