AFHCO (African Housing Company)

AFHCO, the African Housing Company, owns and manages residential and commercial buildings in Johannesburg’s inner city. Established in 1996, AFHCO became known for turning old buildings into affordable rental homes, and SA Corporate Real Estate, a listed real estate investment trust, has owned AFHCO since 2014.

Registered name

AFHCO (African Housing Company)

Type

Private company (residential and commercial property)

Fields funded

Tertiary study for AFHCO residents

Website

afhco.co.za

A bursary for AFHCO tenants

AFHCO offers a R50 000 tenant bursary as a benefit for people who live in its buildings. AFHCO runs the bursary as a competition, and only AFHCO residents qualify. Entrants apply through the AFHCO website or collect entry forms at AFHCO’s head office.

For 2026, AFHCO opened entries at 08:00 on 10 February 2026 and closed them at 17:00 on 20 March 2026. AFHCO does not accept entries received after the closing time, and the company announced winners by 30 April 2026. Expect a similar February to March window in 2027.

Who AFHCO houses

AFHCO’s social housing pages explain the kind of tenants the bursary serves. AFHCO prices social housing apartments according to gross salary, with combined household income capped at R22 000 a month, and offers deposit waivers to tenants who cannot afford a deposit. AFHCO’s developments also include amenities such as a park with two floodlit soccer fields and play equipment, monitored by on-site security.

A bursary worth R50 000 is significant for a household earning under R22 000 a month, and it can make the difference between a family member starting tertiary study or not.

How AFHCO tenants can prepare

Read the full competition rules on the bursary page of afhco.co.za before entering, because AFHCO sets out how it pays the R50 000 and what winners must provide. Make sure the lease is in good standing, keep proof of residence in an AFHCO building, and prepare certified copies of the student’s ID, results and proof of registration or acceptance before February.

Tenants without internet access can collect forms at AFHCO’s head office. Ask building management or the head office whether the student entering must be the leaseholder or can be a household member.

AFHCO manages buildings across the Johannesburg CBD and surrounding areas, so tenants in different AFHCO buildings all have the same chance to enter.

AFHCO residents should also apply to wider funders on our University Bursaries page, since only one tenant can win each year.