A Government-Backed student accommodation project, valued at about N$1 billion, is moving forward to address the persistent shortage of student housing in Windhoek.
The project aims to house around 3 000 students in 11 residential blocks of between three and four storeys.
The planned student village will be developed on a 16-hectare (about 16 football fields) site in Khomasdal’s Extension 16.
It will be delivered through a public-private partnership under a design, finance, build, operate, maintain and transfer model.
This follows the completion of a feasibility study, which is currently under review. Procurement will commence once transaction approval is granted by the Ministry of Finance.
According to documents seen by The Brief, the initiative is in response to rising university enrolment, driven by the introduction of new academic programmes – growth that has outpaced the capacity of existing on-campus accommodation.
Private rental options in Windhoek were also found to fall short of acceptable living standards, further justifying the need for dedicated student housing.
The two erven earmarked for the development, erf 6508 and erf 6509, will be rezoned for general residential use and consolidated into a single parcel.
Environmental clearance for the project is currently underway.
A project manager and engineer have been appointed, while environmental consultants are overseeing the environmental assessment process.
A scoping report and environmental management plan have already been submitted as part of the application for an environmental clearance certificate.
Once the required approvals are in place, procurement and construction will proceed under the supervision of the appointed implementing agency.
The implementing agency is the former Ministry of Higher Education, Technology and Innovation, which now forms part of the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture.
