As the 2026 academic year got underway, Youth Capital sought clarity from the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) on the functioning of the Ministerial War Room — the mechanism established by the Ministry of Higher Education and Training to monitor registration risks and prevent the recurring crises that have disrupted the start of the academic year for students in previous years.
Given the impact these challenges have had on students in the past, transparency on how the War Room operates and whether it is preventing harm — is essential.
The War Room was introduced to ensure that issues such as NSFAS funding delays, blocked registrations, accommodation shortages, and disruptions to the academic programme are identified and resolved before they escalate into system-wide failures affecting students.
In its response to Youth Capital, DHET confirmed that the Ministerial War Room convenes weekly and receives reports from universities and TVET colleges on registration-related developments. These meetings are intended to identify emerging challenges and determine appropriate intervention measures where necessary. According to DHET, the War Room has been monitoring risks related to student unrest, disruptions to the academic programme, NSFAS funding challenges, and student accommodation issues. The Department further indicated that departmental officials intervened directly at PE TVET College, while NSFAS representatives were deployed to respond to student concerns at Gert Sibande, King Hintsa, and Ehlanzeni TVET College. In addition, NSFAS has reportedly been instructed to deploy representatives to universities and TVET colleges during the registration period to respond to funding-related issues raised by students.
DHET also stated that institutions submit reports through a designated monitoring process and that daily monitoring data is used to identify emerging risks, after which relevant officials or NSFAS representatives are activated to implement corrective actions where necessary. In terms of governance, the War Room reportedly includes participation from Universities South Africa (USAF), the South African Public Colleges Organisation (SAPCO), the South African Union of Students (SAUS), and the South African Vocational Education and Training Student Association (SAVETSA), alongside departmental officials. DHET further indicated that student leaders are active participants in these discussions and that their contributions have informed some of the decisions taken thus far.
While these processes suggest that monitoring mechanisms are in place, Youth Capital believes that the real test of whether the system is working lies in the experiences of students themselves. “Every year we hear from young people who start the academic year unsure whether they will be able to register, whether their funding will come through, or whether they will have a place to stay. Mechanisms like the War Room should ensure that students do not have to carry that uncertainty. For accountability mechanisms like the War Room to be credible, students must be able to see and feel the difference in their daily experiences of registering, receiving funding, accessing accommodation and throughout their entire academic journey,”said Buhlebethu Magwaza, Youth Capital Project Lead.
“Accountability is not about assigning blame. It is about making sure the system works so that young people are not forced to shoulder the consequences when institutions fall short,” Magwaza added.
Now that the academic year has been underway for several weeks, Youth Capital is inviting students across the country to share their experiences of the 2026 registration period.Understanding what worked and what did not will help ensure that systems meant to support students are measured not only by internal processes, but by the outcomes students experience on the ground.
If you are a student, we would like to hear from you. Share your story with Youth Capital so we can continue advocating for a post-school system that works for all young people.
Send us your experience via:
• Youth Capital social media platforms – Facebook, Instagram or TikTok
• Email: info@youthcapital.co.za
Your voice helps ensure that student experiences shape the solutions. Youth Capital will continue to surface the lived experiences of young people and ensure that their voices remaincentral to improving how the post-school system functions.