By Lebone Rodah Mosima and Charmaine Ndlela
From R900 stationery lists to R4,500 registration fees, parents say the price of sending children back to school is spiralling.
The 2026 academic year officially starts in 24 hours, and families across South Africa are still cutting back, making plans to skip holidays, and turning to loans to cover basic schooling requirements.
The country’s official unemployment rate was 31.9% in the third quarter of 2025, meaning many families entered January with limited or unstable income.
At the same time, consumer inflation was 3.5% year-on-year in November 2025, with food and non-alcoholic beverages rising 4.4%, keeping basic shopping baskets elevated for many homes.
January also comes with a predictable cash-flow squeeze, as many salaried workers face a longer gap between December and January paydays.
Standard Bank has described this as a “pay gap” dynamic that forces people to stretch earlier December salaries over more days than usual.
The National Credit Regulator (NCR) has repeatedly warned that January is a high-risk month for borrowing decisions, particularly after festive-season spending. It has urged consumers to borrow only from registered credit providers, and to avoid “unlawful” lenders that may skip affordability checks or use prohibited collection tactics.
For most parents, the reality of back-to-school expenses has now fully set in.
Stationery lists alone can consume a significant portion of household savings, while other costs include new school uniforms, registration fees, transport and school fees, particularly for children starting at new schools.
Inside Education spoke to several parents about their readiness for the school year. Many described the process as severely stressful and, in some cases, unaffordable.
A Gauteng parent whose child has been enrolled in Grade R said she fears her child may miss the first day of school because she cannot afford all the items on the stationery list.
Teboho Lizzy Lestoalo, a single mother of three from Johannesburg, said back-to-school expenses increase every year.
“Every year there’s always something new added to the stationery list. For my son, who attends a government school, registration and school fees alone cost about R1 500. Stationery is around R900, although textbooks are provided. For crèche, stationery is even more expensive — I spend about R1 500,” she said.
Lestoalo said uniforms add to the strain.
“You still have to buy five white T-shirts, trousers, socks, and sometimes a new school bag. I don’t really budget directly; I just try not to go overboard and cut unnecessary items,” she added.
The Competition Commission last week urged schools and governing bodies to end exclusive school-uniform supply deals that it said could push up prices for parents and shut out rival suppliers.
In 2021, the watchdog said it published procurement guidelines after receiving complaints dating back to 2010 that some schools had signed long-term exclusive agreements with selected uniform suppliers without transparent or competitive bidding, limiting competition and leaving parents with higher costs.
Between 2020 and 2025, the commission received 490 complaints about school uniforms and learning materials and resolved 465, it said, adding that it continued to work with the Department of Basic Education on a price-and-supplier monitoring tool expected to be rolled out to schools before the end of 2026.
Another Johannesburg-based mother of three, with two children in school — one entering Grade 3 and the other Grade 8 — told Inside Education she had to sacrifice holiday spending to cover school costs.
“I paid R900 for stationery for my second-born in December. I didn’t travel to the villages or buy Christmas clothes because I had to prioritise school expenses,” she said.
The woman, who asked not to be named, said she paid R4 500 in registration for her Grade 8 child and spent a further R1 000 on uniform items, including skirts, a jersey, a tie and socks. Transport and additional stationery costs further stretched the household budget.
Adelle Chittray, a mother of five, described the system as “insane”, citing high school fees and the price of uniforms.
“Teachers sometimes shame learners in front of others when they don’t have all the required items. That hurts the children emotionally,” she said.
Celia Makgabo Mokwele, a mother of three, said she is struggling to cope financially, especially with a child moving into high school.
“I have a child starting high school, which means a new uniform, new stationery, and school fees. His budget is about R6 000,” she said.
She said her primary school child’s fees and stationery amount to R2 300, while her tertiary student requires R10 600 a month for tuition and supplies.
“It’s tough. I’m still looking for placement for my high school learner as schools are opening next week,” Mokwele said.
Another parent, Nqobile Mabizela, who has children in Grades 3, 6 and 11, said holiday spending left the family under severe pressure.
“During the holidays, we spent money unnecessarily eating out and enjoying ourselves. Now we’re forced to cut back just to afford uniforms and stationery,” she said.
Mabizela said the family has prioritised essentials such as uniforms, stationery and school fees, while cutting back on other household expenses.
INSIDE EDUCATION
