The University of Toronto will offer one course in South Africa. This course is worth one full-year credit and is contingent on adequate enrolment. Students are not permitted to register for more than one course at a time.
Classes will take place Monday to Thursday from approximately 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. Field trips will occur during scheduled class time AND outside of class time. A detailed schedule will be available at the time of admission.
MGT396Y0 Special Topics: Inclusive Consulting with Micro-Enterprises
The course has two main objectives:
1) Develop an understanding of one of the increasingly important emerging national economies, i.e., South Africa, which continues to face and address important social and economic challenges, and
2) Demonstrate the vitality of the socio-economic innovations in the townships by consulting with micro-entrepreneurs there.
Students, in small teams, will learn by working collaboratively on consulting engagements with a micro-entrepreneur. Students will work with a local consulting firm, Reciprocity, which has experience working with the University of Toronto for ten years and other North American universities. Prior to starting the engagements, students will learn about the socio-economic context as well as about consulting processes and techniques. The students’ performance will be assessed through written journals, course contribution, a take-home exam, and consulting engagement reports and presentations. The program will not only ground the students’ content knowledge but will provide the opportunity to develop transferable skills in analysis and consulting.
Prerequisites: None
Breadth Requirement = Society and its Institutions (3)
Focus: Diverse Economies
CR/NCR option: Eligible
2026 Draft Course Outline (updated Nov 6, 2025)
Note: Rotman Commerce students may take this course and it will count as the equivalent of an RSM course towards their degree/program requirements. However, if Rotman Commerce students opt for CR/NCR, the course cannot count towards their program requirements, including the 8.0 RSM requirement. It would simply be an elective towards the 20.0 credit degree requirement
Applies towards:
- Focus in Strategy and Innovation: Requirement 2
- Focus in International Business (UofT Global Scholar): Requirement 2
- Focus Diverse Economies
Instructor
Ann Armstrong received her Ph.D. from the Rotman School of Management. Ann has co-authored two books on the social economy of Canada and the United States. Her most recent publication examines if the current approaches to DEI go far enough. Since July 2021, Ann has been serving as the director of ICUBE, UTM’s incubator for social enterprises and early-stage start-ups from equity-deserving communities. In that role, she supports the African Health Collaborative, a partnership between the University of Toronto and eight African universities. Ann will be teaching virtually.
On-Site Facilitator
Tapfuma Musewe’s passion and expertise lie in connecting African markets and other regions of the world. He founded Afrifursa, which seeks to shift the narrative around Africa and hosts an annual fintech summit. Tapfuma has an EMBA from the Rotman School of Management as well as the PMP designation. He is the incoming President of ESG Global Advisors, a Toronto-based boutique sustainability advisory firm. Tapfuma is leading the firm into its next phase of strategic and global growth in an increasingly complex environment.