The purpose of this article was to explore the challenges and opportunities for using e-learning in a South African emerging university, especially during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The article adopts an explanatory case study design to answer the research question. A quantitative research method was adopted using the convenience sampling technique. A structured Likert Scale questionnaire was designed and distributed online to 500 undergraduate students through a WhatsApp classroom group. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 27 was used to analyse the quantitative data and SmartPLS, version 3.3.3 was used for path analysis. The findings revealed that Microsoft Teams remains the most accessed e-learning tool for teaching and learning at emerging universities. Furthermore, the findings indicate that most undergraduate students use their laptop devices with mobile data for Internet access. The main contribution is the determination of perceived usefulness and ease of use of e-learning in emerging universities.