Good to know
Good to Know
- The South African school year runs January to December, unlike the northern-hemisphere academic calendars many expat families are used to — this can force a mid-year join or a repeated half-year for teens starting two-year IGCSE/A-Level/IB courses partway through.
- Only two schools in Johannesburg — Lycée Jules Verne and AISJ — run on a northern-hemisphere calendar, which is worth knowing if a northern-hemisphere school transition matters for your child.
- AISJ's fees are quoted and payable in either US dollars or South African rand, and are roughly three to four times higher than most other schools in the city — budget for the capital fee (a large one-off charge for new students) on top of tuition.
- Almost every school layers on real extra costs beyond the headline tuition figure: application/capital fees, school bus transport (school buses or private drivers are near-universal since Johannesburg is not a walkable city), uniforms, exam board fees, and learning-support surcharges — plan for meaningfully more than the published tuition number.
- Fees at most schools rise annually, often 6-8% and sometimes more at the premium end, so a multi-year stay should be budgeted with real annual increases in mind rather than a flat multiple of the current year's fee.
- Johannesburg's international-school options are limited relative to the city's size — AISJ is the main dedicated international school, so many relocating families end up at a strong local private school instead, which follows the South African curriculum rather than IB/American/British programs.
- Because admissions are rolling and siblings/returning families get priority, apply as early as you can confirm your move — 6-12 months ahead is a safer bet than applying just before term starts.
- If you're considering homeschooling instead, it is fully legal for foreign residents too, but you are required to register the child with the Gauteng Department of Education and keep the curriculum aligned with CAPS — this isn't just an informal choice you can skip.
- The registration rules for homeschooling were recently reshaped by the 2024 BELA Act and are still subject to an ongoing constitutional court challenge, so it's worth double-checking current procedural requirements directly with the Gauteng education department or a group like the Pestalozzi Trust before registering.
- A local in-person homeschool co-op (Grace & Truth) and a province-wide homeschooling association both operate in the Johannesburg/Gauteng area, so homeschooling families are not starting from zero on community/support.
Schools And Curricula
- Overview
- Johannesburg has roughly two dozen international/private schools, concentrated in the northern suburbs (Bryanston, Sandton, Morningside, Dainfern, Bedfordview, Houghton) near the corporate and expat belt. Curricula on offer span IB, American, French Baccalaureate, German Abitur, British/Cambridge IGCSE and A-Levels, and the South African IEB (Independent Examination Board) system.
Schools
American International School of Johannesburg (AISJ)
- Age Range
- Pre-K (age 3) to Grade 12
- Neighborhood
- Bryanston (near Sandton); second campus in Pretoria
- Tuition Annual Low
- ZAR 186,200
- Tuition Annual High
- ZAR 703,494
- One Off Capital Fee New Student
- ZAR 209,475
- Notes
- The city's flagship IB/American school and the go-to for embassies, multinationals, and globally mobile families; boarding available from Grade 8. It is by far the most expensive school in the city, with fees roughly three to four times other Johannesburg schools.
Curricula
- IB Primary Years Programme (PYP)
- IB Diploma Programme (DP)
- American high school diploma
Lycée Jules Verne (LJV)
- Age Range
- Ages 2 (Très Petite Section) to 18 (Terminale)
- Neighborhood
- Morningside, Sandton; satellite primary campus in Pretoria
- Tuition Annual Low
- ZAR 100,602
- Tuition Annual High
- ZAR 132,912
- Notes
- Part of the global AEFE network; bilingual French/English instruction with a genuinely international student body. Along with AISJ, it is one of only two Johannesburg schools running a northern-hemisphere academic calendar, which matters for families relocating mid-year.
Curricula
- French Baccalaureate (AEFE-affiliated)
- IB track (accredited since first cohort in 2014)
Deutsche Internationale Schule Johannesburg (DSJ)
- Age Range
- From around 18 months (pre-school) through senior grades
- Neighborhood
- Parktown
- Tuition Annual Low
- ZAR 83,940
- Tuition Annual High
- ZAR 111,060
- Notes
- One of two bilingual options in the city alongside Lycée Jules Verne, at tuition levels well below the premium American/IB tier.
Curricula
- German curriculum (leading toward the Abitur)
- bilingual German/English instruction
Dainfern College
- Age Range
- Grade 0 to Grade 12
- Neighborhood
- Dainfern (northern suburbs)
- Tuition Annual Low
- ZAR 107,330
- Tuition Annual High
- ZAR 179,030
- Notes
- A private, independent co-educational school with a Christian ethos; a common long-term choice for families wanting to embed children in the local South African academic and social network.
Curricula
- South African IEB (Independent Examination Board)
Reddam House Bedfordview
- Age Range
- Pre-school to Grade 12
- Neighborhood
- Bedfordview
- Tuition Annual Low
- ZAR 83,910
- Tuition Annual High
- ZAR 177,770
- Notes
- Part of the Reddam House private-school group; lunch is included in fees, a real saving versus schools that charge separately.
Curricula
- South African IEB
St Peter's Schools
- Age Range
- Preparatory to senior grades
- Neighborhood
- Northern Johannesburg suburbs
- Tuition Annual Low
- ZAR 123,006
- Tuition Annual High
- ZAR 170,487
Curricula
- South African IEB
Roedean School
- Age Range
- Girls only, primary through Grade 12 (no dedicated pre-school; feeds from St John's/St Mary's pre-schools)
- Neighborhood
- Houghton/Parktown area
- Tuition Annual Low
- ZAR 121,087
- Tuition Annual High
- ZAR 225,750
- Notes
- Heritage single-sex girls' school with a genuinely international student body drawn from dozens of nationalities.
