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
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Fintech Startups in Emerging Markets SpecializationUniversity of Cape TownAbout this Course
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Course 3 of 4 in the
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Beginner Level
Approx. 19 hours to complete
English
Subtitles: French, Portuguese (European), Russian, English, Spanish
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
English
Subtitles: French, Portuguese (European), Russian, English, Spanish
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 84 min), 7 readings, 5 quizzes
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
4 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.
4 hours to complete
18 videos (Total 112 min), 2 readings, 4 quizzes
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
Reviews
TOP REVIEWS FROM BUILDING FINTECH STARTUPS IN EMERGING MARKETS
by SROct 20, 2020
Thanks and Regards, Sachin Shekhar R, AppBootUp.com,\n\nhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/sachinshekharr/
by MDNov 20, 2020
Good structure and example of Fintech startup journey
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.
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