BUSINESS
The most expensive private schools in South Africa in 2024 – with one now at R400,000 a year
Private schools in South Africa have hiked fees for 2024, with at least six now charging more than R350,000 a year for boarding and tuition.
Hilton College in the KwaZulu-Natal midlands retains its title as the most expensive school in the country, with its annual fees (which only allows for boarding) at R397,660 for 2024 – up 7.5% from last year.
When BusinessTech first began to track the most expensive schools in 2014, Hilton College was the only school priced over R200,000 for boarding and tuition. In 2024, Hilton College will have almost doubled this figure.
In 2024, six elite schools now exceed R350,000 for tuition and boarding – a title Hilton College held alone in 2023.
MichaelHouse, St Andrew’s College in Makhanda, Roedean School for Girls, St John’s College, and Kearsney College have joined the R350,000-plus club.
2022 marked the first time a private school in South Africa passed the R200,000 mark for day school learners.
In 2024, there are now three, with Kearsney College now charging R240,900 for tuition – followed by St John’s College (R206,768) and Roedean School for Girls (R203,607) in Johannesburg.
Fees for day schoolers increased at an average of 7.3% across the schools we assessed, though the range is quite wide – from an increase of 2.3% at one school to hikes up to almost 25% at another. Among the top 10 most expensive schools, the hikes were around 6.7%.
For boarding schools, a similar pattern was seen, with an average increase of around 7.3% and the upper end at 7.1%.
The price hikes are higher than inflation in 2023, which ended the year at 5.5% in November, which could be a concern for those entering into the new year under the financial strain experienced in 2023.
Note: The fees listed below are as they appear on the various schools’ web pages and cover termly board and/or annual tuition only. Fees are for the highest level of learning available (up to grade 12). We’ve included the annual increase for schools where we have historical data. Lists are not comprehensive as some schools have not publicly published 2024 fee schedules.
Boarding schools
| School | Location | 2023 fees | 2024 fees | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hilton | Hilton, KZN | R369 920 | R397 660 | 7.5% |
| MichaelHouse | Balgowan, KZN | R347 680 | R368 000 | 5.8% |
| St Andrew’s College | Makhanda, EC | R340 869 | R363 879 | 6.8% |
| Roedean School for Girls | Johannesburg, GP | R338 428 | R360 087 | 6.4% |
| St John’s College | Johannesburg, GP | R331 091 | R352 612 | 6.5% |
| Kearsney College | Botha’s Hill, KZN | R326 480 | R350 130 | 7.2% |
| Bishops College | Cape Town, WC | R311 960 | R341 430 | 9.4% |
| St Mary’s | Johannesburg, GP | R313 990 | R335 470 | 6.8% |
| St Alban’s College | Pretoria, GP | R307 350 | R328 920 | 7.0% |
| Diocesan School for Girls | Makhanda, EC | R299 100 | R323 040 | 8.0% |
| St Andrew’s School for Girls, Senderwood | Johannesburg, GP | R299 000 | R320 680 | 7.3% |
| Kingswood College | Makhanda, EC | R292 710 | R318 210 | 8.7% |
| St Stithians College | Johannesburg, GP | R280 065 | R302 470 | 8.0% |
| St Anne’s Diocesan College | Hilton, KZN | R272 112 | R293 340 | 7.8% |
| St David’s Marist Inanda | Johannesburg, GP | R269 910 | R292 840 | 8.5% |
| Crawford College North Coast | Ballito, KZN | R269 400 | R290 100 | 7.7% |
| Somerset College | Stellenbosch, WC | R265 600 | R285 500 | 7.5% |
| Epworth High School for Girls | Pietermaritzburg, KZN | R261 757 | R282 501 | 7.9% |
| St Benedict’s College | Johannesburg, GP | R260 670 | R281 854 | 8.1% |
| Bridge House | Franschhoek, WC | R264 600 | R281 750 | 6.5% |
| Durban Girls’ College | Durban, KZN | R255 700 | R274 200 | 7.2% |
