Starting a small business in an emerging market can be very rewarding. Many of entrepreneurship opportunities in emerging markets arise out of necessity, or the drive to solve a real need or a social problem. Thus emerging markets often offer huge opportunities for disruptive innovation. Entrepreneurship has contributed to economic growth and been able to respond to social problems, helping some communities prosper. With the rise of fintech, financial solutions using technologies such as the cloud, blockchain and machine learning have by-passed or partnered with established financial institutions to serve new markets.
This course is part of the Fintech Startups in Emerging Markets Specialization
Building Fintech Startups in Emerging Markets
Offered By
About this Course
3,244 recent views
Skills you will gain
Business PlanningFinancial TechnologyEntrepreneurshipDesign Thinking
Shareable Certificate
Earn a Certificate upon completion
100% online
Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.
Course 3 of 4 in the
Flexible deadlines
Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.
Beginner Level
Approx. 19 hours to complete
Suggested: 2-3 hours per week
English
Subtitles: English
Offered by
University of Cape Town
The University of Cape Town is the oldest university in South Africa and is one of the leading research universities on the African continent. UCT has over 25 000 students, of whom 30% are postgraduate students. We offer degrees in six faculties: Commerce, Engineering & the Built Environment, Health Sciences, Humanities, Law, and Science. We pride ourself on our diverse student body, which reflects the many cultures and backgrounds of the region. We welcome international students and are currently home to thousands of international students from over 100 countries. UCT has a tradition of academic excellence that is respected world-wide and is privileged to have more than 30 A-rated researchers on our staff, all of whom are recognised as world leaders in their field. Our aim is to ensure that our research contributes to the public good through sharing knowledge for the benefit of society. Past students include five Nobel Laureates – Max Theiler, Alan Cormack, Sir Aaron Klug, Ralph Bunche and, most recently, J M Coetzee.
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
4 hours to complete
Foundations of Entrepreneurship
Welcome to week 1 of building fintech startups! We begin with the basics by discussing: What is entrepreneurship? What does it mean to be an entrepreneur? What is an emerging market? Then we discuss the typical stages of a startup. To make this more practical, we also introduce you to real fintech startups and their journeys that will help you on your journey. Don’t worry if you don’t have a fintech background, this course is for anyone and everyone interested in entrepreneurship.
4 hours to complete
16 videos (Total 82 min), 7 readings, 5 quizzes
16 videos
Course Overview7m
Introduction to Week 14m
What is Entrepreneurship?7m
Entrepreneurship vs Startup4m
Entrepreneurship in Emerging Markets4m
Where Do Ideas Come From?5m
Phases of a Startup: Seed to Early Stage Startup5m
Phases of a Startup: Growth to Maturity or Exit2m
How Did Yoco Start?6m
What Was the Evolution of Yoco?2m
How Did Zlto Start?5m
Creating a Startup in an Emerging Market4m
How did Kuba start?5m
Creating a Startup in an Emerging Market5m
What Does a Normal Wednedsay Look Like?5m
7 readings
How This Course Works5m
Meet the Presenters5m
Meet Proof of Steak: An Agricultural Blockchain-Based Startup |Case Study10m
The Yoco Case Study10m
The Zlto case study10m
The Kuba Case Study10m
Week 1 Resources10m
5 practice exercises
Myth or Fact? - Mythbusting Entrepreneurship8m
Practice Quiz: Demystifying Entrepreneurship14m
Practice Quiz: Phases of a Startup10m
Week 1: Foundations of Entrepreneurship20m
Practice Quiz: Entrepreneurship Case Studies12m
5 hours to complete
The Prestartup Phases
Welcome to week 2! We’re glad you’ve continued your entrepreneurial journey. This week gets into ideation and the design thinking process. We respond to questions on: How do people tackle their problems and find solutions? What tools can we use to figure this out? Rael, Kungela and Sarah-Anne share their insights and experiences. You will also hear from Jacques (Kuba), Allan (Zlto) and Katlego (Yoco) speaking about their products and how they learnt to keep the customers in mind.
