Ah, student life—a delightful blend of late-night cramming sessions, questionable dining choices, and the eternal quest for affordable housing.
In the “age-old” battle against dilapidated digs and monstrous landlords, two valiant South African entrepreneurs emerged as saviors.
Alexandria Procter and Greg Ramsay-Keal, the dynamic duo behind DigsConnect, the online student housing marketplace revolutionized the way students find their ideal abodes.
In 2018, when Alexandria and Greg crossed paths at a local café, they were battling their own housing horrors. Between sips of lukewarm coffee and bites of stale muffins, they regaled each other with tales of leaky faucets, creaky beds, and roommates with eccentric hobbies. And there, the seed of the idea was planted.
In my first year, I had accommodation in one of the residences, which was fine, but it was in my second year that I realised how hard it was to find a safe and affordable place to stay. It was a nightmare – Alexandria Procter
Their journey from humble beginnings to housing heroes would be anything but smooth sailing. Armed with a vision and an unstoppable determination, they set out to create DigsConnect—an online platform that would bring respite to students everywhere.
Like a pair of fearless explorers, Alexandria and Greg ventured forth, traversing the treacherous terrain of property listings and rental agreements.
Armed with in-depth research of the market as their secret weapon, they tackled the bureaucracy of the real estate world with their trademark wit. Word spread like wildfire, and soon, students far and wide were flocking to their digital haven, ready to leave behind the woes of ramshackle roofs and enter the realm of housing harmony.
With every triumph, there came a tale of ridiculousness. They danced through the hoops of landlords with eccentric demands, ranging from requiring tenants to wear exclusively neon clothing to proving their prowess in table tennis.
In one particularly absurd episode, Alexandria found herself negotiating with a landlord who insisted on serenading potential tenants with accordion renditions of ABBA‘s greatest hits. Such tales became folklore among students, elevating DigsConnect to legendary status.
The majority of our users are still students, but we do have young professionals coming through. We’ve added a section in our application form where a prospective tenant can indicate in which category they fall – Alexandria Procter
In the blink of an eye, DigsConnect had become a force to be reckoned with. Thousands of students found their ideal living spaces, bidding farewell to dank basements and lopsided bookshelves. Today, Alexandria and Greg stand proud as the purveyors of reliable housing options for the student community in South Africa.
As DigsConnect continues to grow, one can’t help but marvel at the audacity of these two individuals.
They took on the challenges of student accommodation with a smile, offering a beacon of hope in an otherwise murky landscape. The company is additionally concentrating on delivering accommodation choices to students from other parts of Africa who plan to study overseas.
By Elijah Christopher
