How do bookshops on Wits campus compare as they aim to fulfil student’s academic needs whilst keeping prices affordable?
Buying textbooks can be a stressful exercise for most students; as most of these books do not come cheap. But what is the role of bookstores when it comes to the final price tag? Wits Vuvuzela investigated by speaking to two main bookshops on campus to find out how they set up their prices.
I.H. Pentz Campus Bookshop, situated just outside of the Matrix, was founded in 1992 on Wits campus and operates as a sole proprietor. Van Schaik Bookstore meanwhile can be found at the heart of the Matrix. The original Van Schaik Bookstore was founded in 1914 in Pretoria, and currently operates as a private company.
Van Schaik has been owned by “a syndicate of private equity investors and a pension fund” since 2013. This Wits branch is one of 70 retail stores owned by Van Schaik across Southern Africa. I.H. Pentz, on the other hand, receives no outside funding and is therefore dependent on the business it generates on Wits campus.
When asked how they set up their prices, I.H. Pentz spokesperson said they look at public retail prices to determine their own. He said the business aims to supply students with a “specialised” service and attempt to “cater for everything”, from prescribed books to more obscure research and leisure reading titles.
I.H. Pentz carries 15 000 individual titles as part of its “curated collection”, and even holds books that they are aware “don’t justify shelf space” to provide students with as much variety as possible. They also deal with new, as well as second-hand books as a budget-friendly alternative.
On the other hand, manager of the Van Schaik Wits branch, Mmabosigo Makolomakwa said that they only deal with “brand new books”. The titles and the price they carry are determined by the Van Schaik head office and attempt to streamline student’s acquisition of prescribed books.
In 2019, the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) abandoned their awarding of book vouchers as it found that students would trade these vouchers for cash. They dealt with the issue by giving students with a book allowance. Currently the allocation stands at R5 460 per annum. However, since NSFAS started giving students cash directly, I.H. Pentz said their “textbook sales have gone down”.
Figure 1: A comparative graph displaying how the NSFAS learning materials allowance has increased, versus the South African inflation rate as determined by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) from 2019 to 2024.
Meanwhile, Makolomakwa believes that the allowance is too low and makes students “opt for second-hand” books over more “expensive” new titles. Makolomakwa added that if you are an accounting student, there is a chance “you’re not going to get all your books”.
Depending on the type of subjects an accounting student decides to study, if they opt for brand new books, they could roughly be putting themselves in an R8 000 hole. This trumps the R5 460 learning materials allowance provided by NSFAS – and necessitates the purchasing of second-hand titles.
In some cases, however, buying second-hand titles may not be an option if new versions of textbooks are released every year. For example, if a student is doing tax accounting, they require South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) Student Handbook packs that release new versions of textbooks every year.
Figure 2: A tabulated representation of the prices of the annually released SAICA Student Handbook: Volume 2 on online retailers Loot.co.za and Lexisnexis.co.za.
I.H. Pentz, on the other hand, believes that the allowance is “fair” because of the second-hand option they provide. For example, a brand-new copy of Biology: A Global Approach, Global Edition sells for R1 440 at I.H. Pentz, whilst you can buy it for R400 second-hand. The shop also regularly runs sales on second-hand books that can be bought for anywhere between R40 and R100.
Second-hand books on sale outside of I.H. Pentz for discounted prices. Photo: Tristan Monzeglio
Although Van Schaik Wits branch’s prices are dictated by their head office, Makolomakwa says she always listens to feedback from students and compares prices of online retailers like Takealot to make price their prices competitive.
Online retailers like Loot and Takealot appear to have cheaper textbook options than I.H. Pentz and Van Schaik for more widely accessible textbooks, but these initial prices do not account for delivery fees – and more obscure textbooks can be almost double the price.
Figure 3: Groupings of bar charts that comparing the prices of specific textbooks from different retailers: I.H. Pentz Campus Bookshop, Van Schaik Bookstore, Takealot.com and Loot.co.za.
The prices of textbooks vary heavily across retailers; and there is no clear winner when it comes to the affordability of new textbooks. However, because I.H. Pentz sells second-hand books, they have the upper hand on Van Schaik when it comes to providing students with cheaper options.
FEATURED IMAGE: I.H. Pentz Campus Bookshop and Van Schaik Bookstore on Wits Campus. Photo: Tristan Monzeglio
Students are stepping in to redesign the hub of social life on east-campus, which aims to turn the food court into the ‘heart of Wits’.
Final-year undergraduate students from the school of architecture and planning at Wits are working on a year-long project named the “Matrix Re-Imagined”, where they will be redesigning the food court.
The project, which started this year, comes after tenants and users of the Matrix on east campus complained about the building not being user friendly.
The task is aimed at rethinking how the space can be better utilised, instead of rebuilding a new building. It is not a campaign by the university management but stems from calls from tenants themselves, who spoke with lecturers in the architecture department to ask for a process of brainstorming a way to improve the way in which the space is used.
Believing that this would be a perfect practical application of what the students have learnt; the department developed the project into this year’s curriculum.
“[What we have gathered is that] there is a problem – the Matrix is not functioning properly,” said Wits school of architecture and planning lecturer Sandra Felix.
“Students are the largest stakeholders of the use of the buildings on campus,” said Felix. This project will bring in completely different ideas than it would if the university were to bring in outside architects for the design.”
Students have a lot of answers we [external architects] don’t have” she added.
The project is currently in its research phase – and so far, students have interviewed both tenants and users of the space and found various prevalent issues of practicality.
