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As we noted in our last post (i.e. Everything you need to know about Student Accommodation), settling in at university requires you to make a crucial decision about where you are going to stay. Staying in outside accommodation rather than at a university residence can be intimidating because of the bills and utilities that you have to be responsible for, unlike your peers who live in residence and have this all attended to by the university.

To make sure that renting and the task of dealing with landlords is easier for you, we have come up with a guide to the Rental Housing Act to help you understand your rights under a lease agreement as the tenant. The Act regulates the relationship between landlords and tenants. As a tenant, it is important to understand your rights and obligations as well as those of the landlord. Knowing the law regarding renting is important so that you can assert your needs and you do not get short-changed.

Constitution

Section 26 of the Constitution provides that everyone has the right to have access to adequate housing. This provision is the gateway to the Rental Housing Act. Under section 26(2), the Constitution mandates the government to take reasonable measures to come up with laws to achieve the realization of the right to housing – herein enters the Act.

Lease Agreement

Section 8 of the Act provides that a lease, in writing, containing all relevant information about the rental period must be issued to the tenant. The lease agreement can be published in any of the official South African languages. In some instances, tenants move into accommodation without a lease agreement that lays out what the tenant and landlord expect to form each other. This is dangerous because should anything happen during your stay, and you want to hold your landlord accountable for any violation – the law will not be on your side.

Property Inspections

Section 4A of the Act states that as the tenant, you have the right to view the premises with the landlord before you move in. The idea is for you to be aware of any existing defects or damage to the property and to come to an agreement with the landlord about their responsibility to rectify these. At the end of the lease period, you and the landlord must arrange another joint inspection to determine what damage was caused to the property since you occupied it.

Provisions that are important for the tenant:

• Receipts: Tenants have the right to receive a written receipt from the landlord for all the payments they make.
• Deposit: When the lease expires, a tenant has the right to receive the deposit that they paid and any interest that accrued to it, within seven days of the lease expiring. This is subject to whether the tenant had amounts owing or damaged the property and consequently had to pay for the repairs with the deposit.
• Written proof: A tenant may request the landlord to provide them with written proof of interest accrued on the deposit that they paid.
• Eviction: A tenant may not be evicted under any circumstances unless the landlord has acquired an eviction order under the Prevention of Illegal Eviction from and Unlawful Occupation of Land Act.
• Privacy: Tenants have the right to privacy. This means that the landlord may not:
  • Search the tenant’s personal property
  • Infringe the privacy of the tenant’s communications e.g., cell phones, Wi-Fi
  • Discriminate against a tenant or prospective tenant based on their race, gender, sex, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, or any other ground that would constitute unfair discrimination.

Cancellation of the Lease Agreement

A lease agreement can be canceled if you or the landlord have broken an important part of the agreement. For example, if the landlord fails to complete essential maintenance or you fail to pay your rent – the lease agreement may be terminated.

The lease agreement should contain a cancellation clause that informs you of the time period that you and the landlord have to fix any violation that has happened (such as the examples stated above). The lease agreement should also contain a clause about when the agreement will come to an end if the violation is not fixed within the given period.

Furthermore, a lease can also be terminated when you or the landlord give reasonable notice about wanting to cancel the lease. If there is no agreement about what a “reasonable notice” means, the general rule is that it is at least one month prior.

The landlord’s rights:

• Rent: The landlord can expect prompt and regular payment from the tenant
• Cancellation: The landlord may cancel the lease but only on reasonable grounds that do not constitute an unfair practice
• Damages: The landlord has a right to claim compensation for damages to the property if the damage is caused by the tenant or their visitor.

Settling in at university is such a crucial part of your overall student experience and choosing which accommodation is suitable for you based on your budget and lifestyle is key. Choosing where you are going to live is one of the most exciting and important decisions you will make. To ensure this process is smooth as possible, we have noted a few key points to ensure that you make an informed decision.

High-level things to consider:

1. You can opt to live at university residence, private accommodation, rent a flat or you may even choose to live at home.
2. Can you afford it? It helps to do thorough research on costs, the advantages and disadvantages of each option. If your are sponsored by a bursary it is adviseable to find out if accomodation is covered and if so how much exactly, in order to plan budget correctly.
3. Is location important? Do you want to live in the city or in the suburbs? Do you want to be able to walk to campus or are you happy to drive or take public transport? And if you’re happy to drive or take public transport, have you considered traffic? Your timetable and how this might affect travel time.
4. If you’re choosing the university residence root, it is advisable that you do the accommodation application simultaneously or after the course application. However, it’s probably best to check with the respective university student housing on their policy.

