Saving money

Emergency fund Photo: Pixabay

Free course by top Cape Town investors on how to invest in start-ups

If you’re keen to become an entrepreneur but don’t yet have a great idea, why not consider supporting those who do?

Saving money

Emergency fund Photo: Pixabay

To encourage more South Africans to consider investing in early-stage start-ups, the Western Cape Department of Economic Development and Tourism (DEDAT) will be launching an early-stage start-up investment online course on 17 February.

They’ve partnered with Fraser Consulting and The Loudhailer to develop this free introductory course that is aimed at students, professionals and entrepreneurs to kick-start their knowledge of the field.

Free early-stage investing course

The DEDAT’s Introduction to Early-stage Investing course consists of seven video modules giving viewers insights into the early-stage investment landscape, along with the investment options available to them.

A total of 20 industry experts from across the start-up and investment ecosystem share lessons gained from their experience. Interviews have also been conducted with venture capital firms, impact investing funds and start-up accelerators.

By signing up for this free course, you will explore topics such as sourcing, assessing and making an investment; and learn about regulatory issues affecting investors in South Africa.

Lucrative investment avenue

Early-stage investing by individuals is an important enabler of global start-up ecosystems, and a lucrative investment avenue for individuals with a healthy appetite for risk and sharing their expertise. Greater investment in start-ups also has a direct impact on our local economy and job creation.

Taking a total of just three hours to complete, this short course is designed to help you formulate your own personal investment strategy.

It’s suitable for professionals interested in establishing an individual or group investment portfolio, high-net-worth individuals looking to invest in local start-up communities, or even successful entrepreneurs looking to re-invest in emerging start-ups and share their knowledge and expertise.

Covering all the basics

A primer for those interested in playing a part in the innovative startup space, the course covers the basics of early-stage investing from individual angel deals to Section 12J funds. 

Companies and organisations involved with the course include online home cleaning platform SweepSouth, Dazzle Angels – SA’s first angel fund focused entirely on women-owned technology business, the Cape Innovation and Technology Initiative, the University of Cape Town and the Africa Trust Group.

Early-stage funding is consistently raised as an issue that is stifling start-up growth. This programme aims to support the sector by assisting interested investors with tools and advice while helping them to discover tech-sector investment opportunities.

Here’s how to register

If you’re interested in taking the course, you’ll need to register by filling out a form. DEDAT will then send you the full course registration page when it launches on 17 February.