First-year accommodation in Stellenbosch: what to do if you don't get res

Do not wait for placement to start looking

Apply for university residence as early as SU allows, but shortlist private accommodation at the same time. If you wait until you hear that you have not been placed, you will be choosing from whatever is left. University residence is the cheapest option on rent - see our 2026 residence fees guide - so it is worth applying, just not worth relying on.

What first-years actually need from a place

First year is about finding your feet in a new town, so the priorities are a little different from later years:

• Community: somewhere you will meet other students, not an isolated flat.
• Walking distance: most first-years do not have a car, and Stellenbosch is built for walking and cycling.
• Security: controlled access and on-site security, which matters to parents as much as students.
• Furnished and ready: arriving with a suitcase rather than a removal van.
• Study support and space: the jump from school to university is real.
• One predictable cost rather than a stack of separate bills.

The closest thing to res: a managed private residence

The One, Stellenbosch is a fully managed residence of 508 units about 750 metres from the university, and it ticks the first-year boxes unusually well. Units are furnished, each with an en-suite bathroom, kitchenette and study desk; the building has 24-hour security with biometric access, CCTV and a 24/7 concierge; and there is a study centre, fitness centre, pool, cinema, games rooms and an on-site restaurant and coffee shop, so there is a ready-made community.

It is also run on a residential-college model with academic support built into residence life, led by Dr Ludolph Botha, a former Senior Director at Stellenbosch University - the part of res life that private accommodation usually lacks.

On DigsConnect, shared studios are listed from R11,100 per month and private studios from R16,910 per month. Prices and availability are as shown on the DigsConnect listing at the time of writing and can change, so always confirm the current rate on the listing before you budget around it.

A checklist for parents

• Visit if you can. The One offers guided walkthroughs on weekdays - arrange one through the DigsConnect listing.
• Ask who manages the building day to day and who your child calls when something breaks.
• Ask what is included in the rent, how long the lease runs and what deposit is required.
• Read the lease together - our lease checklist helps.
• Only pay deposits to verified providers; see our rental scams guide.