AI and Digital TransformationDigital Business Models and Innovation
Digital business models succeed on this continent for reasons that rarely transfer from case studies written elsewhere: cash is still dominant, addressing is unreliable, data is expensive and trust is local. This course studies what has actually worked here. Delegates work through the model families including marketplace, platform, subscription, aggregation and agent networks, and the conditions each needs to function. Mobile money and the payment layer are covered as the enabler that changed what was possible. Distribution through agents and informal networks is addressed, since digital reach is not the same as digital delivery. Unit economics are treated seriously, including the customer acquisition cost that has ended many well funded attempts. Network effects and defensibility follow. The course closes on regulation and on testing a model before scaling it.
Course objectives
- Compare marketplace, platform, subscription and aggregation models
- Identify the conditions each model needs to function locally
- Use the mobile money payment layer as an enabler
- Design distribution through agents and informal networks
- Model unit economics including customer acquisition cost
- Assess network effects and whether a position is defensible
- Navigate regulation and test a model before scaling
Who should attend
- Innovation and new business development managers
- Product and commercial strategy managers
- Entrepreneurs and business unit leaders
- Marketing and customer experience managers
- Corporate strategy professionals
Course outline
- 01Case studies that do not transfer
- 02Model families and their conditions
- 03Marketplaces and platforms
- 04Subscription and aggregation
- 05Mobile money as the payment layer
- 06Agent and informal distribution
- 07Unit economics and acquisition cost
- 08Network effects, regulation and testing before scale
Scheduled sessions
| Dates | Venue | Format | Price | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 to 23 December 2026 | Cape Town, South Africa | Classroom | R14,950 per delegate | Register Now |
| 11 to 13 January 2027 | Nairobi, Kenya | Classroom | USD 995 per delegate | Register Now |
| 1 to 3 February 2027 | Johannesburg, South Africa | Classroom | R14,950 per delegate | Register Now |
| 10 to 12 February 2027 | Lusaka, Zambia | Classroom | USD 995 per delegate | Register Now |
| 17 to 19 February 2027 | Gaborone, Botswana | Classroom | R14,950 per delegate | Register Now |
| 10 to 12 March 2027 | Online | Online | R6,500 per delegate | Register Now |