Education is key to building human capital. Expanding access to quality tertiary education and vocational education and training institutions can help reduce income inequality and promote social mobility through greater access to skills, training and jobs. One of the challenges that South Africa's formal tertiary education system faces is a shortage of high-quality, affordable student housing units. Suitable and accessible student accommodation could help more South African students take classes and succeed.
IFC, with funding support from the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and the UK government and technical support from JLL, produced this market assessment on the student housing landscape in South Africa to analyze current and future supply and demand for student accommodation at tertiary institutions. The study unpacks the challenges to delivering adequate and affordable student accommodation and provides recommendations to support further private and public sector collaboration to increase affordable student housing in South Africa.
