South Africa’s higher education sector is bracing for a turbulent start to 2026. Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Higher Education has issued a stark warning, the country’s public universities simply do not have the space to accommodate the latest wave of matriculants.
The Numbers Game: Demand vs. Supply
Despite a successful 2025 matric cycle, the math for 2026 doesn’t add up. While over 245,000 students achieved bachelor-level passes, public universities only have the capacity for roughly 235,000 first-year entries.
Committee Chairperson Tebogo Letsie pointed to a “capacity wall” built by stagnant government subsidies and the ongoing financial strain on the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).
Governance Under Fire
The crisis isn’t just about space; it’s about leadership. The committee highlighted deep-seated instability at several key institutions:
- Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT): Currently operating under a leadership vacuum following the suspension of its Vice-Chancellor and two deputies in late 2025.
- University of Fort Hare: The committee has labeled the current council’s tenure “irregular” and is pushing for the appointment of an independent assessor.
A Warning Against “Fly-by-Night” Colleges
With public spaces limited, many families are turning to the private sector. While the committee encourages looking at accredited private institutions, Letsie issued a stern warning against “bogus” operators looking to exploit desperate students.
The Road Ahead
To prevent the perennial chaos of registration protests, the committee has urged universities to fast-track the submission of student data to NSFAS. Oversight visits are scheduled for Limpopo (Jan 26–30) and the Eastern Cape (Feb 1–7) to assess whether campuses are truly ready to open their gates.