Residence (managed by university management)

University residences are usually large blocks of flats housing hundreds of students, with individually furnished bedrooms organized around corridors or apartments with a shared kitchen, dining hall, bathroom, tv area, etc.

• They are usually managed by the university or in partnership with a private company, and the quality is generally good as they have to comply with health and safety.
• Many universities guarantee a place in residences for full-time first-year students and international postgraduates, as long as you meet application deadlines. 

Advantages

• Bills – university residences are usually popular among new students who are living away from home for the first time. All the bills are usually included, utilities, maintenance, food (if you will be applying for a catered residence). So, you know exactly what you are budgeting for, and it’s easy to arrange your accommodation by applying directly to the university – normally online.
• Catering – If you live in a catered residence, you can be sure that all your three meals will be catered for. This is mostly for first-year residences but if you’re in your second year, then there is an option to live in a self-catering residence which can be a great option if you want to practice your Masterchef skills or you’re simply tired of res food.
• University life – as they’re typically located on or near campus, living at res puts you at the centre of student life so it’s easier to access and get the holistic experience of university life. It’s a great way to make friends and to get involved in social activities.
• Convenient facilities you need (for example a laundrette) are usually on-site, and the university accommodation team is on hand when it comes to maintenance.

Disadvantages

• Paying more? When it comes to university manages residences, you’re mostly paying for convenience, this means that you might find yourself paying more at a university residence than you would in private accommodation.
• Roommates – you don’t get to choose who your roommates will be. Things can quickly get tricky if you don’t get along/agree with your roommates.
• Peace and quiet – Residences aren’t the place to be if you value your peace and quiet because there might be a lot of activities happening.

Private Accommodation

If the route of university-managed residence does not sound like something you would enjoy, private accommodation might just be the answer. It usually accommodates around four/ five people or even more. This is also the option followed by most students from the second year onwards, but also by some first years. Another good example of this might be a commune.

Private accommodation offers most benefits of residences but you have to book a room directly with the specific accommodation you’re interested in – and most have easy online booking systems. It is important to note that some private accommodations are affiliated with institutions, while others are privately owned. It is always advisable to first check the university-approved or affiliated accommodation.

Advantages

• Choosing who to live with – One advantage is getting to choose who you live with (for second-year students this usually means moving in with friends made in the first year), which can make for a better experience.
• Choosing where to live – Another benefit is that you’ll have more choice over where to live. You’ll be further from campus, but the popular student areas of most university cities are served by good transport links, as well as lots of shops, entertainment, and food outlets.
• Independence – Like any other living place, private accommodation has rules but there’s relatively more freedom than residences i.e. not having to sign out visitors at a specific time or eat at a specific time due to dining hall rules.
• The length of the lease can be shorter than the 12 months, which is common when signing a regular rental agreement i.e. 10 month lease covering the academically active period of the year.

Disadvantages

• Bills – Usually the rent is cheaper than residences, but you must remember that you’ll be responsible for paying your bills. It’ll be up to you to sort your payments for things like utilities, Wi-Fi access, TV license and in some cases, buying your furniture. Please note however that there are university-approved or affiliated accommodation places that cover wifi in the rent, whcih might be slightly more expensive than places that dont have wifi.
• You need to budget carefully! As the manager of your finances, it is your responsibility to make sure all expenses are paid for before or on the arranged time.
• Maintenance – You also need to be comfortable getting in touch with your landlord or letting the agent to sort any issues or arrange repairs. Be sure to read and understand your contract and be aware of your rights as a tenant.
• Deposit – last but not least, some landlords may require an upfront deposit of either one/two-month rent price. You, therefore, need to make sure you plan upfront for this money.

Renting

This involves moving out on your own or into a shared house or flat with friends (or even strangers). You can find places to rent through word of mouth, websites, newspapers, or on student noticeboards on campus.

This is not much different from private accommodation except renting is not necessarily designed in a way that is student accommodation friendly, unlike private accommodation which prioritizes that.

