DigsConnect.com, is a South African housing marketplace helping low-income university students has secured a US$200,000 grant from the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation to help university students from low-income backgrounds secure safe and affordable accommodation.
Launched in 2018, the DigsConnect platform allows landlords, estate agents and property managers to post their property listings, with students then searching and filtering through these listings to find accommodation that suits their needs, and also find other students to live with.
The startup, which raised ZAR12 million (then US$830,000) in March 2019, has taken in ZAR5 million (US$330,000) in the capital this year. ZAR2 million (US$130,000) came from an angel investor, while the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation has provided a ZAR3 million (US$200,000) grant.
As a result of this partnership, DigsConnect is rolling out an initiative called #1000digs, a specialised programme to assist NSFAS and bursary-funded students in South Africa is looking for accommodation. This assistance includes hands-on support from their team and a brand-new dedicated legal support line for these students, many of whom, upon signing their lease, will be entering into their first legal agreement.
The Dell Foundation is dedicated to improving the lives of children living in urban poverty across the world. Headquartered in Austin, United States, with offices in New Delhi, India, and South Africa, the foundation funds programmes that foster high-quality public education and improve the economic stability of families living in poverty.
In a statement shared by DigsConnect, Program Director at the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation Dr Thashlin Govender pointed out that safe and affordable accommodation remains essential to a successful university experience. The partnership with DigsConnect.com allows students to be integrated with supportive communities when away from home. Alexandria Procter, the CEO, and co-founder of DigsConnect.com revealed that he started DigsConnect.com as a student leader with the intent of solving the housing crisis in South Africa.
The Dell Foundation is headquartered in Austin, TX , and has offices in New Delhi, India, and Cape Town. For over a decade, the Dell Foundation’s Dell Young Leaders programme supported high-potential university students from highly disadvantaged communities in South Africa.
