STUDENT ACCOMMODATION
Preparing for the next wave
With over 1.2 million students enrolled at public universities and TVET colleges, fewer than 25 % have access to formal, accredited housing.
The gap is widening every year. For investors and institutions, this isn’ t just a housing shortage, it’ s a structural market opportunity.
A demand curve that keeps rising
STUDENT ACCOMMODATION
Preparing for the next wave
South Africa is on the brink of one of the most significant real estate opportunities in a generation, student accommodation. will be voting not for their favourite, but for who they think others will vote for.
With over 1.2 million students enrolled at public universities and TVET colleges, fewer than 25 % have access to formal, accredited housing.
The gap is widening every year. For investors and institutions, this isn’ t just a housing shortage, it’ s a structural market opportunity.
“ We are witnessing the early stages of an asset class transformation,” says Retha van Rooyen, Founder and CEO of My Student House( MSH).
“ Student housing is no longer a side category in residential property, it’ s emerging as one of the most resilient and socially impactful investments in South Africa.”
A demand curve that keeps rising
Department of Higher Education and NSFAS data show enrolment rising steadily, fuelled by demographic growth, government funding, and the expansion of tertiary access. Even conservative estimates suggest a shortfall of more than 400,000 beds by 2030.
In property terms, that represents tens of billions of rands in unmet demand, stretching beyond metros into secondary education hubs such as Bloemfontein, Gqeberha, and Potchefstroom.
38 REI MAGAZINE DEC / JAN 2026