By Mapaballo Borotho
- Students in Gauteng are being forced to study in the dark due to electricity disruptions at several student accommodation facilities.
- The outages are linked to delayed payments, unresolved reconciliation issues and unpaid municipal bills affecting accommodation providers.
- NSFAS says university accommodation payments were released last week, although some providers may still experience banking delays.
Students in Gauteng are finding themselves studying in the dark due to the non-payment of funds to student accommodation providers in the province.
Many students have reportedly been forced to travel to campuses in cold weather to complete assignments, tasks and study because of electricity disruptions at their residences.
The electricity issues at some accommodation facilities are linked to delayed payments and unresolved reconciliation disputes.
Several student accommodation providers are currently facing electricity disconnections due to unpaid municipal bills.
According to the South African National Student Accommodation Association, the growing financial pressure is now affecting students directly.
The association said landlords are expected to continue housing NSFAS-funded students while dealing with rising electricity and water costs, despite unresolved NSFAS rental rates and delayed payments.
NSFAS spokesperson Ishmael Mnisi said on Monday, 11 May 2026, that private accommodation payments for universities were released on Thursday, 7 May 2026.
“Accommodation providers banking with First National Bank (FNB) receive funds immediately upon release, while providers with other banks may experience minor processing delays subject to interbank processing timelines,” said Mnisi.
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