Students residing at Thrive Student Living Properties staged demonstrations outside the University of Johannesburg and media offices in Johannesburg, demanding an end to mandatory monthly top-up fees despite their housing holding National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) accreditation.
The protesters, predominantly NSFAS-funded students, argue the additional charges are unjustified given reported living conditions. “The top-up we are paying is exorbitantly unnecessary for the experience that we get and the subpar expenditures that they say that they have,” stated one resident who has occupied the building since 2024.
Students detailed significant service reductions, noting cleaning staff has been drastically cut. “This year, there are three members that clean the whole building. There are 26 rooms per floor and there are four floors in my specific building and only three people clean those rooms,” the resident added.
Additional grievances include persistent maintenance failures. Protesters reported widespread mold growth in rooms, with one student noting photographic evidence of personal belongings, including footwear, damaged by damp conditions. Non-functional heating systems during winter months have further heightened concerns about habitability. “Heaters are not working right now and it’s cold. It’s winter,” a protester emphasized.
“We demand our refund,” declared a student representative. “We want all the benefits that they’ve been giving us, and we want them to fix the building.”
The students’ formal demands include:
- Immediate refunds of top-up fees for both shared and single rooms
- Restoration of all previously provided amenities and access privileges
- Urgent repairs to address mold, heating failures, and infrastructure deficits
- Cessation of all mandatory monthly top-up charges
Former residents have joined calls for accountability, questioning how properties maintaining NSFAS accreditation can allegedly operate contrary to scheme regulations. “You cannot say that you are an NSFAS accredited building and you still go against the law of NSFAS,” said one former resident. “You must lose your accreditation with immediate effect.”
Student leaders emphasized the issue extends beyond Thrive properties. They noted similar top-up systems were successfully challenged and scrapped following student negotiations in previous years. “Even last year this issue was raised and they managed to scrap top-ups,” explained a student activist. “We are shocked that management now appears compliant in this issue, even telling students ‘if you can’t pay this top-up, just leave.'”
Activists argue limited alternative accommodation options near campus leave students vulnerable. “Our students want accommodations that are closer to campuses and those are the only alternative accommodations that we have,” a leader stated, referring to the Auckland Park area.
Organizers warned that further action may follow if their demands are not addressed. Attempts to reach Thrive Student Living Properties for comment were unsuccessful at the time of publication.
