Nxumalo, Malibongwe A.2024-10-082024-10-082021Nxumalo, Malibongwe A.. (2021). A new business venture proposal for student accommodation in KwaZulu Natal [Master’s dissertation, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg]. WireDSpace.https://hdl.handle.net/10539/41435https://hdl.handle.net/10539/41435A research report submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Business Administration to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, Wits Business School, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2021Scarcity of on-campus student housing has given birth to a niche market for private companies to close the gap as requested by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) in South Africa. RasRach Student Living Company (RSLC) is a student accommodation company specialising in affordable, quality and secure studend living in Pietermaritzburg, Kwa-Zulu Natal province. Leveraging off its technological capabilities, RSLC will invest in renewable energy and the circular economy to efficiently manage operational costs and the impact of loadshedding on students, thus disrupting the sector. The Scotsville precinct within Pietermaritzburg has been identified as a hot spot to provide the service as it houses three tertiaty institutions within a five kilometre radius, making an ideal location for the RSLC housing project. This suburb provides a great opportunity for RSLC to access properties at a cheaper price and develop them to meet the housing demand. A qualitative data method was utilised to collect secondary desktop data accessible from government departments, libraries, verified journal articles, university publications and company websites. An unprecedented increase in the domestic population and the youth who require tertiary education cannot be ignored as higher education institutions are struggling to meet the demands for the provisioning of both academic and student accommodation. This serious challenge leads to the students‟ poor performance, with a drastic increase in the drop-out rates. A strong correlation exists that indicates that quality student accommodation not only impacts the students‟ performance academically but also impacts their social interactions and participation within the university programmes. RasRach Student Living Company will purchase properties near different institutions around Scotsville, Pietermaritzburg. These properties will be redeveloped to meet the requirements of the Policy on Minimum Norms and Standards for Student Housing at Pubic Universities issued by DHET. RSLC growth strategy is organic in the short-medium term and will franchise in five years to implement the strategy of the company thus advancing its business modeen© 2021 University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.Scarcity of on-campus student housingDepartment of Higher Education and Training (DHET)RasRach Student Living Company (RSLC)Student accommodationSDG-8: Decent work and economic growthDissertationUniversity of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg