“Your Mum Is the Best”: Eastern Cape University Student Renovates Bedroom With R6k NSFAS Savings
- An Eastern Cape university student used her NSFAS book allowance and monthly savings to renovate her bedroom
- The student's mother impressed viewers by physically plastering walls, painting, and helping throughout the entire process to cut down labour costs wherever possible
- The video went viral with over 15,000 reactions as South Africans praised the hardworking mother and responsible daughter
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Source: TikTok
An Eastern Cape university student has inspired South Africans after showing how she renovated her bedroom using NSFAS savings with major help from her dedicated mother. The young woman started by showing the condition of her room in June: walls with chipped reddish-pink water-based paint, cracked plaster, torn plastic mat flooring on cement and ceilings that needed upgrading. She spent R6,689 on initial materials to start the renovations.
First, she scraped out the cracking plaster on the walls using tools to remove damaged areas. Then she bought more supplies from the hardware store: 10 litres of white paint, 20 litres of oil paint, varnish, brushes and Tylon, spending another R1,190.
What impressed viewers most was seeing the student's mother physically helping with the renovations. Her mum plastered the walls herself, touching up areas where plaster had come off, then helped mix and apply the yellowish cream-coloured paint to every wall, including corners.
The student painted the ceiling white and used varnish on the floor cornices and the bedroom door. She paid R1,400 for labour to install the laminate flooring and new ceilings, stating everything was very affordable because her mother did so much work herself.
At the end of the video, she mentioned she's not finished yet. She still needs to save more money by December to complete the rest of her bedroom renovations.
Source: TikTok
SA praises the hardworking mother and daughter
Viewers were moved by the mother's dedication and the student's responsible use of her NSFAS money:
@Unathi Akhule Maliwa praised:
"One thing about your mum."
@user81210213828792 asked:
"How much did you save each month?"
@primrose_hleza replied:
"I used book allowance, then after you can save 300 or 400 a month."
@Sakhile Masondo stated:
"I mean, we can build more RDP houses with this mindset."
@Lungah said:
"Your mother is a smart and hard-working woman, and she is raising a smart and responsible child."
@_thatoooo encouraged:
"Proud of you, stranger!"
@Rose blessed them:
"This is beautiful. We learn by doing, hey. God bless you, no Mama, such hard work. May God bless the work of your hands."
How NSFAS allowances work
According to NSFAS, university students receive different allowances in 2025, including accommodation, living allowance, travel, personal care and a book allowance. The book allowance is R5,678 maximum, which this student used for her renovations. Students can also save R300-400 monthly from their living allowance.
Student @primrose_hleza showed that despite getting money to use for herself and spending on her tertiary needs, she decided to renovate her bedroom at home, which was in severe need of some TLC. Instead of complaining, she saved her book allowance and monthly amounts to make her living space better. Her mother's hands-on involvement cut labour costs significantly, proving that with hard work and smart planning, students can improve their circumstances even with limited funds.
Watch the TikTok clip below:
More building renovation stories
- Briefly News recently reported on a Pretoria woman who showed off her new apartment with a bedroom setup, but what she revealed about completing the rest of her home had people celebrating her milestone.
- A woman's renovation of an 80s Johannesburg kitchen had Mzansi glued to updates, but what construction experts revealed about the challenges of renovating older homes had people understanding why it's not simple.
- A woman was dumped after building 14 rooms at her fiancé's home with RAF money, but what people told her to do about getting her money back had SA stunned by the betrayal.
Source: Briefly News
