Johannesburg, South Africa
International schools in Johannesburg: what families need to know
Johannesburg's private school sector is large, long-established and strong, and most relocating families end up choosing between an excellent South African independent school offering the IEB matric and a smaller set of international schools offering IB, IGCSE or A levels. The academic year runs January to December, which is the single biggest planning point for families arriving from the northern hemisphere. This guide covers admissions, curricula, the school year, fees, suburbs and how places actually work here.
Your contact details stay private until you choose to continue with a school.
Your request
- Where you are moving
- Johannesburg
- Children
- Sofia (age 8) · Luca (age 5)
- Curriculum
- British preferred
- Start
- August
One request. We ask relevant schools whether they have places for each child. Your contact details stay private until you choose to continue with a school.
Example request. School names in these examples are fictional.
Johannesburg in short
- Curricula available in Johannesburg: South African CAPS with IEB or NSC matric, plus IB, Cambridge IGCSE and A level.
- The Johannesburg school year runs Mid-January to early December, in four terms, with the main intake at the start of it.
- Schools are overseen by Gauteng Department of Education; Umalusi quality-assures school-leaving qualifications.
- Tuition is published per year group by each school. Registration, deposit, transport, uniform, meals and examination entries are normally billed separately.
- Availability is decided per child, per year group and per campus, so two children in one family can get two different answers from the same Johannesburg school.
- You can create one request and we ask relevant Johannesburg schools whether they have places for your children and what happens next.
Prepared by InternationalSchools.orgPublished September 2026Last reviewed September 2026
Johannesburg at a glance
The facts that shape a Johannesburg school search
- Oversight
- Gauteng Department of Education; Umalusi quality-assures school-leaving qualifications
- Main curricula
- South African CAPS with IEB or NSC matric, plus IB, Cambridge IGCSE and A level
- School year
- Mid-January to early December, in four terms
- Ages served
- Grade R from about age 5 through Grade 12 at about 17 or 18
- Language
- English, with an additional South African language taught at most schools
How admissions work in Johannesburg
Most Johannesburg schools follow the same stages, whatever the curriculum.
- 1
Enquire and check the year group
Confirm the year group each child would enter in Johannesburg. Age cut-offs differ between systems, so the same child can be placed a year apart in two schools.
- 2
Assessment
Most schools assess before offering a place. This can be a short online task, a classroom visit or a subject test, depending on age.
- 3
Offer, deposit and registration
An offer is usually held only after a registration fee or deposit is paid. Check whether either is refundable before you accept.
Documents to prepare
Some documents can take time to arrange from abroad. Start collecting them before you have chosen a school.
- Passport and, where required, visa or residence documents for each child
- Birth certificate
- School reports for the last two years
- Transfer or leaving certificate from the previous school
- Vaccination and health records
- Any learning support or assessment reports, shared early rather than late
More detail: how international-school admissions work.
Curricula families meet in Johannesburg
We explain each system once, in the curricula library, rather than repeating it city by city.
British curriculum
IGCSE and A Level, and how English year groups are set by age.
International Baccalaureate
PYP, MYP and the Diploma, and who the IB suits on a later move.
American curriculum
US grades, high-school credits and AP, with their own placement rules.
Changing curriculum mid-move
What transfers cleanly between systems and where a child may repeat or skip a year.
The Johannesburg school year and when to apply
Timing decides how much choice you have. These are the stages most families move through.
Six to nine months ahead
Start looking for the main intake
Popular year groups in Johannesburg fill first, and assessment slots become scarce close to the intake.
Three to six months ahead
Assessments and offers
Schools assess, then make offers within days or weeks. Registration fees and deposits usually follow immediately.
One to three months ahead
Places confirmed, waiting lists move
Waiting lists move as leaving families release places, so keep asking rather than assuming a school is closed.
Start of the school year
Term begins
The Johannesburg school year runs mid-January to early December, in four terms.
Mid-year
In-year entry
Possible, but limited to whichever year groups have room. This is where asking schools directly saves the most time.
What school costs in Johannesburg
Published tuition is the starting figure, not the total. These are the charges to budget for.
