The document discusses the student housing crisis in South Africa and proposes e-learning as an alternative solution. It notes that the student housing backlog stands at 300,000 beds and that free higher education will likely increase demand further. To help address this, it suggests that universities investigate offering more programs through e-learning/distance learning rather than traditional brick-and-mortar schools. Successful examples from UNISA and UJ are mentioned. It proposes starting with postgraduate programs and setting up off-campus learning centers, and notes China's success in expanding access to education through this model. The conclusion is that South Africa needs more research on adopting e-learning solutions.

1. FROM BRICK AND MORTAR TO E-LEARNING: THE CASE OF THE
STUDENT HOUSING CRISIS IN SOUTH AFRICA
The Problem
The student housing crisis has seen far reaching
outcries fromboth students and institutions alike.
Over the past couple of years, South Africa has
witnessed student protests at institutions across
the country, in particular those with very limited
to student housing solutions. The student housing backlogs as reported by the
Presidential Commission on Higher Education and Training stood at 300 000
beds for both public universities and public TVET colleges. Government has
pledged funding (infrastructure grants) and appealed to the private sector for
collaborations to address this dire need, yet the developments have been
tremendously slower than the rate of increase in demand for student beds.
The advent of “free higher education” is likely to worsen the
situation as demand for student housing is set to rise. To
support the increase in the demand for student housing, it is
important that solutions outside of brick and mortar be investigated.

2. The Alternative Solution
There is need for South Africa to assess the feasibility of E-learning at
institutions of higher learning. The University of
South Africa (UNISA) has managed to host
approximately 400 000 students through e-
learning (also known as distance learning) and
has been proud to report many success stories.
At the beginning of 2018, University of
Johannesburg (UJ) also launched its first e-learning programme in MCom
Strategic Management. The first step would be to determine those
programmes which can be non-contact based. This can be done through a
study which should further unearth the infrastructure requirements for off-
campus learning centres.
The ideal consideration by universities will be postgraduate programmes which
would ultimately ease the need for student residences, with success models
being channelled further down to undergraduate programmes in the near
future. Ideally, postgraduate students are far likely to better manage the
distance learning modalities than undergraduates. The rollout of e-learning in
institutions of higher learning should be done in parallel with the current efforts
by both the institutions and the Department of Higher Education and Training
to built residences and/or finding alternative options off-campus.

3. China has grown big in e-learning and has seen rural students benefiting
immensely through the use of off-campus learning centres, especially for those
students without access to internet at home. It goes without saying that there
is a need for investment in broadband technology and strategic off-campus
learning centres, which on the upside would attract investors who provide
broadband and futuristic cloud-based learning platforms. E-learning has
moved the Chinese student population even closer to technological
advancements, which is a success factor worth adopting.
The readiness and acceptance of the concept of e-learning in South Africa is
a case for further investigation and part of my upcoming publication.
Khethani Kanye, Maya Group