New R420 million private ‘university’ launching in South Africa
JSE-listed education group ADvTECH has announced the launch of a new R420 million mega-campus in Sandton, bringing its Varsity College, Vega and MSA brands together under a single brand, Emeris.
The group said that the new campus will open in 2026 with an initial capacity of 9,000 students.
Facilities will include a double-storey library and information centre, a student experience hub with career and counselling services, a custom-designed indoor sports centre capable of hosting international events and innovation spaces including IT labs, podcast studios and interactive mock classrooms.
ADvTECH said that Emeris brand will help it expand and meet evolving student needs in South Africa, while also pushing growth of its business operations.
“This strategic alignment amplifies ADvTECH’s commitment to delivering diverse, high-quality educational pathways, tailored to meet market demands,” said ADvTECH Group CEO Geoff Whyte.
“By consolidating these institutions under one brand, ADvTECH offers students an enhanced educational experience, fosters collaboration, and drives innovation.”
The group has been pushing hard with its tertiary education division, aiming to be the first official private university group in the country.
As it currently stands, the title of ‘university’ is reserved for state-owned institutions under South African legislation. However, processes are underway to change this.
A draft Policy for the Recognition of South African Higher Education Institutional Types was released in September 2022, setting out the criteria to be recognised as a university.
“Following the submission of comments, a second draft was published in April 2024. We submitted our comments on the second draft in May 2024 and await the gazetting of the policy and criteria,” ADvTECH said.
The group said that recognition as a university will benefit its students, who will be afforded the same status as their peers who obtain identically accredited qualifications through a Public University.
The group has also seen marked revenue growth in its tertiary education division, where revenue increased by 13% to R1.2 billion, while operating profit increased by 14% to R496 million.
The group said that the division continues to perform well and grow on the back of a well-established brand portfolio that offers a comprehensive range of programmes.
In line with its strategy, the division is seeing strong enrolment growth in its distance offering.
The group added that its Rosebank College Cape Town mega campus has been relocated, whilst expansion projects for the Braamfontein and Polokwane campuses are underway.
The 47,000 sqm property off Grayston Drive in Sandton that will now serve as the site for the Emeris campus is just the latest feather in its cap.
Looking internationally, Rosebank International University College (RIUC) in Accra, Ghana, was inaugurated in August 2025, with student registrations having commenced in preparation for the academic year in January.
The new RIUC campus builds on ADvTECH’s existing international presence in Kenya, Botswana and Ethiopia.
The group’s total student numbers at its tertiary division increased by 14% to 60,067 over the period.
Images of the new mega-campus in Sandton
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