Advantages

• Renting gives you a lot more independence than other styles of accommodation, helping you become responsible and self-sufficient through paying your bills, sharing cleaning duties and dealing with landlords.
• You can choose where you live – close or far from campus.
• You have more freedom to “live” as you choose (although it helps to sit down and set a few basic rules with housemates).

Disadvantages

• It can be expensive – particularly if you choose to live on your own. You will also need to factor in additional costs, such as transport, food, furniture and bills.
• Flatmate disputes can get ugly – If you’re renting with others or strangers, be wary that it can be difficult sharing a place with people who have a different lifestyle, and perhaps a different idea of what constitutes clean!
• You have to deal with landlords and real estate agents, which isnt always a pleasant introduction to “adulting”.

Being a student isn’t easy, because you’re often battling with deadlines, time management, and trying to save money where possible – noting that all these aspects can either make or break your academic success. You’re either caught between trying to print application forms, sign and scan them whilst still being expected to meet up with your classmates to brainstorm ideas for your project.

What If I told you that you can do all of that and more in the comfort of your space while not using a single cent? Well, I have one word for you my friend – smartphone. As the world becomes more virtual, sometimes all you need for efficiency is your smartphone that comes with many instrumental apps that we often overlook or apps that can be freely downloaded. Luckily, these productivity software work everywhere—on any desktop, laptop, or phone you use—to level up your performance no matter where you work. These can help us with a range of things to ensure success as they can help you scan, collaborate with classmates, and even sign documents.

Here are six tools (i.e. productivity apps) that can ensure that you work faster, frugally, and more efficiently:

Notes App (web, android, iOS)

Most smartphones come with a free notes app. Notably, Evernote is the notebook app where you can write your ideas, quick to-do lists, and reminders for more essential notes you need to remember. Drag in files or use the built-in camera tool to scan documents and keep track of tickets, receipts, forms, and more.

Also, you can easily scan a document using the iPhone notes app. All you do is create a new note, tap the camera button, then tap the Scan documents.  

Google Drive (Web, Android, iOS, Windows, Mac)

If you need somewhere to store all your files and find them easily when you want them, then google drive is your best bet. It comes with Google’s own Workspace (i.e. formally known as G Suite apps) with Docs, Sheets, and Slides to handle your office needs.

The important thing is that it’s great at managing files. Drag-and-drop files between folders, open your most recently viewed files in a click, and search through all of your files and Google Docs documents together. One of its best features is that it works great with teams, group work due to the shared folders, and Team Drives for collaborative files. It even allows people to edit documents simultaneously or “live” so you’re able to see and track the exact changes.

HelloSign

Have you ever been in a situation where you desperately and urgently needed to sign a document but you were so far away from a from a pen or even worse, you didn’t have access to a printer or a scanning tool? HelloSign helps you sign every page that needs your signature in a few clicks. You can draw your signature on HelloSign’s mobile apps, or type your name and let HelloSign generate a signature if you’d prefer, then click each signature field to add it.

Pixlr (Web, Android, iOS)

Most people find it easier and seamless to find apps that help with writing and editing. However, people’s experiences with finding graphics apps, tend to be a bit more difficult. Therefore, there’s a huge notion that people need to use a PC or MacBook for their work which is great if you can afford it, but what if you’re just a student who can barely afford a MacBook, Pixlr can help you tweak images and record video from anywhere.

 It’s a suite of photo editing apps for the web and mobile. Pixlr Express is the easiest to use. It comes with core adjustment tools to crop, resize, rotate, sharpen, blur, heal, and otherwise fix images—with Instagram-style effects, borders, stickers, and text to make fun graphics from your photos.

Lucid Chart (Web, Android, iOS)

If you ever want to build a professional-looking flowchart then Lucid Chart is the next best thing. It’s quite user-friendly and has templates that you can customize. All you need to do is drag the item you want from the left sidebar, type in the text to customize it, then click the red dot to connect that element to others with arrows.

Lucidchart can even turn your data into a chart automatically to map or even build a mockup from your mind maps.

Google Calendar (Web, Android, iOS)

Google Calendar is a simple and practical app that allows you to organize all your classes, events, extracurriculars, and assignment deadlines across your phone and computer. The great thing is that you can easily see commitments throughout your day, week and month. Set up reminders before events or for to-dos so you’ll never forget anything. Say goodbye to missed deadlines and forgotten meetings, and hello to organized student life!

