Boarding Schools in South Africa

Overview: IGCSE, A-Level · 6–18 · —

Bishops Diocesan College is South Africa's oldest independent Anglican boys' school, founded in 1849, located in Rondebosch, Cape Town, serving approximately 1,550 students from Nursery through Grade 12. The school is renowned for its outstanding academic record — achieving a 99.4% matric pass rate in 2023 — alongside exceptionally strong programs in sport, music, drama and community service. Underpinned by Anglican values of integrity, service and respect, Bishops offers a holistic education that develops the whole person. Its eight houses (three boarding, five day), dedicated Support Unit, and subject-specialist faculty of ~130 ensure every boy receives individual attention within a vibrant, values-driven community.

Overview: IGCSE, A-Level · 13–18 · —

Hilton College is a premier boys' full-boarding independent school set on a sprawling estate near Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, educating approximately 590 students in Grades 8–12 (ages 13–18). The school offers dual-pathway curricula: the South African IEB National Senior Certificate and Cambridge GCE (IGCSE and A Levels), opening doors to top universities worldwide. Founded in 1872, Hilton is renowned for its outstanding sports facilities, vibrant arts programme, and a holistic ethos that prizes individual growth over competitive ranking. As a Round Square member school, it fosters international-mindedness, leadership, and service alongside rigorous academics.

Overview: IGCSE, A-Level · 13–18 · ZAR 417K

Michaelhouse is a South African Anglican all-boys, all-boarding school (Grades 8–12), founded in 1896 in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands. The school provides a progressive, holistic education grounded in Christian values—integrity, humility, compassion, courage—delivered through rigorous IEB academics, world-class sports facilities, and a rich cultural programme. Its iconic red-brick campus of six ivy-clad quadrangles sits on approximately 680 hectares, featuring 10 boarding houses and facilities from a 50 m water polo pool to a canoeing dam. The all-boarding brotherhood fosters lifelong bonds, and the school's motto 'Quis ut Deus' underpins its mission to shape every boy into a man of understanding, thought and culture.

Overview: IGCSE, A-Level · 4–18 · ZAR 121.6K–ZAR 233.1K

Roedean School (SA) is a leading independent all-girls school in Johannesburg, South Africa, founded in 1903. With over 750 pupils from 47 nationalities, it offers a progressive, values-based education from Grade 0 through Matric. The school is renowned for its strong academic results, rich co-curricular programme encompassing sports, arts, debating, and music, and its commitment to developing confident, socially responsible young women. A boarding house accommodates up to 76 resident pupils, making it a vibrant all-round educational community.

Overview: IGCSE, A-Level · 13–18 · —

St Andrew's College in Makhanda (Grahamstown) is a historic Anglican boarding school for boys in Grades 8–12, founded in 1855 by Bishop John Armstrong. Around 450 boys — approximately 85% of whom are boarders — pursue rigorous South African IEB Matric and Cambridge A-Level curricula across six vibrant boarding houses. Under the motto Nec Aspera Terrent, the school combines academic excellence, a broad co-curricular programme in sport, arts and leadership, and a deep Anglican tradition of character formation. Small class sizes, ability-based sets from Grade 10, and co-educational lessons with the Diocesan School for Girls ensure individual attention and a well-rounded secondary education.

Overview: IGCSE, A-Level · 3–18 · ZAR 87.1K

St John's College is a world-class Anglican independent school founded in 1898 in Houghton, Johannesburg, offering holistic, values-based education from nursery through Grade 12 and Sixth Form. Primarily a boys' school (with girls admitted in Early Years and Sixth Form), it follows the South African IEB curriculum alongside optional Cambridge IGCSE, AS and A-Level qualifications. The school is renowned for academic excellence, strong sporting tradition and character development, consistently achieving 100% matric pass rates. Its motto, Lux Vita Caritas (Light, Life and Love), underpins an ethos of producing young men with 'a global mind and an African heart'.