The Fundi Foundation has acknowledged the members of the public, corporates and other contributors to its 2025 Registration Fee campaign. Their generosity has made it possible for 48 deserving students to take the next steps towards the futures of their dreams – with the Foundation disbursing over R287 000 in direct registration fee support.
The start of the second semester of the tertiary academic year saw the Fundi Foundation release its first impact report of 2025: documenting the outcomes of its annual registration fee campaign. Started in 2021 in response to #FeesMustFall, the registration fee campaign has raised over R 2.2 million to date, supporting a collective total of 528 students across the country.
“While the outcomes of our 2025 campaign are encouraging, the over 3 600 applications received during the campaign application window from December 2024 to February 2025 continue telling the heart-breaking story of South Africa’s ‘missing middle’,” notes Sphiwe Masuku, spokesperson for the Fundi Foundation. “These are students who remain ‘excluded’ from our tertiary education system by virtue of their financial status. While they aren’t ‘poor’ enough to qualify for NSFAS assistance, their household incomes of between R350 000 and R600 000 annually mean they are unable to afford university education without financial aid. Non-payment of registration fees after they have been accepted remains one of their biggest obstacles to begin their academic journeys.”
She adds that the financial need demonstrated through this sample of students was staggering: collectively, students requested over R24.4 million in support. “This highlights the persistent, structural barriers many students face when it comes to accessing higher education – and how this impacts individual lives, as well as our collective future as a country. It also underscores the urgency of finding a sustainable long-term solution for these learners. As a sector, we are nowhere near solving for this yet, despite the significant efforts that have been made.
Masuku explains that the Fundi Foundation was formally established in 2019 as the social impact arm of Fundi, with a vision to drive meaningful change in the sector. “While Fundi had already supported 1.1 million students from the ‘missing middle’ with innovative financial solutions up until that point, we were very aware of the growing number of young South Africans who remained excluded by the system simply because they couldn’t afford the cost of entry. These were the students who fell and continue to fall between the cracks. As such, one of our core drivers as the Foundation is to close that gap.”
This campaign in particular is one very close to home – and hearts – for many of the organisation’s team members. “Several of our own staff can recount memories of having to ‘find’ registration fees – typically an unexpected and unbudgeted-for amount ranging from R1k to over R10K. In many instances, already stretched family members and friends came to their aid.”
Insights from the 2025 campaign confirm this unfortunate ongoing reality. From a pool of 3 443 verified applicants, 72 finalists were drawn during a transparent, publicly broadcast YouTube live event on 24 January 2025. Ultimately, 48 students were verified as eligible and received their funding, which was paid directly to the tertiary institutions where they were registered.
“The crisis of student exclusion in South Africa is no abstract issue,” notes Masuku. “In 2023 alone, it was reported that tens of thousands of students faced exclusion due to unpaid registration fees; part of a larger financial aid gap of billions across the tertiary sector.” [1]
The 48 students who received the funding span the country, with notable concentrations at UNISA (the institution with the highest number of recipients), Wits University and the University of Johannesburg. “Behind each number is a real student, a dream and a family whose trajectory is forever changed. The campaign is a reminder that the private sector has both a responsibility and the ability to intervene meaningfully, even where legacy challenges continue to threaten the futures of South Africa’s youth. We need to lean in as a collective – not just with corporate social investment, but with sustainable, scalable solutions that dismantle educational inequality at its root,” adds Masuku. “We can’t wait for perfect policy. We must act where we can, how we can, right now.
“The Fundi Foundation’s approach – combining technology, transparency and targeted support – proves that even relatively modest contributions can have profound ripple effects when applied with focus and integrity. As the 2025 academic year progresses, we call on corporates, civil society and communities to step up, stand in and continue the work of transforming student lives; one student at a time,” she concludes.
[1] https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20250318114841409