| Herschel Girls School | Cape Town, WC | R252 410 | R271 780 | 7.7% |
| Treverton College | Mooi River, KZN | R249 056 | R263 996 | 6.0% |
| Uplands College | White River, MP | R247 500 | R262 200 | 5.9% |
| St Charles College | Pietermaritzburg, KZN | R243 900 | R260 950 | 7.0% |
| St Martin’s College | Johannesburg, GP | R235 000 | R246 750 | 5.0% |
| Woodridge College | Thornhill, EC | R229 389 | R247 740 | 8.0% |
Day schools
| School | Location | 2023 fees | 2024 fees | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kearsney College | Botha’s Hill, KZN | R224 620 | R240 900 | 7.3% |
| St John’s College | Johannesburg, GP | R194 148 | R206 768 | 6.5% |
| Roedean School for Girls | Johannesburg, GP | R191 181 | R203 607 | 6.5% |
| Bishops College | Cape Town, WC | R185 020 | R199 650 | 7.9% |
| Clifton School | Durban, KZN | R179 119 | R186 426 | 4.1% |
| Crawford College Sandton | Johannesburg, GP | R178 000 | R189 570 | 6.5% |
| St Mary’s, Waverly | Johannesburg, GP | R176 640 | R189 880 | 7.5% |
| St Alban’s College | Johannesburg, GP | R174 750 | R187 020 | 7.0% |
| King David High School | Johannesburg, GP | R174 360 | R188 160 | 7.9% |
| Kingsmead College | Johannesburg, GP | R170 365 | R181 440 | 6.5% |
| Cedarwood School | Johannesburg, GP | R168 272 | R177 526 | 5.5% |
| Crawford College La Lucia | Durban, KZN | R165 000 | R175 730 | 6.5% |
| Redhill School | Johannesburg, GP | R162 500 | R166 250 | 2.3% |
| Crawford College Lonehill | Johannesburg, GP | R162 000 | R172 530 | 6.5% |
| St Stithians College | Johannesburg, GP | R161 480 | R174 410 | 8.0% |
| St Andrew’s School for Girls, Senderwood | Johannesburg, GP | R161 095 | R172 990 | 7.4% |
| St David’s Marist Inanda | Johannesburg, GP | R160 230 | R174 340 | 8.8% |
| SAHETI | Johannesburg, GP | R159 115 | R169 458 | 6.5% |
| Crawford College Pretoria | Tshwane, GP | R159 000 | R169 340 | 6.5% |
| Beaulieu College | Johannesburg, GP | R149 793 | R168 714 | 12.6% |
| St Andrew’s College | Makhanda, EC | R152 364 | R162 648 | 6.7% |
| Kingswood College | Makhanda, EC | R150 900 | R162 210 | 7.5% |
| St Benedict’s College | Johannesburg, GP | R150 670 | R162 724 | 8.0% |
| Diocesan School for Girls | Makhanda, EC | R149 858 | R161 849 | 8.0% |
| Herzlia High School | Cape Town, WC | R148 800 | R161 004 | 8.2% |
| Brescia House | Johannesburg, GP | R148 105 | R157 645 | 6.4% |
| St Anne’s Diocesan College | Pietermaritzburg, KZN | R147 060 | R158 540 | 7.8% |
| Woodridge College | Thornhill, EC | R145 975 | R151 347 | 3.7% |
| St Charles College | Pietermaritzburg, KZN | R143 100 | R153 500 | 7.3% |
| Bridge House | Franschhoek, WC | R142 600 | R151 800 | 6.5% |
| Crawford College North Coast | Ballito, KZN | R142 000 | R151 230 | 6.5% |
| Somerset College | Stellenbosch, WC | R141 300 | R151 900 | 7.5% |
| Durban Girls’ College | Durban, KZN | R140 800 | R151 000 | 7.2% |
| St Peter’s College, Sunninghill | Johannesburg, GP | R139 866 | R146 912 | 5.0% |
| Herschel Girls’ School | Cape Town, WC | R136 300 | R148 400 | 8.9% |
| Holy Rosary School | Johannesburg, GP | R134 965 | R168 320 | 24.7% |
| Michael Mount Waldorf School | Johannesburg, GP | R129 511 | R142 075 | 9.7% |
| Uplands College | White River, MP | R129 500 | R137 200 | 5.9% |
| Oak Hill College | Knysna, EC | R128 065 | R136 565 | 6.6% |
| Crawford College Ruimsig | Ruimsig, GP | R126 000 | R134 190 | 6.5% |
| Epworth High School for Girls | Pietermaritzburg, KZN | R124 755 | R134 112 | 7.5% |
| Treverton College | Mooi River, KZN | R121 116 | R128 380 | 6.0% |
| St Martins College | Johannesburg, GP | R120 000 | R126 000 | 5% |
Full Story Source: The most expensive private schools in South Africa in 2024 – with one now at R400,000 a year – BusinessTech