With the global economy having off-loaded countless jobs in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic, the hunt for work opportunities has more than intensified.

And in a fiercely competitive job market, misrepresenting a few details on your CV, during an interview, or even on your social media profiles might be tempting. Especially when you feel as though you don’t adequately measure up to competing applicants.

There is something else to think about. The new National Qualifications Framework Amendment Act 2019, signed into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa, means that prospective students and job applicants might be prosecuted, given up to five years in jail for misrepresenting their credentials.

It’s an illegal offense for any person to falsely claim to hold a qualification that’s registered on the NQF database or awarded by an accredited institution. This means even if you only publish the information online (and not on any transmitted documents), it’s still measured as an offense.

If sentenced in a court of law, the offender might get a fine or imprisonment of up to five years, or both, depending on the type of case being litigated.

And since we live in the digital-led/information overload age, it’s doubly important to learn how to share and effectively manage the information you share about yourself.

You can read up on The Right to Privacy in the Digital Age, and Defamation and Social Media.

Now, let’s take a look into personal branding, to help you think about how to cultivate, tell and live an authentic story as you shape your career.

Personal Branding

Your personal brand, in a nutshell, is the way in which you position and promote yourself and your work. It’s the essence of the person you are, all of your history, education attained, your skills and their commercial value, your worldview, and what direction you want to take your career.

It’s also a narrative that speaks about how you dress, how you move, speak, your personality traits/quirks, and your ability to build healthy/enduring relationships with other people.

To begin constructing your personal brand narrative, you need to…

• Identify your unique characteristics that carry commercial value.
• Learn how they connect with your work and then intentionally build a reputation around those qualities.
• Continue learning and refining what sets you apart from other professionals.
• Once you’ve fairly figured it out, develop a working system that works for you on order to replicate efficient and consistent results.

In many instances, people find it difficult to evaluate and effectively pitch the value of their skills.

To mitigate that, take a bit of time and think about these three things…

1. What is your personal story?
2. What is the one thing you want another person to remember about you after a meeting with you?
3. What noticeable value do you want other people to take away from spending time with you?

Ultimately, the goal is to create a strong intersection of skills that convey a specific message about you.

Play the long game

As you begin to sell your skills and knowledge, ask yourself tough questions about your intentions. Sure, you apply for work opportunities mainly because there’s money to be made. But it’s also important to think about long-term career goals.

For example, imagine this scenario: What type of projects do you see yourself working on in the next ten to fifteen years?

And while you think about that: Does working at that level of your industry naturally come with strict protocols and background/reputational checks?

The point is that it’s relatively easy to make compromising professional decisions in the current moment. And those decisions might eventually box you in and jeopardize the availability of future work.

The nature of professional dishonesty

Lying can range from excluding key facts, timelines, all the way to blatant fraud.

The most typical cases of professional dishonesty generally revolve around the following five:

1. Academic qualifications: misrepresenting these by claiming ownership of a degree you have never achieved, or falsely claiming higher grades.
2. Dishonest reasons for leaving previous jobs. Example: hiding that you were fired from a previous job and the accompanying reasons.
3. The exaggeration of previous salaries or level of responsibility.
4. Providing bogus references and points of contact.
5. Falsely upselling previous work experiences, skill sets, age, etc.

And aside from the references that you provide, recruiters have the option to write to your current and previous employers. They might even contact your high school, college or university, with a request to confirm your employment or educational qualification(s).

Potential employers may also hire specialist security businesses to perform background checks on your story and documents before processing any agreement with you.

Ultimately, you need to always keep in mind two things…

1. There is a difference between presenting yourself in the best possible way and deliberate misrepresentation.
2. Building a career is a long-term job. (Even if you change career at some point, the name and reputation remain.)

If you wish to secure your spot in the class of 2022 at one of the twenty-six South African higher education institutions, you have to start working on starting your application process.

It’s important to note that before you make any application, consider different factors. And those include the environment you see yourself living and working comfortably in, the location, (public) transportation facilities and routes, accommodation, daily economic costs, financing for studies via institutional bursaries, and the general style of the learning institution you want to attend.

NB: application dates may differ and/or change due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The institutions hold the privilege to revise the dates published in order to match what has been a constantly changing learning environment since the pandemic began.