5 hours to complete
17 videos (Total 87 min), 3 readings, 5 quizzes
17 videos
People, Process and Place6m
Design Thinking Mindset5m
Problem Finding5m
Problem Solving5m
Design Thinking, Lean and Agile5m
Design Thinking Tools and Methods6m
Proof of Steak: Lean-startup and Design Thinking Approach6m
Types of Innovation2m
Business Planning Tools5m
Business Model Canvas4m
What makes a good business plan?8m
Designing for Yoco’s customers4m
Yoco’s business planning2m
Zlto’s Design Thinking Processes5m
Zlto's Business Planning59s
Kuba's Design Thinking and Business Planning Approaches5m
3 readings
Proof of Steak: Business Model Canvas10m
Week 2 Resources10m
Heads Up: Preparing for Your Week 4 Course Assignment10m
4 practice exercises
Practice Quiz: Design Thinking14m
Practice Quiz: Business Planning12m
Week 2: Prestartup Phase20m
Practice Quiz: Prestartup Case Studies10m
3 hours to complete
The Startup
You’ve reached week 3 when we will see how startups are built. Congratulations for keeping going! This week we look at the legal foundations, regulatory environment and startup funding. These questions can have significant consequences for a startup: How to ensure you’re complying with your countries laws? Do you understand the implications of giving equity away? You’ll hear from experts and entrepreneurs as to how they approached these questions. From our case studies, we share some practical experiences and considerations.
3 hours to complete
18 videos (Total 112 min), 2 readings, 4 quizzes
18 videos
Disrupting and Innovating Financial Services5m
Why Do Startups Need Regulation?8m
The Emerging Landscape of Fintech Regulation8m
Navigating Existing Fintech Regulation7m
Setting up the Legal Structures of Your Startup7m
How Do We Regulate Technology?10m
The Legal Side of Funding7m
Does Your Startup Need Money?2m
Funding Rounds6m
Funding Types5m
What is Venture Capital? - Newtown Partners6m
Yoco's Legal Considerations9m
Yoco's Funding8m
Zlto's Legal Considerations1m
Zlto's Funding3m
Kuba's Legal Considerations3m
Kuba's Funding7m
2 readings
Meet Aerobotics - A Drone Agricultural Disease Monitoring System | Case Study13m
Week 3 Resources10m
4 practice exercises
Practice Quiz: Regulation and Legal Considerations6m
Practice Quiz: Funding
Week 3: Startup Phase20m
Practice Quiz: Startup Case Studies10m
5 hours to complete
Support for Growth and Scale
You’re in the final stretch. Congratulations on reaching week 4 which is about support opportunities for entrepreneurs. To start, we'll introduce you to the types of support entrepreneurs need to be successful and grow. In the Peer Review assignment, you will need to ask an entrepreneur about their journey creating a startup. To interview someone it’s best to check the assignment ahead of time in order to have enough opportunity to complete this task. We also have a few bonus case studies (Aerobotics and Custos) who we interviewed about their journeys growing startups.
5 hours to complete
18 videos (Total 99 min), 1 reading, 3 quizzes
18 videos
Getting support to grow1m
Mentorship for Startups4m
Co-working spaces for Startups3m
Rise Africa - a fintech coworking space12m
Networking for Startups4m
Emotional Support for Startups2m
Learning and Development for Startups2m
Advisory Services for startups1m
What Skills Do You Need to Be an Entrepreneur?6m
Advice on Entrepreneurship6m
Andrew Bailey Gives Advice for Startups7m
Camilla Swart Gives Advice for Startups10m
How is Yoco scaling?6m
How is Zlto scaling?3m
How is Kuba scaling?2m
Custos media technologies' startup journey | Case study8m
Luno's startup journey | Case study12m
1 reading
Week 4 Resources10m
2 practice exercises
Practice Quiz: Support Your Startup for Growth8m
Practice Quiz: Scale Case Studies6m
About the Fintech Startups in Emerging Markets Specialization
The University of Cape Town’s specialization will give aspiring entrepreneurs the tools to understand the technological innovations and challenges the financial services industry faces in the emerging market context. The specialization covers foundations of the changing financial regulations, new technological applications like blockchain or artificial intelligence and design thinking for startups in emerging markets. Through real-world case studies, you will see how this technology can unlock growth and spur innovation and will understand the specific emerging economies environment within which innovation can take place. This specialization is particularly suited for entrepreneurs or aspiring entrepreneurs who want to learn how they can harness the power of fintech or technology in an emerging market. You will work on a business plan for your own fintech or tech-based startup idea in the capstone project comprising a business model canvas and pitch. This allows aspiring entrepreneurs to take a tangible step towards launching their own startup.
Watch the course trailer
Frequently Asked Questions
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Once you enroll for a Certificate, you’ll have access to all videos, quizzes, and programming assignments (if applicable). Peer review assignments can only be submitted and reviewed once your session has begun. If you choose to explore the course without purchasing, you may not be able to access certain assignments.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
What is the refund policy?
Is financial aid available?
More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.
