"Advancing Dignified Student Accommodation: Summit Confronts Safety, Evictions and Inequality in SA Student Housing"

Higher Education and Technology Minister Buti Manamela's keynote address at the National Student Accommodation Indaba Summit at UKZN Westville Campus convened by the SA Union of Students.

This summit deals with one of the most urgent and sensitive issues in our higher education system. Student accommodation is not a peripheral matter. It is not an administrative add-on. It is not simply about beds, buildings and leases.

Student accommodation is about dignity. It is about safety. It is about whether a young person from a poor or working-class family can enter university, remain there, study with peace of mind, and complete their qualification.
A student who does not know where they will sleep cannot fully concentrate on learning. A student who is threatened with eviction because of a payment dispute they did not create cannot be expected to perform academically. A student who lives in unsafe, overcrowded or poorly located accommodation is not being given a fair opportunity to succeed.
That is why the theme of this summit is important: Advancing Dignified Student Accommodation: The Future of Student Housing in South Africa.

But let me say upfront: dignity cannot be reduced to slogans. Dignity must be translated into systems, standards, funding models, payment processes, inspections, accountability and consequences.
Student accommodation and student success
In our view as a government, student accommodation must be understood as part of the learning environment.
A residence is not only a place where a student sleeps. It must be a place where a student is safe, connected, supported and able to study. It must provide access to water, electricity, sanitation, internet connectivity, study spaces, disability access, security and a broader environment that supports wellbeing.
It must also contribute to social cohesion. Residences must help build communities where students from different backgrounds learn to live together, respect one another and grow beyond the classroom.
The future of student accommodation must therefore be judged by one simple test: does it improve the conditions for student success?
If it does not, then it does not meet the standard we require.
The honest diagnosis
We must also be honest about the current moment.
For many years, the main discussion around student accommodation was about shortage. That problem remains real.

Demand continues to exceed supply. Each year, more students enter the higher education system, and the pressure on available accommodation grows.
But the crisis has evolved.
Today, the student accommodation challenge is not only about the shortage of beds. It is also about governance, funding, payment delays, regulation, accreditation, affordability, safety and institutional coordination.
Students are raising legitimate concerns about delayed payments to accredited providers, threats of eviction, unbudgeted top-up fees, historical accommodation-related debt, accreditation delays, unsafe accommodation and weak enforcement of standards.
We must listen to those concerns. But listening does not mean that any stakeholder determines what the government must say or do. It means we take evidence seriously. It means we engage honestly. It means we apply the law, policy and the public interest with firmness.
The Department has a responsibility to the whole system: to students, institutions, NSFAS, legitimate providers, public funds and the long-term sustainability of higher education.
We will therefore approach this matter with seriousness, not populism; with urgency, not panic; and with accountability, not blame-shifting.
Payment delays and student stability
One of the immediate issues we must confront is the instability caused by delayed accommodation payments.
Where students are funded, where accommodation is properly accredited, where claims are valid, and where all required verification has been completed, payments must be made efficiently and timeously.
It is unacceptable for students to carry the anxiety of disputes between NSFAS, institutions and providers.
No student should be placed at risk of eviction because of administrative failure.

No student should miss classes because a payment process has broken down. No student should be left in limbo because two parts of the system are not properly coordinated.
At the same time, we must be clear: public funds must be protected. Payments cannot be made outside proper verification, compliance and accountability processes.
The answer to payment delays cannot be to weaken controls. The answer is to build a payment system that is both efficient and credible.
That is the balance we must strike.
NSFAS must improve its systems. Institutions must play their role. Providers must comply with standards and submit accurate information. The Department must ensure that the policy framework is clear and enforceable.
Affordability, top-ups and historical debt
Accommodation costs have become a major burden for many students. We are aware of concerns about top-up fees, inconsistent charges, accommodation costs above NSFAS or institutional caps, and historical accommodation-related debt.
We must deal with this carefully.
We cannot make irresponsible promises. We cannot stand here and promise that every historical debt will simply disappear. We cannot promise that every accommodation provider will be paid any amount they claim. We cannot promise that every student will immediately receive accommodation in the location of their choice.
But we can say this: the current model requires serious review. A uniform national cap does not always reflect the reality of different accommodation markets. The cost structure in one city or town may be very different from another.

The requirements of safe, well-located, properly serviced accommodation differ across contexts.
We therefore need a more intelligent funding and pricing framework. One that protects students from exploitation. One that recognises legitimate costs. One that prevents inflated claims. One that ensures that public funding supports quality, safety and affordability.
The question is not simply whether the cap must go up or down. The question is whether the model is fair, sustainable, evidence-based and resistant to abuse.
Accreditation and standards
The third issue is accreditation.
Accreditation must never become a paper exercise. It is not enough for a building to appear on a list. Accreditation must mean that the accommodation is safe, suitable, properly located, compliant and conducive to learning.
We have received reports of accommodation that is overcrowded, poorly maintained, unsafe, inadequately secured, poorly serviced, or not properly integrated into the student support environment.
That cannot be accepted.

If a property is accredited, it must meet the required norms and standards. If it does not meet those standards, then corrective action must follow. If there was negligence, there must be accountability.

If there was fraud or corruption, the matter must be referred to the appropriate authorities. We must protect legitimate providers who are doing the right thing. They are important partners in expanding access to accommodation.
But those who see student housing merely as an opportunity to extract public money, without providing dignified and safe accommodation, have no place in this sector. Public money must follow students, but it must not follow fraud.
The role of NSFAS, universities and the Department
We must also confront a design issue.
What is the role of NSFAS? What is the role of universities? What is the role of the Department? What is the role of providers?
If these roles are unclear, students suffer.
NSFAS is responsible for administering financial aid and ensuring that public funds are used properly. Universities are closest to students, campuses, residence life, safety conditions, academic support and local accommodation realities.
The Department must set policy, regulate the system and ensure accountability.
The future cannot be built on duplication, confusion or competition between institutions and NSFAS.