What the Johannesburg market costs, in round numbers
Mid band- Primary, per year
- ZAR 120,000 – 200,000
- Secondary, per year
- ZAR 150,000 – 250,000
- Roughly, in US dollars
- US$6,500 – 14,000
Indicative annual tuition across mainstream international schools, for the stated academic year. Individual schools publish their own fees per year group, the top of each market runs above these ranges, and registration, deposits, transport, uniform, meals and examination entries are billed separately. Figures refer to the 2025/26 academic year. Compare fees across cities.
- Tuition
- Published per year group by each school
- Registration fee
- Charged at application or offer stage, usually non-refundable
- Deposit
- Secures the place and is often deducted from the first term's tuition
- Transport
- School transport is charged separately and varies by distance and route
- Uniform, books, devices
- One-off costs at the start of the year, higher in the first year
- Meals and activities
- Optional at most schools, but a real part of the annual budget
- Examination entries
- IGCSE, A Level, IB and AP entries are billed in the exam years
See also understanding international school fees.
Places and waiting lists
Which Johannesburg schools have places for your children?
A place is not something a school has in general. It exists for one year group, at one campus, for one intake. Two children in the same family can get two different answers from the same school on the same day.
School websites cannot tell you this. Availability changes when a family leaves, when a contract ends, or when a new year group opens. That is why we ask schools directly instead of publishing a number that would be out of date by the time you read it.
For each child, a Johannesburg school can answer that a place is available, that there is a waiting list, that the intake is full, or that it cannot confirm yet. You see the answer, the fees and the next step, and you decide where to focus.
Your contact details stay private until you choose to continue with a school.
Answers from schools · 2 children · British curriculum · Starting August
Westbrook International School
Answered in 1 day
North campus · British · Annual fees: Shared with your answer
- Sofia · Year 4Place available for AugustPlace available
- Luca · Year 1Place available for AugustPlace available
Next step: Assessment, then offer
Harbour Ridge Academy
Answered in 2 days
City campus · British · Annual fees: Shared with your answer
- Sofia · Year 4Place available for AugustPlace available
- Luca · Year 1Waiting list, reviewed monthlyWaiting list
Next step: Campus visit, then assessment
Elmfield International College
Answered in 3 days
Main campus · British · Annual fees: Shared with your answer
- Sofia · Year 4Full for the August intakeFull for this intake
- Luca · Year 1Place available for AugustPlace available
Next step: Register interest for January
Your contact details are shared only with the schools you continue with.
Example answers. School names in these examples are fictional.
Choosing where to live in Johannesburg
We do not rank areas. These are the questions that decide whether a school works day to day.
Sandton, Bryanston and Morningside
The business heart of the city with the widest choice of private and international schools within a short drive.
Rosebank, Parktown and Houghton
Older, leafy suburbs closer to the centre, home to several long-established schools.
Fourways, Lonehill and Dainfern
Family-oriented estates to the north with newer campuses, space and secure complexes.
Midrand and Waterfall
Between Johannesburg and Pretoria, convenient for families splitting the difference, with growing school provision.
Moving to Johannesburg with children: a checklist
The school-related steps that decide how smooth the first term is.
- Confirm each child's year group under the curriculum you are moving to in Johannesburg.
- Collect and, where required, attest school reports and certificates before you leave.
- Ask schools about places for every child in the same request, not one at a time.
- Check whether registration fees and deposits are refundable if your move date changes.
- Check the visa or residency steps that enrolment can depend on.
- Ask about learning support early, since capacity is decided case by case.
- Line up housing only after you know which school can take all of your children.
See also the moving-abroad timeline.
Moving with more than one child
One school that works for every child, not one child
Most families moving to Johannesburg are moving with more than one child, and the hardest part is rarely finding a good school. It is finding one school that can take all of your children in the same year.
Checking each child separately, school by school, is where the search becomes slow. A school that has room in Year 1 may be full in Year 4, and you only learn that after two emails and a wait.
One request covers every child. Each school answers for each child, so you can see immediately where all of your children could start together, and where you would be splitting the family across two schools.
- Ask once for the whole family, not once per child.
- See sibling answers side by side before you contact anyone.
- Ask about sibling priority and start dates while places are still open.
