With the growing need for more student accommodation facilities, student housing developer Respublica is set to open the new Yale Village residence in 2017.

The village will cater to students from the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), the University of Johannesburg (UJ) and other campuses around Braamfontein, offering 330 beds in the first phase and another 1 000 in the second phase.

Developed by the Respublica Student Living property fund, a joint venture between Respublica and Redefine Properties, the first phase of Yale Village, on Empire road, will offer a variety of accommodation options to meet students’ differing needs in terms of affordability, privacy and luxury.

Room types vary from shared rooms and apartments for up to eight students, to single rooms with en-suite bathrooms and access to a well-equipped shared kitchen.

“Yale Village is an extension of Respublica’s vision [of] creating state-of-the-art student accommodation that incorporates world-class amenities and facilities. This is the standard that discerning students – aspiring to live in a vibrant student community environment conducive to learning and living – have become accustomed to,” Respublica CEO Craig McMurray says.

Students’ residence fees will include access to facilities such as unlimited WiFi broadband access, a gym, swimming pool, study rooms, computer laboratory and common areas that have become synonymous with Respublica’s residences.

The residence complex also includes landscaped outdoor areas, creating the feel of a village green and expanding residence common areas to flow smoothly between indoors and outdoors.

“At Respublica, we know that the students’ environment outside their lecture environment plays a massive role in their academic success, which is why we create secure facilities with a holistic approach to taking care of all they need to achieve academic success,” says McMurray.

Respublica’s portfolio of residences includes Saratoga Village and The Fields, which provide accommodation for students at UJ, Central Johannesburg College and Wits.

In Midrand, Pearson International Midrand Campus services students from Pearson International, while in Pretoria, West City, Urban Nest and Eastwood Village accommodate students from Tshwane University of Technology and the University of Pretoria.

In 2017, Hatfield Square, Respublica’s newest 2 200-bed development, will open its doors to students in Pretoria.