In recent months, the role of private student accommodations in student housing has been left up in the air, as students contest their questionable and perhaps exploitative business practices. Private student accommodation is often seen as a reasonable alternative to university residency, providing the university experience whilst offering a degree of freedom not found at institutionally owned housing. However, against the backdrop of protests, lockdowns and lawsuits, the question is: do private student accommodations truly have the best interests of students in mind?
Thrive Student Living, a familiar name within the realm of private student housing, is not a stranger to controversy. In March, protests broke out at several private student accommodations around Hatfield, including Hatfield Studios and Varsity Studios, two buildings owned by Thrive. The protests mainly revolved around the “top-up” fees that NSFAS-funded students were required to pay, as well as high lease and administrative fees. Despite being NSFAS accredited, many accommodations require NSFAS-funded students to pay additional rental fees out of pocket. Prior to the protests, Thrive management engaged with UP-SRC President Khutso Manyaka, which resulted in the reduction of rental fees for sharing rooms from R5 500 to R5 400.
As recently as June, protests broke out in Thrive buildings in Johannesburg, also in regard to top-up fees; this time, following the protests, Thrive announced that top-up fees would be removed across all sharing rooms within their buildings. The pricing situations of private student accommodations, especially those that are NSFAS accredited, have caused frustration among students around the country, even prompting the SRCs of Stellenbosch University, the University of Witwatersrand, the University of Cape Town and the University of Johannesburg to release a joint statement regarding the “exploitation of students through exorbitant accommodation costs.” The statement speaks on the pricing of private student accommodations, calling on them to be strictly regulated in order to prevent extortion of students. The SRCs also highlight skyrocketing accommodation prices and urge NSFAS to report said private accommodations to the Competition Commission for possible collusion and price gouging. Something to note is Thrive’s responses to both incidents. With them locking down their buildings, limiting biometrics and preventing students from entering and exiting the premises. In Johannesburg, this resulted in several students missing their exams. Additionally, as stated by the UP-SRC president in the Quarter 2 Student Forum, Thrive has seemingly taken legal action against him following the march protests.
When looking at the pricing practices of nearby accommodations, student complaints seem even more legitimate. For example, in Hatfield Studios, the rental price for a 10-month lease in a standard room rose from R7 888.61 with a booking fee of R1 100 in 2024 to R9 850 in 2026.
PDBY spoke with Milan Govender, a former resident of Hatfield Studios. Govender expressed disdain for the rental prices of the building, especially considering the size of the room. She explained that rooms are tiny and consequently impractical to live in. She also speaks on the facilities of the building, stating that they are not as high-end as advertised, and detailed the lack of privacy within the rooms due to the compact construction of the building. Ultimately, Govender recommends that students explore other accommodation options such as TuksRes or private apartments, as they are more affordable and provide better living experiences.
PDBY also spoke with a current Hatfield Studios resident who requested to remain anonymous. They spoke on the exploitative nature of hidden fees that students often have to pay when residing at private student accommodations, such as cleaning fees, added fees for laundry tokens, electricity and other penalties. Reiterating Govender’s comments, the Hatfield Studios resident also finds the rental prices unnecessarily high, especially when considering the size of the room, adding that the aforementioned additional fees should at least form part of the initial rent. The anonymous resident further expresses their dislike of Thrive’s treatment of students who fail to pay their fees, citing that students who fail to pay have their wi-fi and biometric access limited until they do so. They also highlight how private accommodations’ high administrative fees and strict approach to payment make them less accessible for students who do not have consistent access to funding. Finally, they note that private accommodations have somewhat of a monopoly on pivotal locations for UP students; as such, many learners are forced to decide between private student accommodations that are of convenient walking distance to campus, or apartments and Tuks Residences that are further away, requiring some form of transport to get to class.
To gain further insight into the above critiques, PDBY spoke with Thrive Student Living Fund Manager, Amogelang Mocumi. Mocumi explained that the aforementioned “hidden fees” are actually displayed on the company’s website. He detailed that the rental prices shown include the costs of electricity, wi-fi and laundry tokens. Additionally, the tenant’s invoices include a breakdown of the fees that make up the total rental amount; he reiterated that fees are not added onto the base rental price. However, Mocumi did acknowledge that the fee breakdown may give students the wrong impression with regard to how they are being charged. Speaking on the revocation of biometric and wi-fi access, Mocumi encourages students to speak to building management once they fall into arrears so that they can be accommodated. He further explains that biometrics are turned off to ensure that students are still residing in the building and to encourage students to engage with building management about their financial issues. He also highlights how many students may feel fear or shame when bringing up their financial issues to building management. When asked how soon students in arrears have their biometrics restricted, Mocumi detailed that once a student misses a payment, they are given two weeks to discuss and resolve the issue with building management before their biometrics are limited.
Talking about accommodations made for NSFAS-funded students who deal with payment delays from the financial aid scheme, Mocumi explained the following process. Thrive will contact the financial aid office at the University of Pretoria and explain that they have not received rental payment for certain students; UP will then launch an investigation, which will either reveal the date on which payment will be made, or that the student has been defunded. Mocumi provides that if it is found that a student has been defunded, Thrive will then engage with the student, assess their financial situation and provide assistance where possible. For example, in 2025, five students residing at a Thrive building were awarded bursaries by the company after being defunded by NSFAS. It should be noted that during this process, the students’ biometrics are not restricted. However, Mocumi does note that defunded students who do not engage with management do have their leases terminated.
Mocumi went on to speak about the building’s pricing practices, explaining that the price increases are a result of upgrades and renovations done to the building, citing the addition of study rooms, a gym, a swimming pool, communal kitchens and room upgrades from 2023 to 2024. But Mocumi also notes the costs of running the building, noting salary increases for employees, increased municipal fees and debt. He also highlights how Thrive’s rates and taxes have increased by about 50% over the past 5 years.
Finally, PDBY was able to observe Hatfield Studios’ facilities first-hand in a tour of a building. One thing that stood out was how many of the additions made to the building were either at the request of the resident students or were made with student needs in mind. For example, study areas were fitted with “quiet rooms” at the request of students, the plumbing was being upgraded as students complained about the water in their rooms taking too long to warm up, the windows in the building’s “D Block” were soundproofed as students found issue with the excessive noise from the streets below, and recently a psychiatrist was hired that attends to students once a week.
Private student accommodations are a permanent and essential aspect of student living. Their role has given them the power to exploit students and prioritise profit margins over student wellbeing. However, looking behind the curtain, student accommodations can clearly put a decent amount of care into the welfare of their students, perhaps not being as cold and uncaring as they initially seem. Of course, this does not erase the constant struggles that students face under their care, but it does offer a new perspective. Student housing will always be a point of contention for students, especially for those who rely on external funding such as NSFAS. However, as time goes on, we might discover that there are more enemies to student progress than we thought.
Kofi Donkor