TWO-THOUSAND-BED STUDENT HOUSING PROJECT SET FOR COMPLETION IN OCTOBER 2020

Student accommodation group STAG African is progressing the development of the largest student housing project ever undertaken by a South African public university, at the University of Fort Hare (UFH), in the Eastern Cape.

The project is being funded by the Department of Higher Education and Training, the Development Bank of Southern Africa and the European Union.

Phase 2 of the project is valued at R400-million and is scheduled for completion in October 2020. Phase 1 was completed in 2014 and added 610 beds to the university’s offering, while Phase 2 will bring the total beds available to 2 047.

The new residences will help ease the housing crisis at the university and create a student community that is conducive to academic success. The housing project includes a student centre and dedicated postgraduate accommodation block.

“Lack of accommodation is one of the biggest challenges we face at the UFH. Most of our students come from rural areas and do not have accommodation options when they arrive here. Currently, our residences are barely able to accommodate 50% of our student population on our Alice campus.

“Our aim with this project is to house 65% of our students on this campus,” says UFH vice-chancellor Professor Sakhela Buhlungu.

Government earlier this year acknowledged that an additional 300 000 beds are needed to accommodate the nation’s students.

STAG states that students who live on campus have a 25% greater chance of passing than students who are not residents on campus.

STAG is also developing 34 000 beds at universities in Kenya, 4 700 beds in Malawi, 5 400 beds in Zambia and 3 000 beds in Lesotho. http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/two-thousand-bed-student-housing-project-set-for-completion-in-october-2020-2019-10-29