THE University of KwaZulu-Natal’s (UKZN’s) ground-breaking R800-million student accommodation project has been hailed by the mayor of eThekwini, Cyril Xaba, who praised the developers for alleviating the shortage of student housing in the city.

The R800-million project, located adjacent to the main gate of the Howard College Campus in Berea, was launched on Monday (November 18) and is expected to be completed in two years. Xaba applauded Growthpoint Properties, Thrive Student Living and UKZN for collaborating with the municipality in the planning of this project.

He described the project as a great milestone that will transform student life in the city. “A few years ago, the municipality proclaimed this area as a student accommodation precinct, and this is the first development of its kind in this precinct and the biggest student accommodation investment in eThekwini,” said Xaba.

Also Read: UKZN gears up to welcome new students

During the construction phase, the project is expected to create 1 200 job opportunities and 50 permanent ones post-construction. Xaba said the development has great potential to turn around the city’s economic fortunes.

“What makes the project even more exciting to us and the residents of eThekwini is that once it is completed in two years, the City will be able to derive rates income from it. This is a welcome boost to our coffers, and it will enable us to invest some of this money in improving our infrastructure,” said Xaba.

The new 12-storey building, which will incorporate the red face-brick that is an architectural signature in the Berea area, is set to welcome its first students in January 2027. The project will add 2 400 student beds in the region, which Growthpoint’s KwaZulu-Natal regional development manager Kobus Blom says has the biggest shortage of student beds in South Africa.

“Proprietary research commissioned by our team revealed that KZN remains undersupplied with student beds. The province has significant demand, and most students live in environments that are not conducive to student outcomes,” said Blom.

The student res will include study areas, game rooms, gyms and IT rooms, and will have backup power and water supply. Uniquely, it has also been designed to include a small element of ground-floor retail tailored towards daily convenience, which will serve building residents, other students and the immediate community.

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