We need a clearer model. NSFAS must not become a distant bureaucratic landlord. Universities cannot abdicate responsibility for the living conditions of their students. Providers cannot operate outside standards. Students cannot be treated as passive recipients.
The accommodation system must be built around the student, not around institutional silos.
Safety, wellbeing and gender justice
Dignified accommodation is also about safety and wellbeing.
This is especially important for women students and vulnerable students.
When students are desperate for accommodation, they can be exposed to unsafe living arrangements, exploitation, harassment and violence.

When accommodation is far from campus, poorly lit, poorly secured or disconnected from transport, students are placed at risk.
We must therefore treat student accommodation as part of our broader work on student wellness, gender-based violence prevention, campus safety and mental health.

Accommodation policy must include practical safety standards: access control, lighting, proximity to transport, emergency response arrangements, reporting mechanisms, security, and clear institutional responsibility.

We must also be firm that accommodation must never be used as a tool of patronage, manipulation or power.
No student leader, staff member, provider or official should ever use access to accommodation to control, exploit or intimidate students. Accommodation allocation must be transparent, fair and governed by clear rules.
Infrastructure and development
Even as we deal with the immediate crisis, we must not lose sight of the long-term opportunity. South Africa needs more student accommodation. That requires investment.

It requires public and private partnerships. It requires universities, development finance institutions, commercial banks, municipalities, Infrastructure South Africa, DBSA, Human Settlements, Public Works and ethical private providers to work together.
Student accommodation is also a local development issue.
When properly planned, student housing can regenerate precincts, support local economies, improve urban safety, create jobs and contribute to infrastructure development.

But when poorly planned, it can create overcrowding, transport problems, unsafe environments, municipal service pressures and conflict with surrounding communities.
This means municipalities must be part of the solution. Student accommodation must be linked to zoning, transport, water, electricity, safety, broadband and urban planning. We must build not only more beds, but better student communities.

What must come from this summit
This summit must not become another gathering where we diagnose what we already know.

We know there are shortages.
We know there are payment delays.
We know there are affordability pressures.
We know there are accreditation weaknesses.
We know there are unsafe residences.
We know students are frustrated.
The real question is: what are we going to do about it?

I therefore want to invite this summit to produce practical, implementable recommendations. Not only a declaration.
A declaration is useful, but implementation is what changes students’ lives.

I would like this summit to assist us with proposals on the following:
First, a stronger accreditation and inspection model.
Second, a more sustainable and fair accommodation funding framework.

Third, measures to prevent evictions where students are caught in administrative disputes.
Fourth, a clearer division of responsibilities between NSFAS, universities, providers and the Department.
Fifth, minimum safety and wellbeing requirements for all accredited accommodation.

Sixth, mechanisms to identify and act against ghost beds, inflated claims, overcharging, non-compliant properties and corrupt practices.
Seventh, a framework for student participation and reporting without compromising institutional governance.
Eighth, a long-term infrastructure plan for expanding dignified student accommodation.
Ministerial direction
From the side of the Ministry, I will be asking the Department, working with NSFAS and relevant sector partners, to process the outcomes of this summit as part of a broader student accommodation reform process.
This work must include a review of NSFAS accommodation protocols, accreditation and quality assurance arrangements, the accommodation cap and affordability model, payment systems and escalation mechanisms, and the roles of universities, NSFAS and the Department.

I will also expect urgent reporting on students at risk of eviction, unpaid valid claims, payment backlogs and high-risk accommodation sites. This is not because the government wants to centralise everything. It is because the system must work. Students must not be punished for institutional failure.
Partnership and accountability
Let me also speak directly to each stakeholder.
To students and student leaders: continue to raise the lived experience of students. But also help us build solutions that are fair, lawful and implementable. Student leadership must be a force for transparency, not patronage; for dignity, not disruption; for accountability, not shortcuts.
To universities: student accommodation is part of student success. Institutions must not treat accommodation as something outside their academic responsibility. Where students live affects whether they graduate.
To NSFAS: the payment and accommodation systems must become more reliable, more transparent and more accountable. Students and providers need certainty. Public funds need protection.
To accommodation providers: government recognises the role of legitimate providers. We need ethical partners. But this sector cannot be allowed to become a site of exploitation. If you receive public funds to house students, you must meet public standards.
To municipalities and infrastructure partners: student housing must be part of development planning. We need safe precincts, reliable services, transport, lighting, connectivity and land-use planning that supports student life.
To the Department: we must lead with clarity. Where policy is unclear, we must fix it. Where implementation is weak, we must intervene. Where standards are ignored, we must enforce them.
Conclusion
The future of student accommodation is not simply about constructing more buildings.
It is about building opportunity.
It is about ensuring that a young person from a rural village, a township, a working-class family or a child-headed household can enter higher education and live in conditions that affirm their dignity.
It is about making sure that public funding supports learning, not exploitation.
It is about ensuring that student housing contributes to safety, wellbeing, transformation and academic success.
Let this summit not be remembered as another discussion about the accommodation crisis. Let it be remembered as the point at which we began to rebuild the student accommodation system around dignity, affordability, safety, accountability and student success. Those who want to work with us to build such a system will find a partner in government. Those who want to exploit students, undermine standards or abuse public funds must know that this Ministry will not look away. Together, through partnership, firm regulation and shared accountability, we can build a student accommodation system that reflects the values of our Constitution and gives every student a fair chance to belong, to learn and to succeed.

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