SA’s got your back! Public spirit and crowdfunding help students to pay for studies

9 Feb 2025

With a growing need for financial aid to help them study at varsity or college, students all over South Africa are turning to private individuals, companies and digital platforms to fill the gaps.

In a country where the costs of tertiary studies can become too hard to bear for many students, social media and crowdfunding platforms have emerged as powerful tools to break down this potential barrier to education.

Take the story of Nomfihlakalo Twala (21), a medical student at the University of Cape Town. Her dream of becoming a doctor was nearly derailed when she found herself with a R64,912 debt because of a cap on her funding from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).

With no way to pay it and unable to secure a bank loan, Twala turned to BackaBuddy, a crowdfunding platform, and asked a friend to share the link in their local community group in Zweletemba, Worcester. Though it felt like a long shot, she hoped the support she needed might come through.

“I had no other option and I realised I didn’t stand to lose anything. So I started there and hoped that it would be fruitful,” Twala said.

The campaign was a success – in fact, it exceeded her expectations, raising R104,112.

Twala anticipated that people in her community would share news of her campaign with others as they knew how committed she had been to her education, but the kindness, especially from strangers, went beyond what she could have imagined.

“Everyone was so supportive. People kept sharing. They kept posting, and I’ve received warm love and support. People kept messaging me, keeping me hopeful that everything was going to work out,” she said.

There were some days when her campaign page showed no progress and she felt disheartened. Yet, just when she needed it most, she would receive an encouraging message or a phone call that lifted her spirits.

“People were genuinely being kind to me. They did not even know me at all, but I really felt loved and welcomed by my community and South Africa as a whole,” she said.

Twala has registered for the new academic year and is excited to continue her studies. However, she still faces financial challenges, since the same funding policy will apply for the remaining years of her programme. So she has kept her BackaBuddy campaign open. For her, it is about more than just money – it’s about hope.

“I’ve come this far because of the incredible support and love from my family, friends and community. Every contribution, no matter how small, has helped me move closer to my dreams,” she says.

Asked what advice she would give to others facing similar struggles, she said: “Stay patient, be resilient and never give up on your dreams. In the end, everything will work out – just give it time.”

Wits eases students’ burden

Nearly 800 students at Wits University experienced a significant shift in their academic futures when debt worth R63-million was cleared last week, allowing them to continue their studies and graduate.

The students – who had maintained an average of 65% or higher and fell into the “missing middle” category – had struggled to pay their fees in full.

The initiative, which is part of Wits’ broader effort to support academically deserving students, cleared the debt of undergraduates and postgraduates in various disciplines.

According to the vice-chancellor, Professor Zeblon Vilakazi, the university created a portal for students to register for discretionary funding, connecting them with individual and corporate donors willing to contribute. This has been especially crucial for students who fall into the “missing middle” – those whose families earn “too much” in order for them to qualify for NSFAS funding, but not enough to pay for their education.

One of the beneficiaries, a fourth-year medical student who wished to remain anonymous, said: “I have been able to register successfully this year thanks to the discretionary funding, which has cleared my debt. It has provided much relief and I am now able to pay full attention to my studies.

“I would like to express my sincere and profound gratitude to all those who made this possible, and I will forever be grateful for the difference you made in my life.”

Although this funding marks a significant achievement, more support is needed, says Jerome September, dean of student affairs. The university is collaborating with the student representative council (SRC) to raise additional funds for students who still need funding.

SRC president Nombulelo Chiya also stresses the importance of continued contributions, calling on individuals, corporations and the government to donate to the Kobo Ya Thutho SRC Legacy Fund, ensuring that all deserving students can pursue their academic aspirations, regardless of their financial situation.

Community support

In response to South Africa’s Fees Must Fall movement, a public benefit organisation called Feenix was founded in June 2017. It aims to be a platform that brings communities together to tackle the financial barriers to education.

CEO Cara-Jean Petersen says Feenix supports students in all nine provinces and 26 public universities in South Africa. It is the only non-profit in the country that specialises in both crowdfunding and running university programmes for corporate partners.

“Over the past seven years, we have been able to raise over R204-million supporting 4,454 students. We are really blown away by our community and what they are willing to do to support our students and get them over the line,” she said.

Petersen says her family faced financial hardship and abuse when she was growing up. Raised by a single mother who had to support four children, she often didn’t know where her next meal would come from. To get through school, she regularly relied on crowdfunding – from raising money for her matric dance dress and make-up to receiving a pair of shoes from a generous donor.

“From that time, growing up and always having a community that was willing to give what they could in order to make up what I needed, I knew that I was going to commit my life to paying it forward,” Petersen said.

Feenix has taken steps to ensure transparency in student fundraising and it verifies all aspects of a student’s campaign. Each student creates a fundraising profile, but they must submit documentation such as proof of ID, fee statements and other relevant paperwork to confirm the legitimacy of their needs.

The funds raised are paid directly to the universities for specific purposes such as tuition, accommodation and learning resources, ensuring that donations are used for their intended purpose.

This focus on legitimacy is vital to change perceptions for potentially wary donors, especially in light of how expensive education has become. According to Feenix’s data, the average student comes from a household earning less than R350,000 per year, but the cost of tuition and accommodation can easily reach R200,000 annually.

“How is that affordable?” Petersen asked. “How do we expect students to juggle full-time studies and part-time work when their families can barely make ends meet?”

Many students work – 40% of Feenix’s students hold jobs, some paid and others unpaid – and Petersen stresses that they aren’t seeking handouts. “They’re taking a brave step to invest in their education, seeking community support to better themselves and, ultimately, the country.”

She believes helping students reflects the essence of South Africa’s spirit of ubuntu. “These are our children, and it’s up to us to step up and support them.” DM

This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R35.

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Wits eases students’ burden

Community support