The rise of the Covid-19 pandemic led South African president, Cyril Ramaphosa, to declare a national state of disaster on 15 March 2020. In response to the announcement, tertiary education institutions and student residences around the country closed in order to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. These institutions were required to come up with remote teaching and learning solutions in a relatively short period of time. While virtual classes on personal tablets may have become the global norm, many South African students lack access to internet and data connectivity, and may rely on shared or mobile devices off which to learn. In addition, glaring structural inequalities plague a multitude of socio-economic factors in South Africa. These factors shape the household environment in which many students have found themselves, and in which they have been expected to learn new academic material.