University of Cape Town
Fintech: Disruption in Finance
Prepare yourself for the future of finance by acquiring knowledge about the most crucial fintech innovations of today, and gain the skills to fund your own disruptive business idea.
Start date
29 September 2025
Course duration
8 weeks
Excluding orientation
Language
English
Access resources from start date
Effort
7–10 hours per week
Self-paced learning online
Course overview
The majority of total fintech investment in Africa belongs to Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa.
WT (Jan, 2021).
The percentage of funding that African fintech start-ups received in 2020, pulling the largest investment within the continent’s tech industry.
Quartz Africa (Jan, 2021).
Duration: 8 weeks (excluding orientation)
Inaccessible banking services, a large small-to-medium business sector, and increasing populations are among the financial challenges facing emerging markets.1 In response, fintech has emerged as a promising solution that seeks to address, disrupt, and innovate the current financial landscape.
The University of Cape Town (UCT) Fintech: Disruption in Finance online short course equips students with the skills and knowledge to understand, interpret, and respond to financial market disruptions and opportunities. The course offers a holistic approach to the financial industry, providing an overview of the major areas of technological disruption, such as blockchain, artificial intelligence, and big data. By the end of the course, participants will be able to identify financial challenges and apply fintech solutions within emerging markets.
The course helps students refine their disruptive business ideas and develop a funding strategy to successfully launch their fintech start-up. The course provides students with the necessary knowledge and skills to make informed business decisions, unlock new career opportunities, and prepare for fintech innovation both within their organisation and beyond.
1 McKinsey (Sep, 2020).
Is this course for you?
Designed for financial experts and graduates, this course offers the opportunity to unlock new career paths and embrace innovation in the rapidly evolving fintech industry. The course is suitable for students who wish to translate their business ideas into action, and decision makers looking to stay ahead of the curve and make informed strategic choices. No prior knowledge of fintech is required.
Course overview
Introduction
Duration: 8 weeks (excluding orientation)
Inaccessible banking services, a large small-to-medium business sector, and increasing populations are among the financial challenges facing emerging markets.1 In response, fintech has emerged as a promising solution that seeks to address, disrupt, and innovate the current financial landscape.
The University of Cape Town (UCT) Fintech: Disruption in Finance online short course equips students with the skills and knowledge to understand, interpret, and respond to financial market disruptions and opportunities. The course offers a holistic approach to the financial industry, providing an overview of the major areas of technological disruption, such as blockchain, artificial intelligence, and big data. By the end of the course, participants will be able to identify financial challenges and apply fintech solutions within emerging markets.
The course helps students refine their disruptive business ideas and develop a funding strategy to successfully launch their fintech start-up. The course provides students with the necessary knowledge and skills to make informed business decisions, unlock new career opportunities, and prepare for fintech innovation both within their organisation and beyond.
1 McKinsey (Sep, 2020).
Is this course for you?
Designed for financial experts and graduates, this course offers the opportunity to unlock new career paths and embrace innovation in the rapidly evolving fintech industry. The course is suitable for students who wish to translate their business ideas into action, and decision makers looking to stay ahead of the curve and make informed strategic choices. No prior knowledge of fintech is required.
Get this course for your team
Leading organisations recognise the value of this course and invest in it to enhance their employees' skills and expertise.
What will set you apart
A comprehensive understanding of the fintech industry and the new business opportunities it presents.
Insight into the impact of blockchain technology, big data, and AI on financial services, particularly in the African context.
A business plan for a fintech start-up and a strategy for how to fund it, guided by the thought-leadership of industry experts.
Unlimited access to edX’s Career Engagement Network, offering you exclusive resources and events to support your professional journey and drive your career forward.Course curriculum
Orientation module
Welcome to your Online Campus
Module 1
Blockchain and artificial intelligence: The megatrends in fintech
Module 2
Banks, monetary policy, and cryptocurrencies
Module 3
How blockchain technology challenges financial intermediation
Module 4
The regulation–innovation nexus
Module 5
Opportunities created by big data within the financial industry
Module 6
The robot revolution: The impact of artificial intelligence on fintech
Module 7
Creating a business strategy for industry disruption
Module 8
Funding your disruptive business idea
What past students
think
Dion Pillay
Business Unit Executive, SmedX
I enjoyed the learning experience and feel that the content is relevant for me and will aid in my journey towards starting up an edu-fintech business unit. I enjoyed the online experience, which made it feel as if I was attending classes, [as well as the] learning from the videos [...] and I liked the pacing of the assignments. I now have a better understanding of the technology trends that are paving the way for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. I haven’t networked that much, however, I enjoyed the contributions of the classmates, which brought different views to the topics. I would definitely recommend this course. I am looking forward to applying my learning. Thank you to GetSmarter for such a great experience!
