The African Institute of Financial Markets and Risk Management (AIFMRM), a postgraduate institute in the Faculty of Commerce at the University of Cape Town (UCT), hosted two pioneering events in July – the much anticipated fifth edition of the annual Financial Mathematics Team Challenge, and a new, intensive research collaboration called, The Factory. Both events are designed to boost the culture of research in the university by nurturing a new generation of scholars.

UCT’s African Institute of Financial Markets and Risk Management (AIFMRM) has pioneered a programme that challenges international mathematicians to work with young South African researchers to produce academic papers for publication in leading scientific journals over an intensive ten-day period.

Some of the best and brightest financial mathematics students from across the globe met in Cape Town in July to compete in the annual AIFMRM Financial Mathematics Team Challenge – a prestigious event that uses competitive and collaborative research to tackle the finance industry’s most pressing questions.

Blockchain technology isn’t just about trading cryptocurrencies – it can make everyday life better. The winners at the continent’s largest blockchain hackathon last week proved this, delivering solutions that can incentivise water saving, facilitate cattle trading, increase transparency in voting and corporate governance, and more.

Regulators face substantial challenges when evaluating the risks associated with cryptocurrencies. While cryptocurrencies hold significant promise for economic growth in Africa, there is a strong case for cryptocurrency regulation.