According to third-year architecture student Kyara De Gouveia, the issues found include having “bad entrances” which results in people flooding the area, narrow passages, and impractical locations for some of the vendors. For example, the clinic is located downstairs, making it difficult for those with mobility issues to access it.
Bookseller at Campus Bookshop, Lebogang Rabothata described the current composition of the Matrix as “impractical” due to extremely tight entrances which results in a large congestion. She hopes for a redesign which allows users to be relaxed and use the space for “reading and studying”.
The outdoor amphitheater located on east campus where students currently go to relax and work, with the Matrix in the background. Photo: Seth Thorne
As yet, there are plans to move all student office space (including clubs that are currently located by the science stadium and the Voice of Wits [VOW FM] which currently finds itself on the ninth floor of university corner) into the area; and making the space more student friendly with open study areas, and better connections to both the library lawns and the amphitheater.
Later in the year, the students will exhibit their work and designs to university stakeholders and tenants. Based on their presentation, the university will then decide if they will adopt their redesigns.
Students working on the project said they are aiming to make the Matrix the “heart of [student life at] Wits”.
In an interview with Wits Vuvuzela, third-year architecture student Tshegofatso Mashile described the project as being pressure filled, yet exciting due to the opportunities it presents. “[This is] the beginning of every architect’s dream” she said.
Another architecture student, Milan Prioreschi, said that this project is extremely motivational as it bridges the gap between university work and practical work outside. “We are getting real life experience for the first time”.
If implemented, the improvements will form part of the university’s much larger “Building Impact Beyond 100” campaign, which was launched in celebration of Wits’ centenary in 2022. The campaign aims to raise funds which will be directed towards teaching, research, scholarships, student support, student experiences and campus improvements; R2,5 billion of its R3 billion target has been raised so far.
FEATURED: A busy stairway during lunchtime leading to the entrances of the Matrix. Photo: Seth Thorne
It’s been just over one month since the first thrift store became a new tenant at The Matrix at Wits University’s main campus.
Ali Monama poses in his shop during an interview with Wits Vuvuzela. Photo: Sbongile Molambo
On March 1, 2023 Zaza Clothing – located on the first floor of The Matrix, across Fade Barber and Salon – opened its doors, after a nearly two-year delay.
Owner Ali Monama (31) says when he started out his business back in 2016, he used to ride around town on a bicycle, selling thrift items from a basket – and now he has his own brick-and-mortar store.
According to Karen du Plessis, the Operations Manager for Commercial Services at Wits, “Zaza Clothing is the first of its kind at the Matrix.”
Despite business being slow over the first month, Monama says it has been a fun experience meeting new people and interacting with different personalities.
From afar and through the windows, it looks like a laundromat but when one gets closer, the vintage clothing and gothic accessories come into focus.
All clothing items at Zaza Clothing are R100, while accessories range from R50 to R150 per item. Monama says this price range is tailored to his customers, who are mostly students on a tight budget.
Monama initially wanted to open in 2021 but was held back by pandemic-related delays and long procurement procedures. “It felt great to finally be able to trade after going through so many trials and tribulations,” he says.
Dan Kabongo (21), a fourth-year film and television student has already made a few purchases and considers himself a regular.
He says thrifting in the Johannesburg CBD can be dangerous and out of reach, so this location is ideal. “The ideal places “that people usually thrift at are far away and are not really places I’m comfortable going [to],” says Kabongo.
Thrifting is a shopping experience that allows buyers to find unique and interesting items at a discounted price, Zaza Clothing aims to do just that.
FEATURED IMAGE:A customer browsing through the racks at Zaza Clothing. Photo: Sbongile Molambo
NOTHING TO SEE: The Friendly Supermarket at the Matrix looks set to remain closed. Photo: Pheladi Sethusa
The friendly Supermarket in the Matrix has been visibly out of business for the past three weeks – with no stock or signs of trade in the shop.
Shop closure
[pullquote]“Alles is deurmakaar [everything is in chaos].” .[/pullquote]Approached for an explanation, owner of the franchise, Johan Mostert spoke candidly to Wits Vuvuzela about his problems, which he claimed resulted from an increase in rental.
However, he later retracted his statement and warned the reporter not to mention his name. He claimed information he had shared had already reached the landlord and it was now a legal matter.
Mostert said the lights at his shop had been turned off because he had defaulted on his rent payments for two months. This was a result of a rent increase, effective from March 1.
“Alles is deurmakaar [everything is in chaos].” He added that enough was enough.
Landlord Jackie Meyer of RFC Group could not be reached for comment after numerous attempts by Wits Vuvuzela.
Now what?
Another Matrix shop owner, who asked to remain anonymous, said her shop had been extremely busy since the supermarket had closed down and she had been forced to bring in more stock.
She said she had heard rumours that rent had been the reason for the closure. “The rent here is very expensive. The rates are like those at a shopping centre.”
Shop owners explained that every shop at the Matrix pays different rates – calculated on the size of the shop. There was an increase of about 10% every year, a shop owner revealed. They are allowed 2 months free of rent during July and December, when the university broke for holidays.
Jackie Mung, owner of the Chinese Shop said: “Everyone has to pay rent. Once you agree you must pay.” Mung conceded that rent was expensive, but the Matrix was not a special case. Even if he moved somewhere else, he would have to pay rent and operational costs.
He said he was happy with the way he had been treated by management over the 10 years his shop had been operating.
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