Choosing what to study has never been a simple decision. But with artificial intelligence changing the way businesses work, the question has become harder: what qualification will still be useful a few years from now?
The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 estimates that 39% of workers’ existing skills will be transformed or become outdated by 2030. At the same time, demand is rising for a combination of technology skills – including AI, big data, cybersecurity, and technological literacy – and human capabilities such as analytical thinking, creative thinking, resilience, and adaptability.
It is difficult to predict exactly which jobs will exist in five or 10 years, but it is possible to think about the knowledge and skills that can remain useful as the workplace changes.
Finance is one area where those skills increasingly come together.
Understanding how money, markets, risk, and regulation work remains fundamental to financial services. But professionals entering the sector will also need to navigate digital banking, AI, automation, data analytics, cybersecurity, and increasingly complex regulation.
So perhaps the question is not simply: What qualification can I get? It is: What will I be able to do with it when the world of work looks different from the one I entered?
For students starting out, and for people already working in financial services who want to add to their qualifications, a sound understanding of finance remains a useful foundation. So does the ability to apply that knowledge in a sector increasingly shaped by technology, data, and regulation.
Applications for Moonstone Business School of Excellence’s first-semester 2027 qualifications open on 19 October 2026.
MBSE offers a range of online qualifications for people entering or developing careers in financial services. Online study also allows students to work towards a qualification while continuing with work or other commitments.
What can you study?
There is no single route into financial services. Someone interested in insurance needs a different set of skills from someone pursuing financial planning, compliance, or financial management.
For someone starting out in short-term insurance, the Higher Certificate in Short-term Insurance (NQF 5) provides a foundation for careers ranging from broking to underwriting. The qualification is approved by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority for FAIS Fit and Proper purposes and meets the education requirement for the Insurance Institute of South Africa Licentiateship designation.
The Higher Certificate in Wealth Management (NQF 5) takes a different route, aimed at people interested in financial advice and wealth management. It is recognised by the FSCA for FAIS purposes and provides a route towards eligibility for the Registered Financial Practitioner (RFP) designation awarded by the Financial Planning Institute of Southern Africa (FPI).
For those who already have some grounding in financial planning, the Advanced Certificate in Financial Planning (NQF 6) takes things further, covering areas such as taxation, legislation, and financial planning principles. It is aligned with the Financial Services Advisor (FSA) designation and can provide a route into MBSE’s Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Planning through Recognition of Prior Learning.
The Occupational Certificate: Compliance Officer (NQF 6) takes a different route again. It is aimed at people wanting to build careers in compliance, risk, and regulatory roles – areas that require professionals to understand not only the rules themselves, but how they apply as financial-services businesses and technologies change.
For those looking to go further into financial planning, the Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Planning (NQF 8) provides the underlying education requirement set by the FPI for the CFP Capstone Course and Financial Plan Assessment, which are the final steps towards the globally recognised CFP designation.
And for students looking for a broader financial-management qualification, there is MBSE’s Bachelor of Commerce in Financial Management (NQF 7). Launched in July 2025 and accredited for online delivery, the degree is aligned with the CIMA framework and is designed for both full-time students and working professionals. It combines financial management with areas including ethical practice and digital workplace readiness.
Whichever path you choose, the same thing applies: technical knowledge is still important, but so is knowing how to work with new tools, understand data, and adapt as financial services change.
That means responding to an industry that is constantly evolving, and to what it needs from the people entering it. MBSE keeps track of developments in the financial services industry and considers feedback from students when reviewing its courses, helping to keep what they learn relevant to the realities of the workplace.
“We teach the theory but also show students how to apply it using real-world tools,” MBSE’s operations manager, Monique Brummer, says. “Our aim is to ensure our graduates are as employable as possible.”
Thinking about applying?
Applications for MBSE’s first-semester 2027 qualifications open on 19 October 2026 and close on 25 January 2027, with the semester starting in February.
Entry requirements differ between qualifications, but applicants will generally need certified copies of their Identity Document, Matric certificate, and highest qualification, if applicable, as well as the R500 application fee.
For more information about MBSE’s range of qualifications, visit www.mbse.ac.za or contact MBSE at help@mbse.ac.za.
