Education

The largest private university in South Africa

Jonathan Hoyle

 ·1 Nov 2026

In recent years, Stadio and Advtech have emerged as the two largest private universities in South Africa, and a side-by-side comparison reveals which has captured the larger share of this market.

Private universities have emerged in recent years as an alternative to public institutions, due to issues such as capacity.

In 2023, the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) noted 1.07 million enrolments across South Africa’s public universities.

This was 3.7% lower than the department’s proposed target for the year, 1.11 million, across all types of university degrees.

Private universities create additional capacity in South Africa’s higher education system, with many of these institutions in the country.

At the start of 2026, there were 164 DHET-accredited private institutions in the country, across 706 qualifications and 15 fields of study.

While this does create more educational opportunities, one major drawback of private colleges is the cost of studying.

While public universities receive government support, private institutions rely entirely on tuition fees and private funding.

Within the private university space, two companies have emerged as the dominant forces: Stadio and Advtech.

Both of these groups operate several institutions, with Stadio spread across its namesake campuses, as well as Milpark Education and AFDA.

Advtech previously operated in the higher education space under several names, including Varsity College, Rosebank College, and Vega.

In 2026, however, the group consolidated these institutions under a single umbrella, Emeris, in preparation for legislative reforms that would allow the group to be recognised as a university.

“The simplification of our premium brand structures under the Emeris name marks a significant step on our journey to be recognised as a University,” Advtech CEO Geoff Whyte said in September 2025.

The consolidation also came after pressure from the DHET over Advtech operating under different names in the higher-education space.

Advtech vs Stadio

There are several metrics which can be used to compare the size of both private institutions, related to both their overall business and university operations.

Both Advtech and Stadio are listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), giving them access to substantial capital.

On the exchange, Advtech has a higher share price, with a closing price of 5,540 cents on 28 October 2026, compared to Stadio’s 1,640 cents on the same day.

In terms of market capitalisation, the measurement of a company’s overall value, Advtech is also the larger of the two companies.

While these measurements indicate the scale of each company, it is not an entirely fair comparison of each business’s university operations.

While Stadio operates exclusively in the higher-education space, Advtech operates in both higher and basic education.

Advtech earned over R2 billion in revenue from its schools division in its last interim period, close to the revenue from its tertiary division.

Both Stadio and Advtech ended their last interim period on 30 June 2026, with these results being used to compare the two groups.

In total, Stadio earned approximately R1.08 billion in revenue in its last interim period, lower than Advtech’s R2.24 billion in its tertiary division.

Advtech also saw a higher number of 2026 enrolments than Stadio, with roughly 71,000 students compared to Stadio’s 56,000.

The strong enrolment figures for Advtech have prompted the group to plan several expansions, particularly at Rosebank International.

“Various projects are in progress to increase capacity at RI sites to accommodate strong student demand,” the group said.

Advtech vs. Stadio group comparison

Advtech vs. Stadio university comparison