We address the scarcity of skills in the fintech industry by training the next generation of students and innovators. Through blockchain workshops, online courses, and opportunities for collaboration, we aim to nurture a mindset shift amongst students, encouraging them to become creators of job opportunities rather than job seekers. This educational element also creates a talent pool that financial services companies can tap into, accessing the expertise and fresh perspectives of our students, faculty members, researchers, and other stakeholders.
The Master of Philosophy specialising in Financial Technology is an interdisciplinary degree convened by the School of Economics in close collaboration with the UCT Department of Statistics. This is the only dedicated Fintech Master’s programme in Africa. The programme started in 2018 by Prof. Co-Pierre Georg and is currently convened by Dr. Allan Davids. It continues to be one of the most selective programmes UCT offering admission to 5-10% of the top applicants
The core objectives of the degree is to teach students hard (coding) skills in order to empower them to start their own company or make a meaningful impact in the financial services industry. Graduates from the program have gone on to start their own companies (e.g. FoodPrint, Mandla Money, Tata-Imali, Axone), join fintech startups (e.g. UMA, LUNO), and entering industries such as financial services (e.g. Standard Bank, RMB, Investec, Nedbank) or management consulting (e.g. Bain & Co, BCG, Eighty20).
For more information, please see the brochure below for an overview of the curriculum contents, all programme benefits and bursary offerings. For detailed information on the curriculum, please see here.
Applications for the class of 2026 are expected to open in August 2025.
We give an overview of programme curriculum and it's special features including the annual international study tour and practitioner seminars. We briefly cover bursary opportunities, our historical funding distribution and support for students interested in innovation.
Download the brochure hereOO
