Caught in the middle
In South Africa, there exists a group of students who are often overlooked and forgotten – the missing middle.
These are individuals who come from households who do not have sufficient financial backing to afford university fees, yet they are not poor enough to qualify for government funding or private sector bursaries. As a result, they are left with limited options for financing their education. The missing middle is a critical group in South Africa’s society, as they represent the backbone of the country’s economy. The middle class has a strong buying power, which contributes significantly to the country’s income revenue. However, due to the economic climate, middle-class households’ income does not keep trend with raising living costs, and many are burdened by personal loans, house loans, medical aid accounts, insurance payments, car debt, school fees, municipal rates and taxes, among many others.
