Oldest Afrikaans school ranked the best in South Africa for two years straight – averaging 3.6 distinctions per student

·11 Oct 2026

Hoër Meisieskool Bloemhof has been crowned the top Afrikaans school in South Africa for two consecutive years, with its last group of Matrics achieving 3.63 distinctions per student.

The Stellenbosch girls’ school was named the top-performing Quintile 5 public high school in the country at the Department of Basic Education’s National Education Excellence Awards in both 2024 and 2025.

Its latest matric results also placed it at the top of the Solidarity Support Centre for Schools’ (SCS) list of the Top 20 Afrikaans schools, which ranks schools according to the number of distinctions achieved per candidate.

The SCS rankings include single-medium, dual-medium and parallel-medium Afrikaans schools, provided that at least 15 candidates take Afrikaans Home Language.

More than a third of the matric group must also be Afrikaans-speaking to qualify for the Top 20.

In 2025, Bloemhof’s matric learners achieved 508 subject A symbols, averaging 3.63 distinctions per learner. The school recorded a 100% pass rate, while 96% of candidates obtained university exemption.

More than half of the matric class, 55.7%, achieved four or more A symbols, while 73% achieved a B symbol or higher. The overall grade average was 75.4%, with 55 learners achieving an A average.

The results followed an even stronger performance in 2024. Of the 142 matric candidates that year, every learner passed, while 141 achieved a bachelor’s degree pass.

The class achieved 583 subject distinctions, averaging 3.82 distinctions per candidate. Its overall average was 77.14%, with 63 learners achieving an overall A.

The school’s performance has also been consistent over several years. Before taking the national top spot, Bloemhof regularly featured among the country’s leading Quintile 5 public schools.

In 2023, it finished third nationally, behind fellow Western Cape schools Rustenburg Girls’ High and Rhenish Girls’ High.

A school with a rich history

Bloemhof has a long history in South African education. Founded in 1874 by Reverend JH Neethling, Professor NJ Hofmeyr and Professor J Murray, it is the oldest Afrikaans-medium girls’ high school in the country.

The school was initially housed in a building in Ryneveld Street, now known as the Eben Donges Centre.

It was originally an English-medium school, with Afrikaans becoming the language of instruction in 1925.

The name Bloemhof was first given to the school’s boarding house. Neethling wanted the young women in his care to become “flowers for the people”.

In 1879, the school’s first principal, Miss Gilson, requested that the school itself adopt the Bloemhof name as well.

In 1960, the school moved to its current premises in Stellenbosch, where its facilities include the main school, boarding house and sports fields.

Today, Bloemhof remains a Quintile 5 public school under the Western Cape Education Department.

Its leading feeder school is Laerskool Eikestad, while its brother school is Paul Roos Gymnasium. Together with Rhenish Girls’ High, the schools form a mini-campus and share some academic subjects and educators.

Bloemhof offers a range of sporting and cultural activities, including athletics, tennis, swimming, water polo, artistic swimming, hockey and netball.

Learners can also participate in a choir, orchestra, newspaper and debating, while drama, art and music are offered as subjects.

The school is founded on Christian principles and promotes values including respect, care, integrity and a strong work ethic.