How much is student accommodation at UCT?

UCT residence fees for 2026

UCT residence fees are split into five tiers - First Tier Catering, Second Tier Catering, Second Tier Self-Catering, Third Tier Self-Catering and Leased Self-Catering - and the exact annual fee depends on which residence and room type you are allocated, since UCT does not guarantee a specific residence or room type when you apply.

According to UCT's own 2026 Fees and Payment Dates document, the first payment due by 6 February 2026 is R44,500 for catering residences and R29,500 for self-catering residences — and these figures apply across all student categories (South African/permanent resident, SADC international, and other international students). The final payment is due by 31 July 2026. This first-payment figure is the same regardless of which of the five tiers you are allocated; the tier affects which residence and room type you get, not the payment schedule itself.

Residence fees cover room and catering overhead charges plus meal option charges where applicable; amenities, damage and laundry levies are billed and refunded separately. For comparison, UCT's 2026 tuition first payment is R34,500, so a catering residence adds roughly R44,500 on top of tuition as your first payment of the year.

Official sources: UCT 2026 Fees and Payment Dates (PDF), UCT Residence Fees and the UCT Fees Handbook for the full per-tier annual breakdown.

OCSAS: UCT's off-campus listings service

If you do not receive a residence offer, or you would rather live off campus, UCT's Off-Campus Student Accommodation Service (OCSAS) maintains a list of private rooms, flats and houses that landlords advertise directly to students, accessible through an online listings site. OCSAS does not vet or guarantee individual landlords or properties — UCT is explicit that the office cannot be held liable for issues that arise, and that students should take precautions before signing any lease.

You can reach OCSAS on +27 21 650-4934 / 3364 or [email protected]. Because OCSAS is an unfiltered listings board, prices vary enormously by suburb, room type and what is included, so treat it as a starting point for browsing rather than a fixed price list.

Official sources: UCT OCSAS Listings and the OCSAS listings portal.

Private, trusted listings (DigsConnect)

The third route is a private landlord found independently, which is where DigsConnect fits in: trusted student accommodation listings near every UCT campus — Upper, Middle, Hiddingh and Health Sciences — across areas like Rondebosch, Mowbray, Observatory and Rosebank, with the ability to message landlords directly and compare rooms side by side. Unlike an open listings board, DigsConnect listings are trusted, and using the platform is free for students.

As with residence and OCSAS pricing, private room and flat prices vary by suburb, distance to campus, and what is included (Wi-Fi, utilities, security, furnishing), so compare current listings and confirm total move-in costs before committing rather than relying on a single quoted figure.

Browse: Trusted accommodation near UCT on DigsConnect.

Side-by-side: residence vs OCSAS vs private

A UCT residence gives you the most structure and the least searching, but allocation is not guaranteed and fees are fixed by category rather than negotiable — you also pay a large first payment upfront (R44,500 for catering, R29,500 for self-catering in 2026) by 6 February, well before most of the year's teaching has happened.

OCSAS gives you the widest, least-filtered pool of off-campus options, with no fixed price structure and no vetting by UCT — prices depend entirely on the individual landlord and suburb.

A trusted private platform like DigsConnect sits in between: more choice and control than a residence, more verification and direct landlord contact than an open listings board, and typically more flexible payment terms (monthly rent rather than one large upfront first payment) than a UCT residence.

Most students end up comparing across more than one of these before deciding, and there is no rule against applying for a residence while also browsing OCSAS and DigsConnect in parallel as a backup.

NSFAS and funding

NSFAS-funded students receive an accommodation allowance, but whether a specific residence or private accommodation qualifies depends on accreditation and your individual funding agreement. Confirm directly with NSFAS and UCT's Fees Office before signing anywhere, and never assume a listing is NSFAS-accredited without checking directly — accredited-provider lists change each year.

Full annual residence fees by hall (2026 figures)

Below are the actual per-hall, per-room-type annual residence fees published in UCT's 2026 Student Fees Handbook. These are the 2026 figures exactly as published; UCT reviews and republishes exact per-hall fees each year, so always confirm the figure for your specific hall for the year you're applying via the UCT Fees Handbook before budgeting.

Meal plans are billed separately from the room fee — see the meal options below.

A. First Tier (catering) accommodation

• Avenue Road Res — Single Room: R89,520
• Avenue Road Res — Double Room, per student: R78,690
• Baxter Hall — Single Room: R89,520
• Baxter Hall — Double Room, per student: R78,690
• Baxter Hall — Small Single Room: R86,260
• Carinus — Single Room: R89,520
• Carinus — Double Room, per student: R78,690
• Carinus — Single Room (Health Science): R98,850
• College House — Single Room: R89,520
• College House — Double Room, per student: R78,690
• College House — Small Single Room: R86,260
• Fuller Hall — Single Room: R96,020
• Fuller Hall — Double Room, per student: R81,900
• Fuller Hall — Small Single Room: R89,520
• Graca Machel — Single Room: R89,520
• Graca Machel — Double Room, per student: R78,690
• Kilindini — Single Room: R89,520
• Kilindini — Small Single Room: R86,260
• Kopano — Single Room: R89,520
• Kopano — Double Room, per student: R78,690
• Kopano — Small Single Room: R86,260
• Glendower — Single Room with ensuite: R94,160
• Glendower — Single Room: R89,520
• Glendower — Double Room with ensuite, per student: R80,910
• Glendower — Double Room, per student: R78,690
• Glendower — Small Single Room: R86,260
• Leo Marquard Hall — Single Room: R89,520
• Leo Marquard Hall — Double Room, per student: R78,690
• Rochester House — Single Room with ensuite: R94,160
• Rochester House — Single Room: R89,520
• Rochester House — Double Room, per student: R78,690
• Rochester House — Single Room (Health Science): R98,850
• Rochester House — Single Room with ensuite (Health Science): R108,910
• Upper Campus Res — Single Room: R96,020
• Upper Campus Res — Double Room, per student: R81,900
• Upper Campus Res — Small Single Room: R89,520
• Tugwell Hall — Single Room: R89,520
• Tugwell Hall — Double Room, per student: R78,690
• University House — Single Room: R89,520
• Varietas — Single Room: R89,520
• Varietas — Double Room, per student: R78,690
• Varietas — Small Single Room: R86,260

