How Johannesburg's universities became locked in a battle over fees, funding and access

The tensions now roiling Johannesburg's university sector didn't materialise overnight. A decade of underfunding, policy uncertainty, and competing demands between government, institutions, and students has created a structural crisis that experts say requires urgent reckoning.

The roots run deep. Since the 2015 #FeesMustFall movement, which saw students occupying the library at the University of the Witwatersrand's main campus in Braamfontein, the relationship between higher education institutions and their constituencies has been fraught. While government implemented a zero-per-cent fee increase for low-income students in 2016, it never adequately compensated universities for lost revenue. Wits, ranked among Africa's top institutions, saw its operational budget squeezed even as student numbers remained high.

The University of Johannesburg, which merged three historically separate institutions in 2005, faced additional complications. Spanning multiple campuses—from Kingsway in Auckland Park to the Doornfontein precinct—UJ inherited fragmented infrastructure and legacy financial obligations. Meanwhile, government subsidies to the higher education sector declined in real terms, dropping from approximately 0.73 per cent of GDP in 2010 to around 0.58 per cent by 2024.

Then came the pandemic. Campuses shuttered, residential students moved home, and institutions scrambled to offer online learning. Universities spent millions on digital infrastructure while facing occupancy losses in their residences—critical revenue streams for institutions like Wits and UJ. Some residences in Braamfontein and Johannesburg's northern suburbs remained half-empty for semesters.

The employment picture complicated matters further. Graduate unemployment among South Africans aged 15-24 hovered around 35 per cent in recent years, raising questions about whether traditional university degrees offered adequate value. Simultaneously, the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) struggled to disburse funds on time, leaving students in Johannesburg's residences without living allowances while institutions were held responsible for their wellbeing.

What emerges is a system under strain from multiple directions: institutions cannot sustainably operate on government grants alone; students cannot afford escalating fees; and government cannot adequately fund expansion while servicing other priorities. Solutions proposed—from increased corporate partnerships to differentiated fee structures—have been contentious, with students and unions arguing they shift burden away from the state.

Understanding this context is essential as Johannesburg's universities navigate a critical year. The decisions made now will shape whether higher education remains accessible to the city's young people, or whether Johannesburg's role as an education hub becomes increasingly exclusive.

This article was compiled by AI from the sources linked above and screened before publishing. See our editorial standards.