Answers side by side
Westbrook International School
Harbour Ridge Academy
Elmfield International College
Sofia · Year 4
Luca · Year 1
Curriculum
British
British
British
Area
North campus
City campus
Main campus
Annual fees
Shared in answer
Shared in answer
Shared in answer
Next step
Assessment, then offer
Campus visit, then assessment
Register interest for January
Example comparison. School names in these examples are fictional.
How schooling works in Johannesburg
Independent schools are registered with the provincial education department, and school-leaving qualifications are quality-assured by Umalusi. Most independent schools write the IEB matric, widely recognised by South African and many international universities; international schools instead offer IGCSE, A level or the IB Diploma.
January to December changes your move date
The year runs mid-January to early December in four terms, with the long holiday in December and January.
Arriving in August means joining in the third term. Many families time the move for December or early January so children start with everyone else.
IEB matric or an international qualification
If your children will finish school in South Africa, the IEB matric is well regarded and widely accepted abroad. If another international move is likely, IGCSE, A level or the IB Diploma transfers more predictably.
Ask any school which qualification it writes and how its leavers have progressed to universities in the countries you care about.
Applications open years ahead at some schools
Established independent schools take applications well in advance, in some cases years before entry, particularly for Grade R, Grade 1 and Grade 8.
That does not shut out relocating families: schools hold places for international arrivals and places open through the year. Contact admissions directly, explain the relocation and ask about current availability by grade.
Fees, terms and extras
Fees are published in rand per year and billed monthly over ten or eleven months or termly, with discounts for annual payment and siblings.
Registration and acceptance fees, a deposit, uniform, textbooks, sport kit, tours and transport are separate. Sport and cultural activities are a bigger part of school life here than in many systems.
Practical setup: security, transport and utilities
Most families live in secure complexes or estates and drive to school; formal bus services exist but are less universal than in some cities. Ask what the school offers and what lift-club arrangements parents typically use.
Scheduled electricity interruptions have affected parts of the country in recent years. Ask how the school manages power and connectivity — most have generators or inverters, and the answer tells you how well the school is run.
What families get wrong in Johannesburg
The local details that cost families a term, a deposit or a long daily drive.
Planning around a September start
The South African year runs January to December. Time the move accordingly or expect a third-term join.
Assuming long waiting lists exclude you
Schools handle relocating families regularly. Contact admissions directly and ask about availability by grade.
Not comparing exit qualifications
IEB matric versus IGCSE, A level or IB is the choice that matters most. Match it to where your children will finish school.
Budgeting tuition only
Registration, acceptance fee, deposit, uniform, textbooks, sport and tours are separate lines.
Overlooking the daily drive
Bus provision varies. Confirm transport arrangements before choosing a suburb.
Official Johannesburg resources
Primary sources for regulation, inspection and enrolment. We link out rather than paraphrase.
How InternationalSchools.org works in Johannesburg
One request. We ask relevant Johannesburg schools whether they have places for your children and what happens next.
- 1
Create one request for Johannesburg
Where you are moving, each child's age, the curriculum you prefer and when you want to start. One request covers the whole family.
- 2
We ask relevant Johannesburg schools
We start with schools that serve your children's ages in Johannesburg. Curriculum, budget and area help us decide which relevant schools to ask first.
- 3
Schools answer for each child
Availability, fees, timing and what happens next. Your contact details stay private until you choose to continue with a school.
Schools cannot pay to be prioritised, and we do not publish scores or predict availability. How we select schools.
Questions families ask about Johannesburg
Find out which Johannesburg schools have places for your children
One request, every child, answers from the schools themselves.
Your contact details stay private until you choose to continue with a school.
Go deeper on Johannesburg
How fees compare across cities
What is published, what is billed separately and how Johannesburg compares with the other markets we cover.
Compare the main curricula
British, IB and American side by side, and what a later move between countries changes.
How admissions work
The stages most international schools use, and where relocating families lose time.
Continue reading
Waiting lists and availability
How waiting lists really work, and what to ask before you join one.
School year and intake timing
When places open, and what a mid-year move changes.
How it works
From one request to answers from the schools themselves.
Other destinations
You can create a request for any destination, published guide or not.
Last reviewed: September 2026
Guide version 3.1. Johannesburg information is compiled from official regulators, curriculum authorities and school-published material. Fees, intakes and requirements are set by individual schools and change, so confirm details directly with a school before you rely on them.
Sources
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