By Charmaine Ndlela
Apex Education Group has officially unveiled a newly completed high school campus on Koelenhof Road, adjacent to Kayamandi, in Stellenbosch.
Group CEO Jana du Plooy said the Stellenbosch campus first opened its doors in 2024 in a temporary facility while construction of the permanent building was underway.
ALSO READ: Youth urged to turn recognition into action at 100 SA Shining Stars awards
“We then moved across to the building in January 2025 when the first phase of construction was done. Now the whole building is complete. That was one of the things we could celebrate,” she said.
“We currently have 500 learners from Grade 8 to Grade 10 on campus and will grow a grade every year. The full high school will accommodate 1,000 learners, with 200 pupils in every grade,” du Plooy said.
Apex Education Group, a non-profit organisation, started with its first campus in Eersterivier in 2018. Its mission is to provide quality, affordable education to children across South Africa and to contribute sustainable solutions to the country’s educational challenges.
The organisation has also formally introduced its 10-year expansion strategy, Vision 10/10/10, which aims to establish 10 schools and create 10,000 affordable school places by 2034.
Speaking to Inside Education, Apex Stellenbosch school administrator Cindy Lombard highlighted the range of extracurricular activities currently offered.
ALSO READ: WATCH LIVE: Young leaders recognised at 9th Annual 100 South African Shining Stars awards
“We have extracurricular activities such as robotics and coding. Specialists come in and give our scholars the necessary guidance to fulfil those activities. We also participate in maths, English and geography olympiads. We are still in the process of building our sporting programme, which we hope to implement fully this year or next year,” Lombard said.
She confirmed that the current Grade 10 learners will form the school’s first matric class in 2028.
“Our existing Grade 10s will be matrics in 2028, and our current Grade 5s will be in Grade 7 for the 2028 academic year. Each year we extend the grades. We accept new Grade 4 and new Grade 8 learners annually, and admissions will open in March or April,” she said.
Lombard said Kayamandi was identified as an area in urgent need of quality education.
“Kayamandi is not fully equipped to accommodate the growing number of learners who need access to quality schooling. That is why we decided to open here in Stellenbosch. We have also opened in Vineland in the urban area, where there is high demand. There, we currently have at least 100 Grade 8 learners and just under 50 Grade 1 learners,” she said.
The Stellenbosch branch currently employs about 25 teachers.
ALSO READ: Tshwane launches youth education orientation programme
Apex has also confirmed plans to break ground on a new campus in Pinelands, where the school is expected to accommodate 1,720 learners once completed.
INSIDE EDUCATION
