Private school fees soar beyond inflation, topping R400 000 per pupil

Mapaballo Borotho

Education experts have sounded the alarm over private school fees that now exceed R400 000 per learner and continue to rise faster than inflation.
They warn that such increases are placing families under severe financial strain and deepening inequality in access to quality education.
Calls have been made for transparency, as public school pupils prepare to start the 2026 academic year.

Education experts have raised serious concerns over the escalating and already high school fees charged by some private schools in South Africa.

This comes as certain institutions are now charging more than R400 000 per learner per year, sparking debate around affordability and access to quality education.

Education expert Hendrick Makaneta says these levels of increase are alarming and raise critical questions about who can realistically afford private education.

He noted that while private schools are entitled to set their own fee structures, recent hikes have significantly outpaced inflation and wage growth.

“As a result, many families are being placed under severe financial strain, and many parents will be excluded from schools they were previously able to afford,” Makaneta said.

He added that education is a public good and a cornerstone of social and economic development, warning that excessive fees risk deepening inequality by limiting quality education to a small, wealthy segment of society.

Makaneta has called for greater transparency around how school fees are determined, particularly increases that exceed inflation.

“South Africa’s future depends on an education system that is accessible. Escalating private school fees threaten to widen the gap between the rich and the poor,” he said.

Meanwhile, pupils from public schools are set to begin the 2026 academic year next week, while the class of 2025 awaits their matric results, which will determine their future.