Development Finance 4.0 Masterclass and Info Session
Join the discussion, Development Finance 4.0, hosted by Prof Latif Alhassan PhD followed by an information session about the Master of Commerce degree in Development Finance (MDevFin) at the UCT Graduate School of Business.
Event information
Masterclass: Development Finance 4.0 – Issues, Trends & Implications for Sustainable Development
Join Prof. Latif Alhassan for an engaging session on Development Finance 4.0, where he unpacks the current issues, emerging trends, and implications for sustainable development across Africa. Discover how blended finance, responsible investment strategies, climate alignment, and digital transformation are reshaping the way development outcomes are achieved.
In this masterclass, you will gain insight into:
- The evolution of development finance from DF 1.0–3.0 to DF 4.0
- Practical tools and approaches for delivering impactful, sustainable finance in Africa
- How public–private partnerships, sustainability, and innovation intersect to drive meaningful change
Following the masterclass, discover how UCT GSB’s portfolio of programmes equips professionals and researchers at every stage of their development finance journey.
Information Session: Explore the Development Finance Portfolio
Postgraduate Diploma in Development Finance
For professionals seeking a strong foundation in development finance to address challenges in emerging markets.
Core areas include:
- Trade finance
- Banking & finance in emerging markets
- Public–private partnerships
- Environmental finance & sustainability
- Risk management in DFIs
Accredited by the Chartered Institute of Development Finance (CIDEF), with credits toward full professional membership.
Master of Commerce in Development Finance
Offered through the Development Finance Centre (DEFIC), this degree equips you to design innovative financial instruments and embed responsible investment strategies into real-world projects.
You’ll gain:
- Practical skills to turn ideas into long-term development solutions
- Interaction with DFIs, public and private sector experts across Africa
- Tools to uplift communities and place Africa on the global stage
(Open to professionals within and outside development finance institutions, including banking and financial services.)
Africa’s first doctoral programme in development finance, preparing scholars to advance theory and practice in the field.
You’ll gain:
The capacity to conduct original research into DF 4.0 frontiers: climate risk, digital rails, inclusion, and more
Supervision within a leading African research ecosystem
The ability to influence policy, institutions and markets with evidence-based insights
This session sets the stage for deeper exploration through UCT GSB’s development finance portfolio. From building foundational knowledge, to advancing specialist practice, to contributing original research, you will see how these programmes provide clear pathways to impact at every level.
Speakers
Latif Alhassan
Director: MCOM
Abdul Latif Alhassan (PhD) is a Professor of Development Finance and Insurance at the Development Finance Centre (DEFIC), University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business, Cape Town. He teaches Research Methods and Issues in Development Finance on the Master of Commerce in Development Finance; he also developed and taught the curriculum for the Banking and Finance in Emerging Markets course on the Postgraduate Diploma in Development Finance qualification (2021 to 2023). He also facilitates lecture sessions on quantitative and mixed methods research designs on the Master of Philosophy in Inclusive Innovation and PhD in Business Administration at the GSB. He also responsible for the academic administration of the dissertation component of the Master of Commerce in Development Finance degree as the Head of Minor Dissertation for students during the research year of the programme. Within the GSB, he chaired the Postgraduate Committee (PGC) which is responsible for the academic administration of the research component of the MBA and EMBA programmes from 2020 to 2022 and represents that GSB on the Faculty Higher Degrees Committee (HDC). Within the university, he is a member of the University Panel on Responsible Investments (UPRI) which is developing the implementation plan for UCT’s responsible investment strategy and the Board for Graduate Studies (BfGS).
Prof. Latif Alhassan is an NRF (C) rated researcher who has authored several peer-reviewed journal articles on the industrial organisation of the financial services industry on firm behaviour (performance, efficiency, competition, and stability), operational and regulatory environment in South Africa, Ghana, Kenya, Zambia and Mauritius and the broad area of development finance (financial inclusion, ESG, financial resilience, household welfare among several others) in international journals ranked by the Chartered Association of Business Schools (CABS) journal quality guide, the Australian Business Deans Council (ABDC) and indexed in the Social Science Citation index (ISI). He also acts as an ad hoc referee for several international journals and external examiner for master’s and Ph.D. theses in South Africa, Kenya, Ghana and Australia.
Prof. Latif Alhassan has in the past managed a capacity building programme on farmer-based organizations selected African countries for the Alliance for a Green Revolution (AGRA) as well as consulting experience with African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) on informal cross-border trade in Africa; the African Development bank (AfDB) enabling youth employment index in Africa and the World Bank Group as the financial inclusion consultant on financial sector development strategy (II) for Lesotho.