More than 500 students in Kimberley are being kicked out of their homes—not because they missed rent payments, but because the government’s student aid system failed to pay their landlords. On September 26, 2025, the Democratic Alliance sounded the alarm: students from Sol Plaatje University and Northern Cape Urban TVET College are being evicted after landlords went unpaid for over a year. The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), meant to shield low-income students from financial ruin, has instead become the source of their crisis. Here’s the thing: these aren’t just housing issues. They’re academic emergencies. Students are skipping meals. Some have dropped out. Others are sleeping in libraries.
The Human Cost Behind the Numbers
Dr. Delmaine Christians, MP for the Democratic Alliance, didn’t mince words. “The DA will ensure that students do not become destitute, suffer hunger, or have to interrupt their academic year due to NSFAS’ failures.” That’s not political rhetoric—it’s a daily reality. In Kimberley, landlords who took students in on faith—many of them small business owners—now face their own financial collapse. One landlord, who spoke anonymously, said he’s been paying his own mortgage with borrowed money for 14 months. “I believed in NSFAS,” he told local reporters. “Now I’m being asked to choose between my home and their education.”
The Democratic Alliance Students Organisation (DASO) called NSFAS a “source of trauma, uncertainty, and despair.” That’s not hyperbole. Students describe waking up to eviction notices posted on their doors. Others show up to class with nothing but a backpack. One student from Sol Plaatje University told EWN she hadn’t eaten for two days because she was too ashamed to ask for help. “I came here to study nursing,” she said. “Now I’m just trying to survive.”
NSFAS Says It’s Not That Bad—But the Numbers Tell Another Story
NSFAS insists the crisis is exaggerated. In July 2025, it denied owing R62 million in arrears, claiming the figure came from the Private Housing Student Association (PHSA), not direct landlords. Then, in April 2025, it announced it had paid R744,406,752 to landlords. That sounds impressive—until you realize that’s just one payment in a year-long backlog. The Auditor-General and Parliament have flagged a R10.6 billion shortfall in NSFAS’s accommodation budget. Meanwhile, the scheme’s own pilot program, launched to fix these very problems, still has 37,913 beds unaccredited as of August 2025. That’s nearly 10% of the 329,038 beds it claims to manage.
Dr. Karen Stander, chairwoman of the NSFAS Board, confirmed in August 2025 that a forensic review by ENS Africa began in January 2025 and won’t wrap up until September 30, 2025. Translation: they’re still figuring out what went wrong while students are being thrown onto the streets. The irony? NSFAS says it’s “deeply concerned” about evictions—but has offered no emergency cash infusion, no freeze on evictions, and no clear timeline for arrears payment.
The DA’s Demands: Transparency, Accountability, Immediate Relief
The Democratic Alliance isn’t just protesting. It’s preparing legal and parliamentary action. On September 26, it announced plans to write to the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education to summon both Dr. Stander and Buti Manamela, the Minister of Higher Education and Training. The DA wants three things:
- A line-by-line breakdown of the R13.3 billion reprioritisation—what got cut, what got delayed, and why.
- A concrete, funded plan to close the R10.6 billion gap identified by Parliament.
- A written timetable with deadlines to settle all outstanding accommodation claims, fix the broken payment portal, and prevent future evictions.
They’re also demanding that universities and TVET colleges stop hiding behind silence. “Too many institutions remain silent until crises reach breaking point,” DASO stated. “Students are left confused, without recourse, and at the mercy of a broken system.”
Why This Isn’t Just a South African Problem
This isn’t just about NSFAS. It’s about the collapse of a social contract. South Africa promised education as a right, not a privilege. But when students are forced to choose between food and tuition, between shelter and semester completion, that promise is broken. The problem isn’t just mismanagement—it’s structural. A 2025 Wits Vuvuzela report found students were denied funding simply because they applied in the wrong cycle. No warning. No appeal. Just denial.
And the housing shortage? It’s dire. The CEO of NSFAS admitted on YouTube in August 2025 that “there’s just insufficient safe, secure student accommodation in South Africa.” Yet, instead of building more, the system is relying on landlords who are already stretched thin. The pilot program, meant to be a fix, is itself a patchwork. Over 37,000 beds remain unaccredited. That’s not a glitch. That’s a design flaw.
What’s Next? A Race Against Time
The forensic review by ENS Africa ends September 30, 2025. After that, the public will see whether the failures were due to corruption, incompetence, or both. But students can’t wait for a report. They need rent paid this week. They need food this month. They need to know they can finish their degrees without becoming homeless.
The Democratic Alliance says it will take the matter to Parliament. DASO is organizing campus protests. Students in Kimberley are forming mutual aid networks—sharing meals, pooling resources, sleeping in shifts. Meanwhile, NSFAS continues to say it’s “committed to resolving all legitimate claims.” But commitment without cash is just noise.
What happens if no one acts before the new academic year starts in January? More evictions. More dropouts. More broken dreams. And a generation that will remember this not for what they learned—but for what they lost.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many students are actually at risk of eviction across South Africa?
While the most visible crisis is in Kimberley with over 500 students, EWN reported in August 2025 that thousands nationwide face eviction due to unpaid NSFAS accommodation claims. The R62 million arrears figure was disputed by NSFAS, but the scale is confirmed by student councils and university administrators. At least 12 universities and 18 TVET colleges have reported students being threatened with eviction since January 2025.
Why hasn’t NSFAS paid landlords if it collected billions in funding?
NSFAS received R27.4 billion in 2024/25 funding but reprioritized R13.3 billion away from accommodation. Internal audits show delays in verification, outdated IT systems, and bureaucratic bottlenecks. Payments were also held up while NSFAS attempted to restructure how it verifies accommodation providers—leaving thousands of legitimate claims in limbo for over a year.
What’s the difference between the NSFAS pilot and the regular accommodation system?
The pilot, launched in 2024, aimed to directly manage accommodation contracts with landlords to avoid past failures. It covered 329,038 beds across 40 institutions. But 37,913 beds remain unaccredited because landlords didn’t meet NSFAS’s new compliance standards—many of which were introduced without adequate notice or support. The pilot was supposed to fix the system. Instead, it created a parallel, slower one.
Are universities doing anything to help students?
Some, like Wits and UCT, have set up emergency housing funds and food parcels. But many, especially in the Northern Cape and Eastern Cape, have remained silent. Student Representative Councils (SRCs) have stepped in—organizing protests, lobbying ministers, and even renting rooms out of their own pockets. The lack of institutional leadership has left students feeling abandoned by the very institutions meant to protect them.
What’s the timeline for resolving these payments?
NSFAS has given no firm deadline. The forensic review ends September 30, 2025, but no public commitment has been made to settle arrears before the new academic year in January 2026. The DA is pushing for a parliamentary inquiry to force transparency. Without political pressure, there’s no guarantee payments will be made before students are forced to abandon their studies.
What can students do if they’re being evicted right now?
Students should contact their university’s student welfare office and their Student Representative Council immediately. DASO has set up a national hotline and legal aid network. They can also file complaints with the Department of Higher Education and Training. But the most urgent need is cash—without immediate intervention, no amount of paperwork will stop an eviction notice.
