The University of the Western Cape (UWC) is accepting applications for South Africa’s first postgraduate diploma in Financial Technology (Fintech) Law and Regulation.
The timing couldn’t be more critical. Fintech is reshaping how financial consumers access and engage with services, from crypto assets and digital tokens to robo-advisors and AI-powered fraud detection. Traditional banking models are being bypassed by online platforms offering alternative credit solutions, while money itself has evolved into digital forms like central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), e-money, and stablecoins. This one-year, fully online programme is designed for working professionals and has received accreditation from the Council on Higher Education (CHE) and the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA).
Vivienne Lawack is a professor in Fintech Law and Regulation and is the Acting Director of the Centre for African Fintech, Innovation and Law at UWC, where this postgraduate diploma will be offered. She said: “This programme will build capacity in a critical area of law and regulation, equipping professionals to navigate and shape Africa’s digital financial future.”
The diploma is tailored to accommodate professionals already working in the field, ensuring accessibility and relevance for those shaping Fintech policy and practice. It is housed in the Department of Mercantile and Labour Law and will be offered by the Centre for African Fintech, Innovation and Law.
“This postgraduate diploma builds on the thriving postgraduate cohort already engaged in Fintech law and regulation under my supervision, and reflects the collaborative work we’ve done with regulators and other centres. This programme is a key part of our mission to enhance understanding of Fintech and innovation at the postgraduate level and to build capacity for inclusive financial integrity across Africa,” said Prof Lawack.
On 30 October 2025, UWC will officially launch the Centre for African Fintech, Innovation and Law, a pioneering initiative housed in the UWC Faculty of Law.
The interdisciplinary Centre is set to become a premier hub for research, policy engagement and education focused on how law and regulation respond to Fintech and innovation across sectors. The Centre’s mission is clear: to support inclusion, sustainability and stability in Africa’s rapidly evolving digital financial landscape. It will play a key role in advancing the goals of the African Union’s Agenda 2063, the AU Digital Transformation Strategy, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. This is about more than just research; it’s about impact and a commitment to the scholarship of engagement for societal transformation.
The Centre is earmarked as a multidisciplinary space where law meets technology, economics, migration and sustainability, because the future of Fintech and innovation is interconnected.
Africa’s Fintech journey – from M-Pesa’s revolutionary mobile payments to today’s billion-dollar startups – demonstrates the continent’s capacity to leapfrog legacy systems and build inclusive, tech-driven economies. With the launch of this Centre, UWC is positioning itself at the forefront of this transformation.
