Nicky received her Masters in Economics from the University of Stellenbosch in 1994 and soon advised government on economic procedures and policies in her capacity as an economist in the Central Economic Advisory Service, since integrated into the President's Office.

Her experiences in the banking, securities and brokering industries ensured her a broader knowledge of a wide range of fields within economics, including sector analysis, fixed investment trends and the relationship between real economic trends and developments within the financial markets. At Nedbank, Nicky has focused most of her energies on trends in the overall economy, looking at cycles in the economic growth, inflation and interest rates. She regularly does talks all over South Africa to a variety of audiences like Business Forums, Property Groups, large Corporate firms, Government entities, etc.