Curricula
- South African IEB
Michael Mount Waldorf School
- Age Range
- Early childhood through senior grades
- Neighborhood
- Bryanston area
- Tuition Annual Low
- ZAR 84,590
- Tuition Annual High
- ZAR 151,305
- Notes
- One of the oldest and most established Waldorf schools on the continent.
Curricula
- Waldorf/Steiner curriculum
British International College (BIC)
- Age Range
- Secondary-focused, following the South African school year
- Neighborhood
- Bryanston, with a second campus in Pretoria
- Notes
- A common choice for British/expat families needing genuine A-Level/IGCSE portability. Reliable current tuition figures could not be confirmed at the time of research — treat any older per-subject fee figures as outdated and confirm directly with the school.
Curricula
- Cambridge International Examinations: Foundation, IGCSE, A-Level
St Stithians College
- Age Range
- Co-educational with single-sex boys' and girls' tracks; boarding available
- Neighborhood
- Lyme Park, Sandton (near Bryanston)
- Notes
- A well-established Methodist school with a strong sporting and academic track record. Current tuition figures could not be reliably confirmed at the time of research.
Curricula
- South African IEB
Crawford International Schools (Various Campuses, E.g. Crawford Fourways)
- Age Range
- From pre-school (some campuses from Grade 000) through Grade 12
- Neighborhood
- Multiple northern Johannesburg campuses
- Notes
- Runs on the standard South African four-term government calendar rather than a northern-hemisphere academic year.
Curricula
- South African IEB
Enrollment And Homeschooling
- International School Landscape
- Johannesburg has a relatively small pool of true international schools compared to its size; the main option is the American International School of Johannesburg (AISJ), and many expat families instead choose well-regarded local private (independent) schools that offer strong academics but follow the South African curriculum rather than an international one.
Application Timing
- Recommendation
- Apply 6-12 months ahead of your intended start date where possible, especially for popular grade levels and for AISJ, which is the default choice for many relocating expat/diplomatic families in Johannesburg.
- General Pattern
- Most international schools, including AISJ, run rolling admissions rather than a single annual deadline — applications are reviewed as they arrive and grades fill up, so families applying earlier in the year (e.g. mid-year for the following academic year) have noticeably better odds than those applying close to the school year start.
Homeschooling Legality
- Status
- Fully legal and regulated
- Summary
- Home education has been legal in South Africa since the South African Schools Act (SASA) of 1996, and this applies equally to South African nationals and foreign residents living in the country.
- Current Framework
- The Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Act, signed into law in September 2024, updated registration and record-keeping requirements for homeschoolers but did not change the underlying legal status of home education.
- Ongoing Uncertainty
- An earlier draft of the BELA Act included provision for home visits by officials, but this was removed from the final version; a legal defence organisation (the Pestalozzi Trust) has filed a constitutional court challenge arguing the law-making process was rushed, so some registration procedural details may still shift.
- Registration Requirement
- Parents must apply to register their child for home education with their provincial education department (in Johannesburg's case, the Gauteng Department of Education), and the curriculum used must meet minimum standards equivalent to the national CAPS curriculum.
- Compliance Note
- Homeschooling families are expected to keep termly progress records and attendance, and to have end-of-phase assessments (Grades 3, 6 and 9) conducted by a suitably qualified assessor.
Required Documents Typical
- Completed application form and application fee
- Copies of passports and visa/work permit documentation for the family
- Previous school reports/transcripts (typically the last 2-3 years)
- Immunization/health records
- Reference letters from the previous school (more common for older applicants)
- For students with identified or suspected learning support needs: a current psycho-educational evaluation, Individual Learning Plan, and/or speech-language or occupational therapy assessments
Waitlist Realistic Expectations
- How It Works
- Schools generally do not admit purely in order of application — returning families and siblings of current students typically get priority, so a new arrival can be waitlisted behind these groups even if they applied earlier.
- At Aisj Specifically
- For students flagged with learning support needs, AISJ runs an additional internal review (involving the Inclusion Services Coordinator, Counselor, and division Principal) before an offer is confirmed, which can include a conditional offer letter and ongoing re-evaluation requirements (e.g. a 3-year psycho-educational reassessment) as a condition of enrollment.
- General Honesty Note
- For popular grades at in-demand schools, some families remain on a waitlist for a full year or more; if a school is selective and you're far down its waitlist, it is often more realistic to plan for the next intake cycle than to wait for a rare mid-year opening.
Homeschool Community Johannesburg
Gauteng Association for Homeschooling
- Description
- A voluntary provincial association supporting Gauteng-based homeschooling families (Johannesburg and Pretoria) that organizes events, workshops, and social activities for members to connect and share resources.
Grace & Truth Co-Op — Johannesburg Campus
- Description
- A long-running, Johannesburg-based in-person homeschool co-op using a Classical Christian Education curriculum; described by the organization as the original and oldest of its co-op campuses, running weekly in-person sessions alongside home-based learning.
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Data last updated September 2026 · Verify anything important.