NSFAS administrator books hotels while students demand higher allowances
Invoices obtained by the reporter show that NSFAS administrator Hlengani Mathebula had overlapping hotel bookings in Cape Town in late May 2026 — R9,200 for four nights at the Pepperclub Hotel and Spa and R14,850 for a Westin suite for three of the same nights — and that NSFAS also paid R86,811.67 for 49 nights at a private holiday estate from mid-June to early August. NSFAS said a prior booking could not be cancelled for unspecified health reasons and defended the costs while describing the current administration as leaner, even as students subsist on R1716 a month.
NSFAS paid significant travel and accommodation costs while student allowances stayed at R1716
Context
Students are calling for higher food and accommodation allowances. The article shows NSFAS paid for overlapping hotel stays and a long estate booking. Officials may next face scrutiny under Treasury travel rules and repayment policies.
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