Student.com expands stake in South Africa’s DigsConnect

Student.com, the largest student accommodation platform in the world, has increased its stake in South African tech start-up, DigsConnect.com. The move comes after Student.com initially invested an undisclosed amount in the company in mid-2022.

The founder and chief executive, Luke Nolan, believes that Africa offers exciting growth avenues for his company.

According to Nolan, finding student accommodation can be a confusing and frustrating process, especially if students are searching for accommodation in another country or language.

He believes that DigsConnect.com aligns with Student.com’s vision of making student properties immediately accessible in a variety of cities at the touch of a button, saying “together, we’re providing peace of mind to hundreds of thousands of families around the globe.”

DigsConnect.com was founded in 2018 by two students, Alexandria Procter and Greg Ramsay-Keal, during their final year at university. The early DigsConnect.com site was created to help students access safe accommodation and in the process, they spotted a gap for a technology solution to the ongoing student housing issues.

Today, DigsConnect.com is the largest student accommodation platform on the African continent.

Nolan has been impressed with the performance of DigsConnect.com over the past year, as well as the energy and results demonstrated by the team in South Africa. “DigsConnect.com is an established name in Southern Africa in the student accommodation space, and we’re excited at furthering our endeavours together over the next year,” he said.

Procter, one of the co-founders of DigsConnect.com, stated that the team is now focused on consolidating their position in Africa and the UK while exploring the US as a potential market for African students studying abroad.

“It’s been an incredible season for us so far,” she said. “This last week alone we processed tens of millions of Rands in lease value for our landlords through the platform. 2023 is off to a phenomenal start!”

The partnership between Student.com and DigsConnect.com has allowed students to easily access accommodation options worldwide. By bringing their respective technologies together, the companies are providing students with an easy-to-use platform to find suitable accommodation that meets their specific needs.

This strategic investment by Student.com in DigsConnect.com is expected to boost the growth of the company, providing more opportunities for students to access affordable, safe, and convenient accommodation. With DigsConnect.com already the largest student accommodation platform in Africa, the partnership with Student.com is expected to further strengthen their position in the market.

Nolan says the partnership between Student.com and DigsConnect.com is a significant step towards improving student accommodation worldwide. With the ongoing growth of student populations across the globe, the need for affordable and safe student accommodation continues to increase. By leveraging technology, Student.com and DigsConnect.com are making it easier for students to find suitable accommodation, regardless of where they are in the world.

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