How varsity students are turning campus needs into rands

Students across public universities and colleges in South Africa are finding creative ways to turn everyday campus needs into small business opportunities. While financial aid helps many young people access higher education, survival at university often requires more than just allowances. As a result, students are building informal businesses that include selling laptops, textbooks, and household items to their peers at affordable prices.

Turning campus needs into business opportunities

Kamogelo Lidwaba is one of the students who turned this situation into a small business. He sells second-hand laptops to students who cannot afford new ones. Lidwaba says he was never funded by NSFAS, even though he applied.

“I sell second-hand laptops at a cheaper price because many students struggle to buy new ones, as I know that laptops in tertiary institutions are in demand,” he explained.

The money he makes helps him pay part of his outstanding tuition fees. Although it does not clear all his debt, it reduces the pressure and allows him to continue studying.

By focusing on affordability, Lidwaba has created demand among students who rely on laptops for assignments, online submissions, and research.

A culture of reselling and saving

The same business mindset can be seen in the sale of textbooks. Muofhe Thovhakale, a student at Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), says she often buys books from senior students instead of bookshops.

“Books from stores are very expensive,” she said. “When I buy from senior students, I use less of my book allowance and save money.”

This helps her manage her finances better and use her allowance wisely.

Senior students benefit by recovering some of the money they spent on textbooks, while junior students pay far less than they would in stores. The cycle continues each academic year, creating a small but steady campus economy built on trust and affordability.

Student residences at TUT also face challenges that create business opportunities. In many residences, there are no fridges provided, meaning students must buy their own bar fridges to store groceries. When senior students graduate, they resell these fridges instead of discarding them.

Lubabalo Sigcawu, a senior student, explained that selling these items helps both sides.

“When we are done with school, we no longer need the bar fridges,” he said. “Instead of throwing them away, we sell them to other students for less money,” Sigcawu said.

This allows junior students to save money while seniors get some cash to help with transport, debt, or job searching.

Although financial aid remains important, these student-run businesses highlight something equally powerful, resilience and innovation. On campus, entrepreneurship is not always about large companies. Sometimes, it begins with a second-hand laptop, a used textbook, or a small bar fridge, and the determination to keep moving forward.