Shopping and entertainment
Experience a variety of shopping and entertainment options across our campuses. Enjoy the bustling Neelsie Centre, catch a film at Neelsie Cinema, or relax at the cafeterias in Innovus and Engineering – all designed to cater to diverse tastes and needs.
The Neelsie
The Neelsie (officially the Langenhoven Student Centre) on our main campus in Stellenbosch is a vibrant, multi-faceted hub that doubles as a shopping centre, food court, social space and student services centre. It offers about 5 000 m² of retail space with a wide variety of outlets: banks, bookstores and stationery shops, fashion, health and beauty, groceries (including a KwikSpar), tech, snack and café options. The food hall itself can seat roughly 1 200 students, and there are multiple food options ranging from full meals to light bites. Beyond retail, the Neelsie also provides entertainment and meeting spaces (a cinema, big‐screen displays, performance or activation areas), student organisation offices, and services such as printing, travel, pharmacy etc. Open around the clock (apart from during the December recess), it is often described as the social heart of campus where students eat, meet, study and relax.
The Matie Shop
The Matie Shop, the official merchandise store of our University managed under SUNCOM, is located on the first floor of the Neelsie, it carries a wide range of SU-branded apparel, gifts, accessories, mugs, babywear, T-shirts, and other items that allow students, alumni, staff and visitors to display their Maties pride. The store aims to serve both campus insiders and tourists, blending style with school spirit. It also has an online presence so that those who aren’t on campus can purchase merchandise and regularly offers new items and specials.
The Maties Coffee Hub
The Maties Coffee Hub opened on 1 March 2024 inside the Maties Shop in the Neelsie as part of a collaboration between Innovus/ SUNCOM and the local coffee-entrepreneur Mhlengi Ngcobo of CoffeeMM. The Coffee Hub is more than just a place to get coffee – it supports Innovus’s goals of sustainability, community empowerment, and connecting students, staff and local entrepreneurs.
Wednesday market
Are you mesmerised by markets? Then do not miss the weekly pop-up market held on a Wednesday during the academic terms on the Rooiplein.
The Tygerberg campus
The Tygerberg campus of Stellenbosch University also offers a variety of convenient shopping and dining options to support the daily needs of students and staff. On campus, visitors will find coffee shops for quick meals, snacks, or a coffee break between classes and clinical duties. In addition to these eateries, the campus provides access to essential services and outlets within close walking distance, ensuring that the SU community at Tygerberg has easy access to refreshments and everyday necessities without having to leave the medical and academic precinct.