Nelson Mandela University (NMU)

5 August 2021 for early applications (excluding MBChB).

30 September 2021 for late applications (excluding MBChB).

30 September 2021 for international student applications (excluding MBChB).

30 September 2021 – International student applications (application fee: R500).

University of Fort Hare (UFH)

Friday, 29 October 2021

You can find the application forms here, application guidelines and fees, and banking details.

University of Pretoria (TUKS)

New applications for the Faculty of Health Sciences have been extended until 31 July 2021.

While the last opportunity for matric learners to write their national benchmark test is 30 September 2021.

Further closing dates are Specific to Faculties.

You can browse all faculties and their stated dates here.

North-West University (NWU)

31st July 2021 (Selection courses)

30 September 2021 (Non-selection courses)

University of South Africa (UNISA)

1 September 2021 (applications open)

15 December 2021 (closing date)

You can read up on the institution’s application guidelines and how to download the 2022 prospectus here.

University of the Free State (UFS)

31 July 2020: Architecture, Quantity Surveying, Construction Management, and Social Work:

30 September 2020: All non-selection programmes

1 November 2020: Fine Arts

Download a PDF that contains dates and important information for students from the institution.

Rhodes University (RU)

30 September 2021 (Undergraduate studies)

31 October 2021 (Postgraduate studies)

Walter Sisulu University (WSU)

30 September 2021 (Faculty of Health Sciences)

31 October 2021 (Other Faculties)

University of Johannesburg (UJ)

30 September 2021 –12:00 PM (Undergraduate Studies)

You can read up on the institution’s comprehensive application guidelines, closing dates for postgraduate applications, fees, and contact information here. 

University of the Western Cape (UWC)

30 September 2021 (excluding Bachelor of Dentistry and Oral Health, BA Honours Biokinetics, BSc Honours Biokinetics)

31 August 2021: School of Government postgraduate degrees

Visit this page to learn how to launch and process your application.

University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN)

30 June 2021: Medicine

30 September 2021: All other programmes

University of Witwatersrand (Wits)

30 June 2021 (Faculty of Health Sciences (all programmes); Bachelor of Architecture; Bachelor of Audiology, Bachelor of Speech-Language Pathology; BA Film and TV).

30 September 2021 (All other University programmes; Residence applications).

Visit this page to apply online, learn about application fees, ways to process payment, etc.

University of Cape Town (UCT)

31 August 2021 for all undergraduate programmes.

Note: applications for student accommodation close the same day.

University of Limpopo (UL)

23 September 2020 (for both South African and International students).

Find the online application form and admission requirements on this page.

University of Venda (UniVen)

30 November 2021

This page will direct you to the application portal.

University of Mpumalanga (UMP)

30 September 2021: Bachelor of Education in Foundation Phase Teaching

30 November 2021 (All programmes)

15 January 2022 (Masters programmes)

University of Stellenbosch (SU)

31 July 2021 (applications for Undergraduates, residence applications)

01 August 2021 (NSFAS assistance applications opening date)

30 November 2021 (NSFAS assistance closing date)

15 December 2021 (closing date for Diploma in Public Accountability)

Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University

30 July 2021 (B Radiography, B Dental Surgery, B Pharmacy, B Dental Therapy, MBChB, and BSc Physiotherapy)

30 July 2021 (BSc, BSc Diet, B Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, B Occupational Therapy, B Oral Hygiene, B Nursing Sciences)

University of Zululand (UniZulu)

30 August 2021 (Social Work)

30 September 2021 (Nursing Sciences)

31 October 2021 (for other programmes)

Sol Plaatje University

30 November 2021 (All programmes)

Universities of Technology

Central University of Technology (CUT)

30 November 2021 (South African applications)

29 October 2021 (International applications)

Tshwane University of Technology (TUT)

30 November 2021 (All other programmes)

30 July 2021 (2022 applications for the CSIR Bursary Programme close)

Vaal University of Technology (VUT)

30 September 2021 (Undergraduate Studies)

Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT)

30 September 2021 (Engineering – 1st-semester applications; Management Sciences; and Natural Sciences Faculties)

Durban University of Technology (DUT)

30 September 2021 (All programmes)

Walter Sisulu University of Technology and Science

30 September 2021

Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT)

31 August 2021 (certificate & higher certificates; postgraduate studies; B-Ed programmes).

Visit this page for further application information.