2026 school fee increases for private schools in SA
Here are the 2026 school fees for some of South Africa's top private schools.
Many people in South Africa choose to enrol their children in independent or private schools for various reasons, even though private school fees are significantly higher than those of public schools.
In 2026, parents whose children attend private schools will have to pay even more, as school fees are set to increase drastically.
According to News24, South Africa's inflation rate as of September 2025 was 3.4%, but private school fees are expected to rise by more than the inflation rate.
William Bester, Chairperson of the National Alliance of Independent Schools Associations (NAISA), confirmed that 1,600 schools represented by nine associations would see fee increases of about 5% to 8%.
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"I do think parents are struggling to pay fees, and we are seeing an increase in defaulting parents. I believe this is a trend in independent schools across all fee categories," he said.
Bester added: "I believe schools are working hard to deliver high-quality education, maintain high standards of infrastructure and academics, while balancing the need for fair remuneration for their staff."
According to Bester, the increase in the number of independent schools has also made the market more competitive.
"I also think the reduced government subsidies are placing low-fee schools in a critical position as costs increase," he said.
Here are the 2026 school fee increases for some of South Africa's top private schools:
Public school fees for 2026
News24 reports that the governing bodies of around 3,000 fee-paying public schools were required to hold their annual general meetings by Friday, 31 October, to announce their 2026 fee adjustments.
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According to the Federation of Governing Bodies of South African Schools (Fedsas), the average increase in public school fees ranged between 3.5% and 6%, although some schools proposed hikes of up to 10%.
"Our estimation is that the amount public schools have granted in fee exemptions to struggling parents is around R7.5 billion to R10 billion, but it is not inconceivable that this figure may reach R15 billion," said Riaan van der Bergh, Deputy CEO of Fedsas.
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