Course Convenor
Allan Davids
Lecturer, School of Economics, Faculty of Commerce, UCT
About the certificate
Discover the art of harnessing fintech and financial disruption, and earn an official digital certificate of completion from the University of Cape Town.
Assessment is continuous and based on a series of practical assignments completed online. In order to be issued with a digital certificate, you’ll need to meet the requirements outlined in the course handbook. The handbook will be made available to you as soon as you begin the course.
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Why choose GetSmarter?
GetSmarter operates as edX's partner for premium online short course products from the world's leading universities and institutions. With edX, we leverage our people, technology, and resources to power your education and your potential.
We deliver market-led courses that equip working professionals with the expertise required to upskill, reskill or kickstart a completely new career. Through a data-driven approach, we analyze future skills requirements and ensure all courses address this need. We ensure that leading universities and institutions are your expert guides and our people, technology, and resources are your engine – together we power more than just education, we power your potential.
Read more about GetSmarter here and edX here.
Find out more about GetSmarter’s approach to digital learning, course design, and online delivery here.
Payment options
You can pay your course fees before the course starts, or you may opt for a split payment plan on courses that are nine weeks and shorter. For courses 10 weeks and longer, there is a three-part payment plan available. To find out more about payment options please visit our Payment and Financing page, or contact an Enrollment Adviser, to find out which option you qualify for.
Manage your time
GetSmarter's learning model is designed to help you, as a working professional, improve your skills without compromising on work and family responsibilities. The course work is broken up into weekly, manageable bite-sized modules, with incremental deadlines, designed to help you pace yourself over the duration of the course and allow you the legroom to work when it suits you best.
At the beginning of each module you'll be presented with the course content and assignments necessary for completion. You also have access to your Success Adviser who will help you manage your time, and support you with any administrative or technical queries you might have.
Seek employer assistance
By improving your skills and industry knowledge, you'll have an influence on the success of your organization. Why wouldn't you ask your boss to help you fund your studies if it's going to have an impact on the way you do business?
Of our past students, 37 percent have received financial assistance from their employers. You can ask for help, too. Here is a guide to show you how to request financial assistance from your employer.
If you are a Learning & Development (L&D) manager, or involved in training and upskilling for an organization, you can request information regarding our corporate offering on our GetSmarter for business page.
How to change your start date
As part of our commitment to your professional development, GetSmarter offers you a two-week period to change your course start date or request your money back if you’re not fully satisfied.
To qualify for a deferral of your course start date, or to cancel your enrollment and receive a refund of your course fee, your request would need to reach our Success Advisers before the release of Module 2. For more information, please read our Terms and Conditions.
Discover the Online Campus
The Online Campus will be your virtual classroom for the duration of your course. Through its easy-to-use interface you'll have access to a diverse variety of course content formats including: interactive videos, module notes, practice quizzes, presentations, assignment briefs, and additional web resources.
On the Online Campus, you'll also be able to ask questions and interact with your fellow students and teaching team through the discussion forums. If you are looking for your Online Campus login, please visit your Account page here.
Financing options
We've recently partnered with financial services firm, FeverTree, to offer you another convenient way to finance your short course education. Find out how you can apply for a short-term loan below.
How do I apply?
- You have the option of applying for a full course-cost loan agreement with FeverTree (South African citizens and short courses only)
- FeverTree works with GetSmarter to ensure your studies are financed right away, giving you the chance to join the soonest presentation
- You can find out if you pre-qualify in seconds. Send an SMS with your “Name*Surname*ID Number*Gross Salary” to 30082
- FeverTree’s application process is simple and quick – expect a 15-minute turnaround to find out if you’ve been successful with your loan application
- Even if you aren’t successful in your FeverTree application, you’ll still be eligible for the payment plan options with GetSmarter
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