New R3 billion private Afrikaans university in South Africa is coming
Construction on the newest campus for the private Afrikaans higher education institution, Akademia, has officially started.
The first phase of the construction started this week at the group’s site in Mooiplaats, marking the start of a R1.8 billion build phase that will focus on lecture halls and academic facilities.
The construction phase is expected to run from January 2026 to December 2027.
Other infrastructure highlights in this phase include:
- A 2,500 square metre student centre as the social hub of the campus;
- Residences for about 750 students, after which the capacity will be expanded to 1,500 during the second phase;
- An amphitheatre with a capacity for 1,500 people as a cultural and gathering space.
- A chapel plaza surrounded by water canals and gardens
- A dome structure of glass and steel (20 meters high and 32 meters in diameter).
The project is the largest of its kind in the history of Afrikaans-language and cultural communities in higher education and carries an estimated investment value of over R3 billion.
The project is being co-developed by the Solidarity Movement, in partnership with Kanton.
This new campus development was first announced in August 2024, and mass earthworks took place in July 2025.
The sod-turning ceremony, representing the official launch of the project, took place in November 2025.
Solidarity chief executive officer and Akademia director Dirk Hermann shared a flyover of the site, noting that the groundwork is ready for construction to start.
“Thank you to every Solidarity member who contributed over so many years to build Academia and let students study,” he said.
The new Akademia campus is the next step in the education group’s expansion in South Africa, after opening its latest full-time campus in Paarl in 2025.
The institution was founded in 2012, and over the past thirteen years, has grown to five faculties (undergraduate and postgraduate), with more than 3,800 students.
University soon by name
The expansion of Akademia comes as the South African government moves to enable private universities to be registered in South Africa for the first time.
According to previous regulations in the tertiary education space, only public institutions could be classified as universities, with private players in the space being called higher education institutions or similar.
However, the Department of Higher Education and Training promulgated a new policy in October 2025 for the recognition of higher education and institutional types in South Africa, allowing private universities to be registered.
For a private institution to be classified as a university, it needs only to meet the relevant criteria and apply for the designation through the registrar.
For universities, the main criterion is that they offer high-level Higher Education Qualifications Sub-Framework (HEQSF) and Occupational Qualifications Sub-Framework (OQSF) courses.
However, they will also have to meet various research and community standards, which require significant investment.
As it stands, Akademia is still classified as a higher education institution, but could become a university or university college as it expands and its role in tertiary education broadens.
2026 start of construction
Concept images of the new campus
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