Founded in 2012, CampusKey is the premier provider of secure student accommodation. CampusKey Student Living has a national footprint in South Africa, with student accommodation currently available in Pretoria, Stellenbosch, Bloemfontein, Port Elizabeth and Potchefstroom. As a young dynamic company, they are constantly adding new campuses to their portfolio with Cape Town being completed by the end of this year.
At the head of this progressive company, is MD Leon Howell. Howell is a qualified Chartered Accountant with extensive experience in the property industry in both property management and asset management.
According to Howell, CampusKey has grown into the premier provider of secure student accommodation in South Africa through their unique understanding of developing and managing student accommodation specifically for students.
By January 2017, CampusKey will own and manage 34 buildings with 3 217 beds, 20 club houses, 12 gyms, 27 study rooms and 14 offices with 36 CampusKey staff members. “We are the only student accommodation operator with a national footprint across South Africa.
From a CampusKey perspective, their students must be safe, live in a social environment where they can enjoy student life and create an environment that ensures that students excel in their studies.
Howell’s long-term vision is that CampusKey will be listed on the Johannesburg Securities Exchange in the next two to three years.
“This means that I’d like CampusKey to grow by approximately 1 000 beds per year, which will result in CampusKey developing and managing approximately 6 000 rooms at that stage. Property companies specialising in student accommodation have created a new asset class for investors. However, I do believe that the difference between the various student housing companies is the successful management of students and buildings to ensure they’re happy. We’re therefore also developing new software and apps to improve and computerise all aspects of the CampusKey management model. We’ll also be looking to establish CampusKey Europe in time and we’ve started looking at opportunities abroad,” Howell concludes.