Schools in South Africa

Your Expat Guide to Cape Town Schools

During my search for a suitable school for my own children, I collected information on many of Cape Town's educational institutions and want to share my information with you now.

Expatriates send their children mainly to independent, i.e. private schools in South Africa. Here in Cape Town there are plenty of excellent private and international schools to cater for the expat children’s needs.

In some areas in Cape Town expats register their child in a state school as the standard of education in some state schools is high enough to satisfy the expatriate children’s needs. For being accepted in state schools the children have to live in the catchment area of that school.

Most expatriates go for English-medium education to get a continuity in the education. There are also Afrikaans-medium schools, which naturally is popular with many Capetonians too. Many of the local schools however have a bilingual approach.

Which types of schools in South Africa are there?

Besides the state schools, there are many excellent private schools located in Cape Town. Classes in private schools tend to be quite small with 25 children in a classroom while state school classes are usually around 35 children per class.

Private schools are referred to as independent schools in South Africa.

The local private schools offer in general a high standard of education. Some of the private schools in Cape Town are renowned for their excellent education which offer independent, internationally recognized exams, so children coming from these schools are accepted worldwide for further education.

More about the best Private Schools in Cape Town

Kindergartens and pre-school education is widely available. Class sizes are usually small with around 20 children to one teacher and one classroom helper.

There are several International Schools in South Africa, which not only teach to the American, British, German or Independent Curriculum but also offer pre-school and kindergarten facilities for expat children.

With classmates from the own country, speaking the home-language a child adjust quicker and socialize easier as the children often live in a nearby area.

More about the International Schools in Cape Town

How to register at one of the schools in South Africa?

Often schools have open days during the school term, so take the time to go there and meet some students and teachers. It is also advisable to make an appointment with the head teacher as she/he will make you feel if the school is right for you.

• In all schools you will have to bring the child’s birth certificate and sometimes a proof of immunization for registration.

• In private schools often non-refundable registration fees have to be paid for that application process, so you should be sure if you want to register your child in this particular school.

• The school in turn will offer your child a place and officially accept your child with a written confirmation.

• Then you have to apply with that confirmation at Home Affaires for a Study Permit. For help with obtaining a permit you can get help from one of our recommended immigration practitioners.

• For final registration at the school you have to bring the child’s passport with a valid study permit as the regulations are very strict. It is illegal to have a child sit in school without a valid Study Permit and we know, the principals are not hesitating to send children home without valid or with a still pending permit!

School fees and rates of Cape Town schools

Most of the schools in South Africa offer a high standard education for reasonable prices. In some of the most prestigious schools the fees can be quite high, but considering private schools with a similar standard of education in European or American Institutions the fees are still comparably low.

The fees at state schools are decided upon by the schools governing body, with certain circumstances people can apply for exemption of school fees, for foreigners a study permit and residency permit are also a must.

Fees refer to class size and services offered. There are good state schools to be found which offer a high standard of education at R7000 per annum.

Are there any summer school programs in Capetown?

There are also a lot of activities on offer during the school’s holidays and that is a good opportunity also to mingle with the local children.

The school year in Cape Town

This means the school year starts in the third week of January and ends beginning of December with a long summer holiday of six weeks over Christmas and the end of the year. Click to see the calendar for exact dates of the school holidays. This page will open in a new window on your screen.

The school year is divided in three or four terms depending on the school.

There is usually a two week autumn break around Easter, a longer break in winter at the end of June/beginning of July and a short one-week spring break at the end of September.

I hope this information was useful to you when making that difficult decision of choosing the right school for your child.

Please let me know if you miss some crucial information. Also should you have any questions regarding schooling of your children in Cape Town, please contact me via my contact form.

All the Best for finding the right school for your child:-).