B. Second Tier (catering) accommodation

• Groote Schuur Residence — Single Room: R90,990
• Groote Schuur Residence — Small Single Room: R80,130
• Medical Residence — Single Room: R101,890

Meal options (added on top of your room fee)

Students choose one of four meal options; its cost is added to the room fee above, not included in it.

• Meal Option 1 (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner — 7 days/week) — First Tier: R37,940; Groote Schuur Residence: R41,100; Health Science: R45,390
• Meal Option 2 (Lunch and Dinner — 7 days/week) — First Tier: R28,340; Groote Schuur Residence: R30,940; Health Science: R34,100
• Meal Option 3 (Breakfast and Dinner — 7 days/week) — First Tier: R25,520; Groote Schuur Residence: R27,890; Health Science: R30,170
• Meal Option 4 (3 Meals per day, weekdays only) — First Tier: R28,230; Groote Schuur Residence: R29,810; Health Science: R33,090

C. Second Tier (self-catering) accommodation

• Forest Hill Complex — Bachelor Flat: R102,170
• Forest Hill Complex — Single Room in flat, per student: R73,080
• Forest Hill Complex — Small Room in flat, per student: R69,230
• Groote Schuur Flats — Two Students in Three-room Flat, per student: R74,180
• Groote Schuur Flats — Single Room in flat, per student: R68,080
• Groote Schuur Flats — Small Room in flat, per student: R65,020
• Liesbeeck Gardens — Large Bachelor Flat: R96,870
• Liesbeeck Gardens — Small Bachelor Flat: R91,140
• Liesbeeck Gardens — Two Students in Three-room Flat, per student: R74,180
• Liesbeeck Gardens — Single Room in flat, per student: R68,540
• Liesbeeck Gardens — Small Room in Three-room flat, per student: R61,990
• Meulenhof — Bachelor Flat: R102,170
• Meulenhof — Single Room in flat, per student: R73,080
• Obz Square — Single En-suite Room: R87,380
• Obz Square — Single En-suite Room (Health Science): R94,950
• University Cottage — Two Students in Three-room Flat, per student: R73,080
• The Woolsack — Single Room: R75,650
• The Woolsack — Large Single Room: R88,750

D. Third Tier (self-catering) accommodation

• Amalinda House — Single Room in House with Lounge: R90,540
• Dullah Omar Hall — Single Room in flat, per student: R83,200
• Edwin Hart Annex — Bachelor Flat: R120,910
• Edwin Hart Annex — Single Room in flat, per student: R83,440
• Ex-Air — Single Room in flat, per student: R83,200
• Harold Cressy — Single room in flat, per student: R83,200
• Harold Cressy — Single room with ensuite in flat, per student: R94,950
• North Grange — Single room in flat, per student: R83,200
• Linkoping — Small Single Room: R61,300
• Obz Square — Single En-suite Room: R94,950
• Rondeberg Flats — Bachelor Flat: R120,910
• Rondeberg Flats — Single Room in flat, per student: R83,200
• T B Davie — Bachelor Flat: R120,690
• T B Davie — Two students in Three-roomed Flat, per student: R110,300
• T B Davie — Single Room in flat, per student: R83,200
• Woodbine Road — Single Room: R84,910
• Woodbine Road — Single Room with Bath: R94,050

E. Off-campus student accommodation: leased (self-catering)

These are UCT-leased off-campus options (Roscommon, My Domain, Salt River, Harpers), distinct from the independent OCSAS listings and private DigsConnect listings covered above.

• Roscommon — Studio Flat: R115,210
• Roscommon — Apartment: R107,920
• Roscommon — Single Room: R94,070
• Roscommon — Double Room, per student: R78,540
• Roscommon — Double Room with ensuite, per student: R94,070
• My Domain — Premium: R117,010
• Salt River — Classic Studio: R113,840
• Salt River — Deluxe Twin, per student: R106,310
• Salt River — Twin Room, per student: R85,930
• Harpers — Bachelor Flat: R113,000
• Harpers — Studio: R107,500
• Harpers — Single room ensuite, per student: R95,000
• Harpers — Single room, per student: R90,000
• Harpers — Semi-private, two students sharing, per student: R85,000
• Harpers — Four students sharing apartment, per student: R81,000